view raw text
. -: vand£r ,H 11111 Jm Jlai i— Between Races I By OSCAR OTIS -* Sacramento Solon Looks at Racing Says Turf Needs Better Promotion New Plea for Charity at Capitol HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., May 27. — Yesterday, this writer published a letter from Dwight Murphy, chairman of the the California California Racing Racing . the the California California Racing Racing Commission, on the boards thinking on the controversial purse question, and in view of the thought provoking aspects of this letter, we made a discreet check into how racing was appraised by non-racing people in high positions in the state capitol capitol at at Sacramento. Sacramento. ; , . . [ t 1 i i i j. t j 1 capitol capitol at at Sacramento. Sacramento. 11111 Jm Jlai While nobody would allow a direct quotation, our check, as thorough as possible in a short period of time, convinced us that racing has a long way to go in the selling of itself as a sport to non-racing people, a tremendous amount of whom, as was pointed out yesterday, are neutral about racing, being neither for nor against. Remarked one official, "The racing law was enacted back in 1934, after a long campaign during 1933, and the records of those times scpeak for themselves. The approach was made on three basic points: benefit of taxes, encouragement of the fairs, and the encouragement of agriculture. Racing has accomplished its purpose in this respect. "The taxes are providing a substantial sum for the state treasury, making possible the beautiful fairs which exist from one end of the state to the other, and through them, by making premiums possible, have encouraged agriculture indirectly, as well as directly through such projects as university aid and poultry improvement research. Racing funds made possible the University of California veterinary school, many of the buildings on the CoUege of Agriculture campus at Davis, but as you probably know, most of the vet research, paid for by the horses, is on cattle and swine. Now, I dont say this is a bad thing, as it is fulfilling the purpose of the law. But racing people should realize that racing is a tolerance sport, and that these taxes help keep it in favorable tolerance. "Therefore, I dont see where racing has a valid case if exception is taken now that some state officials look upon racing almost solely as a revenue producer and lose sight of the fine aspects of racing as a sport. The latter is a matter of education and promotion on the part of the racing industry. Some progress has been made, of course, but years of painstaking work have been undone in a matter of hours by the reckless statements of people in racing when such matters as the purse dispute have arisen. Ill tell you exactly what I mean. The Western Fairs have for years carried on a program to let people know that the fairs are largely made possible by pari-mutuel dollars, and also to show the disposition of the racing dollar. Theyve even convinced skeptics that all moneys wagered at race tracks are not lost, that most of it is returned to the public, the rest going to taxes, purses wages, upkeep, and profits. Nobody finds fault with the profit system, either for management or horsemen. In any event, all this painstaking work is tossed out of the window when the headlines appear indicat-, ing that racing is a fat melon over which people who drive Cadillacs are fighting. It just doesnt make sense that racing would tear itself apart in this manna:." Tonight and tomorrow morning, before legislative committees of the Assembly and Senate, respectively, charity leaders of Southern California will endeavor to convince the lawmakers that the state should forego its pari-mutuel bite on 100 per cent charity days. If successful, and the chances are it will be, the law will be changed permitting all money, over bare operating expenses, to go to the charitable foundations of the race tracks, which would more than double the now existing donations. Up until this season, Hollywood Park alone has contributed just under seven millions to charity, to be exact, ,827,755. The three largest beneficiaries have been the greater Los Angeles Community Chest, the American Red Cross, and the American Legion. A few years ago, a similar measure was passed by both houses, but was vetoed by Gov. Earl Warren. He seemed to feel then that the state needed the money worse than the Red Cross. How-t ever, this year, the charities are putting up a more united front, and will state Continued on Page Forty-Four I • £ j j i ] s i j j I | ■ i 1 1 I I . i i ! ; . s s 3 0 BETWEEN RACES I By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Three their case more clearly. Perhaps we made an error when we said that Hollywood Park contributed the money. Rather, Hollywood Park patrons made the contribution, although the management s and horsemen jointly made the contri- c bution possible. California racings char- t itable works are among its outstanding i accomplishments. £ c Both, Memorial Day and Fourth of July fall on Saturday this year, an item which i will serve to depress meeting attendance and pari-mutuel figures for all tracks oper- £ ating during those periods. Hollywoods i all-time attendance record was established £ on Memorial Day, a Monday in 1948, when j 72,186 turned out to see Shannon II. score , over Mafosta and On Trust. As per cus- ] torn, this Memorial Day will see another ] renewal, the twelfth, of the mile and one-sixteenth Argonaut Handicap, which is also the first 0,000 stake on the Hollywood Park summer schedule. The Argonaut, as well as being a meritorious stake in its own right, also will serve as something of a prevue for the 00,000 net guaranteed to the winner Hollywood Gold Cup, which follows in a matter of six weeks. This combination of Saturday-holiday and unveiling of big name stakes contenders will serve as the first real test of the strength of the meeting, so to speak. If past years attendance of 59,445 is materially surpassed, the adverse effects of the ■ four-day pre-inaugural shutdown well may be said to have been overcome and perhaps forgotten. Horses and People: Californias golden gelding, Moonrush, has been fired and will be away from the races until late fall. He has at least one more extended campaign in his system before his final retirement to a life of ease . . De Anza, one of the better California-bred three-year-olds, is on the shelf for an indefinite period . . . The first foals of Rex Ellsworths sire, Rey de Francia, are putting in their appearance and their looks are most pleasing to all concerned . . Ramps have been substituted for Steep stairs in the Turf Club dining terrace . Pat Dougherty, long time Hollywood Park officer and director, is back enjoying the racing as part of a recuperation from an illness. Dougherty resigned last year from the board and was replaced by his son, H. W. "Bill" Dougherty. . Optional claiming has been introduced at Calgary and has gained a great deal of favor. Has enabled owners who wintered their horses to give them a measure of protection and get back part of the long layoff expenses It is our opinion that options will be more accepted in some parts of the continent than on others because of special conditions prevailing, i.e., where circuits are geographically such that there is little intersectional movement of competing thoroughbreds.
