Rite-Speed Extends Winning Streak; Hollywood, HBPA Reach Agreement: Compromise Made at ,820, 000, Daily Racing Form, 1953-05-15

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Rite-Speed Rite-Speed Extends Extends Winning Winning Streak; Streak; Hollywood, Hollywood, HBPA HBPA Reach Reach Agreement Agreement Compromise Made At ,820,000 Formula of 4-3-2.65 Finally Accepted by Both Sides at Meeting of Racing Board LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 14.— The purse dispute between Hollywood Park and the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association was settled this afternoon when attorneys Herbert Freston, C. Ray Robinson and William V. OConnor, representing Hollywood Park, the HBPA and the California Horse Racing Board, reached a compromise agreement on a purse schedule of 4-3-2.65, which is 0,000 less, based on a 00,000,000 handle, than the 4-3-2.7 formula. Approval of the Hollywood Park board of directors was all that was needed to make the settlement final, and the first five contacted approved the compromise, making the actual signing of the agreement all but a formality. The accepted formula is for the entire meeting. The new distribution totals ,820,000. The word quickly spread and horsemen made ready to enter their horses tomorrow morning for Saturdays races. First Proposal of ,600,000 The board opened the emergency meeting in its Mirror Building offices at 11 oclock this morning, with representatives from both sides on hand, and with Dwight Murphy, chairman of the board, suggesting a compromise proposal of adding 30,000 to the Hollywood Park purse program of ,600,000. Hollywoods attorney, Herbert Freston, said that he would recommend the acceptance of this compromise proposal to the board of directors. After a short time, Freston reported that nine out of the 10 directors had been contacted and all approved acceptance of the compromise. C. Ray Robinson, attorney for the horsemen, then polled the HBPAs board of directors and reported that they had unanimously rejected the compromise proposal. Many charges and counter-charges followed this turn of events. Chairman Murphy then said that he was going to call for a vote by all licensees of the horse racing Continued on Page-Forty -Six | i , Hollywood, HB PA Reach Agreement on Purses Formula of 4-3-2.65 Accepted By Both Sides at Board Meeting Continued from Page One board to be taken by ballot at Hollywooc Park stable area this afternoon at i oclock to determine whether or not thej wished to accept or reject the compromise proposal. This suggestion by Murphy met with disapproval from HBPA chieftans Robinsor and Read. Robinson charged "conspiracy between the racing board and the track; and said it was an attempt to break up the HBPA. Read was less stormy in his reply, bu called the move "unprecedented" and sa« it would not be a represented vote as HBP members were scattered all over the state The vote decision was left in abeyance when Chairman Murphy offered anothe: last-ditch proposal, suggesting that at torneys for Hollywood Park, the HBPA an the horse racing board get together an confer in an effort to reach a solution. If the HBPA received the 40 per cen they demanded on an estimated 00,000,-000 handle, they would receive .001. 00 in purses. Hollywood Park originally of fered ,400,000 in purses and this progran was approved by the horse racing board Subsequently, the track upped the progran to ,600,000. When Chairman Murphy offered his 4-32.7 formula, which the horse men said they would accept, the amoun Hollywood would have to pay under this formula recahed ,860,000. The Murphj compromise formula splits the difference between ,600,000 and ,860,000. The horsemen at the meeting criticizee Hollywood Park for having the temerity t reject the 4-3-2.7 formula, but attornej Freston said that Hollywood Park hac never been officially asked to accept the 4-3-2.7 formula, that it had been merely suggested. Earlier in the day the horsemen had tele graphed an appeal by the horsemen to Gov Earl Warren to grant them a license tc build and operate a third track in the Los Angeles area. The horsemen in their telegram to the chief executive of the state for a track "bji and for the horsemen," stated 0,000,000 had been pledged for the erection and operation of such a track. "Wealthy, well known and respected members of the HBPA are prepared to undertake the building of the finest and most modern racing plant in the world, to be conducted by, and for, the horsemen," the telegram read. It continued, "the continued difficulties between thoroughbred owners and local track management make this step necessary, not only for the preservation of the horsemen, the protection of the publics interest, but for the preservation of horse racing in the state of California." All applications for permits to conduct racing in California are channeled in due course through the horse racing board.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1953051501/drf1953051501_1_2
Local Identifier: drf1953051501_1_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800