Between Races: Canada Recognizes Lip-Tattooing Expedites Shipments Across Line Del Mar Executive Up from Ranks Stockbroker in Racing Securities, Daily Racing Form, 1952-06-23

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-mum BETWEEN RACES % wo* HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif./ June 21. — One of the more curious phe-nomenons of racing is its resistance to change, change, and and while while this this change, change, and and while while this this in many instances has proven a great strength, it also has been a source of exasperation to leaders who have effected changes, and then seen them take hold and become popular only after determined opposition. We dare say that this resistance has has somewhat somewhat lessened lessened -mum has has somewhat somewhat lessened lessened since the organization of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, for that body has made exchange of information and ideas easy. But even so, so far as we know, no track has as yet taken advantage of the services of an experienced and independent survey organization to analyze a set-up and possibly make recommendations for improvements. However, we feel sure that some track will, in the not too distant future, take this step, and when the results become known, perhaps most everybody else will follow suit. These ideas are expounded because in one case, at least, an improvement in racing has gained what amounts to official recognition by a sovereign government, specifically, the lip tattoo. The government, in this instance, is that of the Dominion of Canada. The Canadian customs people have accepted the lip tattoo number as prima facie evidence of thoroughbred identity, and by such acceptance, has expedited the shipment of horses in and out of Canada. Previously, the markings had to be checked, and in numerous instances, they did not correspond to the satisfaction of the customs men. When the markings were not satisfactory, the horses were held up until positive identification had been established. In some cases, this took weeks. AAA The lip tatoo has made ringing a thing of the past in continental American racing, and its acceptance in a matter of years rather than decades came about through one of those odd circumstances which have been known to influence history. While the theory, when first borrowed by the TRA from the Army, and improved upon for thoroughbred use, looked foolproof on paper, it can be revealed there was a great deal of trepidation on the part f Canada Recognizes Lip-Tattooing 1 Expedites Shipments Across Line Del Mar Executive Up From Ranks Stockbroker in Racing Securities of officials as it came up to its first trial. The fear was that, if a horse did not take kindly to the tattoo needle, the whole project might have to be abandoned because owners of valuable horses would not want to take the risk of injury to their horses. The TRA people didnt know it at the time, but their first equine subject for the public experiment was a bad actor, but he took the brand like a gentleman. It was a real turning point. The lip tattoo is now accepted everywhere but in a few isolated spots as prime facie evidence of identity, and in those isolated spots it is used as a corroborative check. This corner feels that the lip tattoo will become world-wide if only for the reason that because of stress, even England is now turning to certain methods of control pioneered and developed to perfection in the United States. AAA Del Mars new vice-president, Phil cYoss, is well known in California as a stockbroker and a man who specializes in the securities of racing associations. He is perhaps the best informed man in America as to the internal strengths and set-ups of every American race track. Few, however, know that Cross became interested in racing the so-called hard way. The stock market crash of 1929 wiped him out to his last dollar, but instead of beefing, he started to fight his -way back from scratch. When Santa Anita opened in December of 1934, he took a job there as a gateman, worked his way up to a minor managerial post, and later helped organize the private turf club at Hollywood Park. Within a few years he had launched himself again in business. While he left the race track for good as an employe, the fascination of the sport remained, which in turn led to his becoming an expert in turf securities. He was largely instrumental in forming the group which purchased Del Mar, an ownership vested in a voting trust, and in addition to interesting the "right kind of people" in race track stock ownership, he also owns considerable bits of Del Mar, Hollywood Park, and Golden Gate Fields himself. ► One might properly ask, "Who are the right kind of people" insofar as race track ownership is concerned? The answer to that one is fairly easy, for the best shareholder is one who is a sportsman*, who can afford to venture so-called risk capital, and who, with an abiding love and faith in the sport, will act as a personal goodwill ambassador for the sport in all walks of life. Cross has the notion that one of racings greatest problems is the lack, on the part of many people, of an understanding of the functions of a race track and the role it plays in the recreational and economic life of a community and state. There are still too many people who look at a pari-mutuel handle figure and do not stop to remember that of the total, almost all goes back to the public, the rest to the horsemen, to salaries, and the ever present state treasury. Cross also has the idea that racings expansion into what many believe will make it by far and away Americas number one sport, has a direct relationship to ownership of track shares as well as the sheer quality of the sport presented, and thinks there is a relationship between the latter two items, too. A ,A A Horses and People: Tyson Gilpin, of Fasig-Tipton, arrives here Tuesday to make last-minute preparations for the Bill Goetz dispersal sale in the Hollywood paddock on Monday, June 30. . .The paddock, while it was not designed with a vendue in mind, is a natural amphitheatre, is wired for sound to take care of radio and TV, and, on rare occasions, speakers .. .The John Hertz California sales yearlings are available for inspection at Amarillo Ranch. . . George and Ruth Thomas, newcomers to the turf, but who started out right with the purchase of some select bloodstock as a nucxeus for their broodmare band, are formally presenting their farm to the turf world next Sunday. It is near Glendora, a small foothill community a bit east of Santa Anita. . .A movement is on foot here to invite Hialeah Parks Ev Clay out for a spell of racing. The man, number one good-wilier for Florida in general and Hialeah Park in particular, has been so restrained in his remarks about California and its horses that a lot of folks here would like to meet him. Breeders here would like : to learn, too, something about Florida -raised horses, conceding that some good thoroughbreds have been raised in Hawaii, • which has a climate that is akin to that in I Florida. ,


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952062301/drf1952062301_4_1
Local Identifier: drf1952062301_4_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800