view raw text
RACING ROUND TABLE Current Questions Discussed EDITORS NOTE Last July 1, a group of men intimately connected with racing in various capacities met at the invitation of The Jockey Club in its New York offices and discussed infdrmally numerous phases of the sport. The panel consisted of George D. Widener, Ogden Phipps and John Hay Whitney, representing The Jockey Club; Marshall Cassidy, steward; John B. Campbell, racing secretary and handicapper; Cyrus S. Jullien and Luke OBrien, track management; Robert F. Kelley and Alex Bower, public relations; A. B. Hancock, Jr., find Clifford Lussky, breeders; E. Barry Ryan and Sol Rutchick, owners; Preston Burch and Hirsch Jacobs, trainers; Frank Ortell and J. Samuel Perlman, the press, and Ted Atkinsonj jockey. Bob Horwood, staff writer of this newspaper, has summarized the views expressedAn a series-of articles, of which this is the fifth. Question "Would the Racing Associations Furnish for the Press Index Numbers of AH Horses on the Overnight Entries?" That was "taken under advisement." Question "Why Cant All Factors Pertaining to a Foul Claim Be Supplied Immediately to the Press?" Improvement" in this service was promised. Question "Is Not the Rule Which Requires a Horse to Be on the Grounds at Time of Making an Entry of Service to the Best Interests of Racing?" Mr. Cassidy said that New Jersey owners object to the New York rule on the ground that it stops them from sending in horses and winning races, but said that is not the purpose of the rule requiring horses to be stabled at the New York tracks or on nearby approved farms. Mr. Rutchick said that the majority of horsemen were against allowing horses to ship in overnight to race and added that the New Jersey horsemen had agreed not to bar New York horses in retaliation. Question "What Could be Done to Encourage Hospitalization Coverage for All Stable Employees?" Mr. Rutchick said that this had been taken" up several times at HBPA meetings, but without concrete success. Mr. Cassidy: "Well, keep trying." Question "Do the Figures for Saturday At- tendance During the 1953 Season Indicate That Television Is Cutting Into Our Crowds?" The consensus was that, the educational value of televising races outweighed any loss of attendance, -though Mr. Jacobs said that many people will stay home and watch races on bad days, who would go to the track if they were not televised. Question fWhy Isnt the Morning Line Printed on the Program?" Mr. Cassidy: "The reason it isnt printed on the program is because it is subject to change for late scratches and track conditions, which makes it confusing to the public." Mr. Perlman and Mr. Ortell declared that the morning line was 95 per cent accurate and proved popular with the public at tracks everywhere. Mr. Cassidy: "Well take it up with the management." V Question "Why Dont the Racing Associations Operate Their Own Fire-Fighting Equipment, Staffed by Trained Men, on the Grounds of Each Track? This in Many Instances Wduld Prevent the Fire From Gaining Headway, and Such Fire Could Be Completely Controlled Without the Terrible Destruction That Has Occurred in the Past." Mr. Cassidy said that he thought the tracks were close enough to local fire stations to make such equipment unnecessary, but Mr. Widener said that Belmont Park has now installed a fire truck and trained crew because there was a 20 -minute delay at the time of their last fire. Mr. Rutchick, Mr. Ortell and Mr. Jacobs agreed that all tracks need their own equipment and trained crews. Question "If a Quality Purse Race Fails to Fill and a Cheaper Race Is Substituted, Should an Association Add the Unused Purse Money to Other Races?" Mr. Jacobs said that he believed that the money from better races that fail to fill should go to the better horses in other races that day, but not to the cheaper horses. He then cited an instance at Santa Anita when a ,500 race for non-winners of ,000 since September 15 failed to fill. Four days later there was a race for non-winners of 0,000 since the same date and it was worth only ,000, though for better horses. The reason for the smaller purse, E. BARRY RYAN Jacobs said, was because there was a ,500 handicap on the program. Santa Anita had a rule at the time stipulating that money from the better races that failed to fill would not go to other races. Mr. Jacobs said he asked Dr. Strub: "Suppose that ,500 handicap doesnt fill, dont you, think that money should go to that other race? If it was worth ,500 one day, dont you think its worth ,500 another day?" Mr. Ryan: "I think Mr. Jacobs is exactly right, and I think that Jersey and Delaware are doing exactly what you are talking about." Mr. Perlman: "I think it comes back to the point that Mr. Hancock made before, and. which I think is something to which The Jockey Club should give serious consideration and offer leadership to the rest of the country that is, statistics show that the good horses which run in the better races are not winning, cant win as much money as the cheaper horses. There are many reasons for it, but one of the reasons is that the value of purses in relation to the value of horse is not proper. Its better in New York than anywhere else." Question "Why Cant the Racing Associations Assign One Man to Check Along with the Track Superintendent, on the Daily Condition of the Race Track? This Would be Beneficial as Regards the Safety of Horses." Mr. Rutchick: "Thats my question. I believe the superintendent has too much to do and I believe the track management should have a track superintendent just to take care of the track alone." Mr. Jacobs supported this view, pointing out the continual variation in depth of cushion at many tracks. Mr. Cassidy to Mr. Rutchick : "If you come in there with me when we open at Jamaica, well talk to them about it." Question "Why, When Licenses Are Issued to Owners and Trainers for a Full Year, Are They Not Permitted to Retain Their Badges When They Have Temporarily Lost Their Horses Through Claiming Races and Are in the Process of Purchasing New Horses?" Mr. Cassidy: "Lets not talk anymore, well arrange it." Question "Why Not Make the Claim Rule, Insofar as it Pertains to Two -Year-Olds, be Written so That a Horse Claimed Must be Raised 25 per cent, for 90 Days Regardless of Where the Horse May Finish in the Race Incident to the Claim, and in This Way Give Some Protection to the Owner Who Has Spent Time and Money Bringing This Horse to the Races?" Mr. Hancock, Mr. Ryan, Mr.. Phipps, Mr. Widener, Mr. Rutchick and Mr. Ortell agreed that the proposal was a good one. Mr. Hancock said that a closed claiming rule for 2-year-olds had led to abuses in Kentucky and favored the rule compelling claimed non-winners to be raised in value as a better one. Mr. Cassidy, after suggesting that there should be no change in the percentage of increase when non-winners are included, added: "Of course, this rule can take horses out of racing. . .can hurt your racing secretarys office a little bit because if this horse is claimed, it may not be good enough to run for 0,000 if hes run for ,500... It also promotes racing horses without the interest to win. You run a horse over his head possibly for 90 days. I am for protecting the owner, I just wonder if this doesnt need a little more thought and study to arrive at a more practical solution. But I am thinking of the other side of it, taking horses out of racing and racing them where they dont belong, and thats not good for the public. Ninety days is a long time when a man is going to have to try to get some return for his money." Mr. Ryan: "I would be willing to settle for 60 days, but as it stands now, we have no protection whatsoever." Mr. Cassidy: "There is another rule I think the New York State Commission adopted as an optional rule, and I dont believe its ever been used. Its a rule that has something to do with a 2-year-old that has been either bred by the owner or bought at a yearling sale by him. If run in a claiming race, that horse may. only be .claimed by an owner of a starter in that race. Its evidence of an intent to do something along the lines that you are proposing. I think the-horsemen getting together with the commission would be good, and I also think it would be good for The Jockey Club to consider it." Mr. Widener: "I think its a very worthwhile thought." To be continued.
