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BETWEEN RACES byoscarotis GARDEN STATE PARK, Camden, N. J., May 10. Following the spring stakes roster, especially with the three-year-old group, one story after another has told of this horse flying here and that one there, and it is safe to presume that the long forecast age of air in thoroughbred transport is finally here. In fact, the flying of horses is now so commonplace that shipments by plane now receive little or no notice, excepting when a Determine flew to Kentucky, some European horses to Belmont or Laurel, or as when Correlation flew from California to win the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. We checked with John J. McCabe, the specialist In thoroughbred air transport, who remarks, "Maybe the final proof came about only last month. Some Maryland people wanted some bloodlines of an Arabian stallion in California. The stallion was 30 years old, and it was feared the long trip would be too much for him under any circumstance. Nor did the owners of the mares think it feasible to ship them to California for the matings. So we flew the 30-year-old from Tracy to Maryland and back again after he had covered five matrons. And, yearlings have been flown successfully for years. And again, a trotter was flown from Syracuse, New York, leaving there at 3:30 one afternoon, deplaning in Maryland at 5.30, and at 9:30 that night he established a new track record at Laurel Raceways. While a Determine makes the headlines, the tab shows that an average of just under 100 horses are being flown somewhere every month. I believe that in the immediate years ahead, such transportation will make unprecedented strides because of the greater earning potential made possible for a good horse by the use of the sky." AAA Walter Donovan, vice-president and general manager Some Comments on the Age of Air Transport Garden State Policies Getting Acid Test Overpass Improvement Hints Earlier Post Freehold Judge Clarifies Patronage Code of Garden State Park, feels that this year will provide the first real test of Garden States basic policies of "racing planned for pleasure." He went on to say, "This means first of all quality horse, racing and after that, if indeed not outright luxury, for the people. As we see it, some American business conditions are soft, and in general, the prosperity of racing is closely tied in with general economic conditions. Therefore, all our building in the past should come in for a searching examination this spring "and fall. If we hold our own we feel we will have made progress, and if we show even a slight gain, we willtknow that our policies have been more than justified. One big help in getting people to and from the track without delay has been the opening of that overpass between here and Philadelpia, an important item because Garden State has always considered time as the governing factor in locale of a race track, not actual mileage. Indeed, the traffic problem has been cleared up to such an extent that we are considering for next year advancing our post time till 2:00 oclock instead of the present undesirable 2:30, a time chosen, as you know, as a measure of cooperating with the state highway authorities." AAA One of the first things we noticed upon our arrival was the additional emphasis being placed upon certain sporting aspects of the racing program, among them being the approximate doubling of the added money on the spring stakes program, as compared to last year, and the affording of more opportunities for two-year-olds. Two years ago, this writer called attention to the item that there are two methods of reaching the same goal and both seemed to work. One is the so-called Santa Anita method, which founded the 00,000 race in the United States, and which saw an emphasis upon stakes to attract public interest and, witri that interest firmly established, made possible the upgrading of the overnight purse. Here at Garden State, the reverse approach was tried, namely, the building up of the overnights to a high level before the track embarked upon a breathtaking stakes program highlighted, of course, by The Garden State in the fall. Both methpdsorked well in their respective territories, and both have attained balanced programs. The exact proper ratio of stakes to overnights has never been determined in a manner that would please every one, for insofar as horsemen are concerned, the point of view is most often reconciled by the type of horses one has in his barn. In pure theory, there must be an average differential, depending some what upon the area, and most tracks seem to have found the proper ratio within reasonable limits. AAA One item in "uniformity of rules" which we doubt will .be possible of attainment in racing throughout the United States, at least during our generation, has to do with the privilege of attendance, or presence of any particular party within a racing enclosure. The reason for this is that in the East, in general, rights spring from common English law, in the Far West and Southwest, a lot is traditional from Spanish rule, while in Louisiana, some items are still in existence tracing to the Napoleonic Code. In general, it is easier to bar an undesirable in Louisiana and in the East than in the Far West. Turf authorities Continued on Page Forty-Three BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Fifty-Two here have been pondering with some satisfaction the declarations of a lower court in Freehold, which, in throwing out of court a suit against Monmouth Park, with prejudice, in which the judge said in part, and in reference to the racing rules of New Jersey, "I think the rule is broad enough to cover any person where he has been actually convicted, whether he has a record, or whether he is known to be a bookmaker and never convicted. ... I think the race track officials have the right to put out any person who they have any suspicion carries on any illicit business in connection with gambling or in connection with any interest which is adverse to the interests of the State of New Jersey." AAA Horses and People: Executives of the three New Jersey tracks meet this week to agree upon a track sponsored program of entertainment for the NASRC during its convention at Asbury Park early in June. . . . Chicago has been selected as next years convention city, but we understand that at least three states are anxious to play host to the. NASRC convlave in 1956 and these bids will be entertained by the membership. . . . Barker Seeley, now good will man for Monmouth, is back from his first Kentucky Derby with lots of ideas as to how tradition can be developed in New Jersey. . . . With reference again to that Napoleonic Code in Louisiana, one convicted tout from the Fair Grounds meet is still in the jug there and wont be out until July, and two men charged with ticket counterfeiting have been unable to make bail and are awaiting trial at the summer sessions So-called undesirables now give New Orleans such a wide berth now that "incidents" are now at an absolute minimum.
