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I Between Races By OSCAR OTIS Golden Gate Fields Stepping Up Coughlin Is Progressive Manager Extensive Barn Area Improvement DEL MAR, Calif., Aug. 27. In the excitement of the impending inaugural of Las Vegas, the big stakes on tap at Del Mar, and the bids for public attention of such tracks as Caliente and the Los Angeles County Fair at Pomona, Charles Coughlin, general manager at Golden Gate Fields, phones down to mention that it should not be overlooked that Americas fastest race course opens Monday, September 14, for what promises to its most successful meeting in history and that from stable reservations received to date indicates that in the somewhat mad, and even at times amusing scramble for horses, Golden Gate Fields will more than hold its own competitively. West Coasters will be happy to learn that the first edition of the Gate condition book is off the presses and in the hands of horsemen, and this book is carded for an overall average type of racing which is bound to set new standards of sport for the San Francisco bay area. Most front side turnstile folks have no idea what a condition book looks like, and many quite naturally care less even though the condition book has a vital influence upon the type of sport they witness. As long as top quality sport does prevail, they are not interested in the mechanics of putting the races together. But they nevertheless have an indirect interest in the book for the reasons mentioned. At least part of the increased public popu- -larity of Golden Gate Fields which we, along with most turf thinkers, agree is in the offing, lies in our own conviction that the Gate will be under the most progressive management in its history. Coughlin is ideally constituted for the job in that he is young and forward thinking and is willing to try something new. Yet, he has had sufficient grounding in racing to realize the wisdom of clinging to racings substantial and historic tradition. It is a fine point, and one that, is deserving of some discussion. Here in the West, experience has shown that the most successful operations, specifically those in Southern California, have been attained by adapting tried and true methods to fit modern conditions and tastes. About the only arguments over this system is where the line should be drawn, admittedly a fine point, but Coughlin seems to be accomplishing his aim with the proper decisions. Coughlin is in a rare position to make Golden Gate Fields outstanding because of a geographical division on its board of directors. About half are from San Francisco, the other half from Southern Cali-fornia. These directors are all friendly, working for the same purpose, i.e., the upgrading of racing in the San Francisco bay area, and Coughlin is in the happy position of being able to reconcile Southern Californias progressive ideas with San Franciscos conservatism It is a rather intangible path, but at the same time a well defined one, which, if carried through to a logical conclusion, will help the San Francisco area take its rightful place as a major turf center instead of being as at present "triple A," as they would say in baseball. This latter statement, of course, is the writers personal appraisal and his opinion only for what it is worth. Coughlins first major decision as head of Golden Gate Fields was to decree that the stable area be made more habitable for backstretch personnel, most notably the. grooms. The tack rooms have been completely weather and wind proofed and have been decorated to make them quite attractive as living quarters. Actually, at the time of the year Golden Gate operates, Indian summer, the weather in the San Francisco area is the finest of the year, and, to our way of thinking, is perhaps the worlds best. Even so, the Gate rotates its dates along with Tanforan and Bay Meadows, and when it gets the late fall dates, the weather can be -somewhat disagreeable. This step is an indication that Golden Gate Fields is on the verge of becoming a more friendly place, certainly a step in the right direction. The "take it or leave it" attitude may still get by in some areas of the nation, but it hasnt quite worked in California, Continued on Page Thirty-Nine BETWEEN RACES I By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Three where the fans and others are accustomed to receiving something better. We learn from England that Elwood B. Johnston, the Los Angeles pie king, will have the honor of making the main address to the Gimcrack Club by reason of his partner-ownership with Ray Bell of the Gimcrack Stakes winner, the horse named after himself, The Pie King. Johnston is" an outspoken Calif ornian, and his remarks promise to make world news. When we say he is outspoken, we do not mean that he is haphazard in his remarks and criticisms, nor does he offer an opinion very often, but when he does, it has punch and merit. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston advised me from England that they are quite thrilled about The Pie Kings turf successes here, and are looking forward to seeing him race in Gene Moris stake that is bidding for world prestige, the 25,000 gross Garden State, which will have its inaugural running this fall. Johnston has been very much in the news in California in recent years for his adaptation of many basic English principles of raising thoroughbreds under California conditions, with, of course, a few fillips of his own. He is an advocate of "back to nature" on his farm in Riverside county, keeping all his own stock in the open day and night the year around, building a barn for mares only as a concession to owners breeding to his stallions. While it is too early to pass anything like final judgment on the program, preliminary results would indicate it has more than a modicum of merit, for the stock Johnston has sent to the races has been almost without exception hard-hitting, and in many instances, have raced far better than their pedigrees would warrant. Several years ago in this column, we dubbed Johnston "The Pie King," and the name caught on. Most everybody in California now has just shortened the monicker to "Pie." Ellwoods lovely wife, Betty, wrote us from England, in part: "Our trip abroad was all the more pleasant because our host at Abington Place, Newmarket, Mr. Harry Wragg, subscribes to the New York Morning Telegraph, and we read it every morning with our breakfast tea. We followed your wanderings through New Mexico and Colorado with considerable interest. But more to the point, you might be interested to know, as well as your publisher, Mr. J. Sam Perlman, that the Morning Telegraph is used in England as the one complete reliable source of information about America and its racing, and has an enviable reputation for accuracy and authenticity. It has a wide readership here because the English are keenly interested in the happenings, in America."
