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: Meadows Attendance, Play Soar to New All-Time Highs Crowds Average 12,780, Up 50 Pet; Handle of 03,110, 20 Pet. Gain; Harmatz Stars Without a doubt, Bay Meadows, the peninsular course that lies in the bay region of sunny California, closed its most phenomenal meeting last Saturday. The daily average attendance for the 45 -day session that opened on March 9 was up almost 50 per cent, and the daily mean pari-mutuel handle soared to just a fraction below 20 per cent over the corresponding 1953 term. Last seasons session at Bay Meadows saw. a daily average of 8,667 fans at the track as compared with 12,780 per diem turnouts this year. In 1953," the wagering hit an afternoon mean of 49,002, while this season the mutuel pool averaged 03,-110 daily. The success of Bay Meadows didnt end with cold, black figures, either. Among other highlights were the sensational riding of young Willie Harmatz, a new track record established by Hour Regards and the scintillating success of Imbros in the richly endowed William P. Kyne Handicap. Harmatz, who was graduated from apprentice to journeyman jockey on April 26, took up where such stars as Johnny Long-den, Ralph Neves and Willie Shoemaker left off in the past, winning the Bay Meadows riding championship with ease. Harmatz, who tallied 65 winners in 307 mounts for a percentage of .21, put the jockey crown in the bag with nearly twice as many winners to his credit as his nearest competitor, Longden, the ageless veteran who scored with 35. On April 23, the sensational 22-year-old Harmatz, who hails from East Los Angeles, rode six straight winners. He had run out of the money in the first race and didnt ride in the days finale. But in between, it was Harmatz six times in a row and the rest of the riders might as well have stayed in the jockey room. Harmatz is a product of the county fair circuit. Hour Regards Registers Fast Time Hour Regards responded to jockey I. Valenzuelas pressure in the stretch to win the featured five and one-half furlong Oakland Showboat feature race on April 22 in the track record time of 1:04. Hour Regards carried 117 pounds. Andrew J. Crevolins shifty Imbros, who had won the 0,000-added Governor Goodwin J. Knight Handicap on April 24 and finished second on another occasion, sealed money-winning horse honors with a half-length triumph in the 00,000 gross-guaranteed William P. Kyne Handicap on May 1. Imbros total earnings at the San Mateo course were 4,900, considerably more than his stablemate and Kentucky Derby victor, Determine, amassed. The Kyne Handicap is unique in that the track puts up additional added money other than nomination and entry fees to reach the 00,000 mark. Its inaugural running this year "cost" the course 0,900. Incidentally, it was a banner day for Crevolin on the afternoon of the Kyne running, for his Determine previously had picked up a record 02,500 in the Kentucky Derby. Splitting financial hairs, it was the first time an owner had won two 00,000 events on the same day. Determine captured three handicaps and stakes at Bay Meadows previous to his successful invasion of Kentucky. They were the San Jose and Peter Clark handicaps and the Bay Meadows Derby. That triumvirate of successes, plus those of Imbros, gave Crevolin a commanding margin over Calumet Farm in the owners money-earning standings. Crevolins charges earned 33,650 to Calumets 5,350. However, Robert H. "Red" McDaniel continued his domination of the Pacific Coast trainers with 28 victories to 26 by Willie Molter, his arch rival and trainer of Determine and Imbros. Complete Bay Meadows statistics: March 9 to May 8 45 Days Gross distribution ,248,550 Net distribution ,205,400 Daily average net distribution. .6,786.67 Attendance .-. 575,098 Daily average attendance 12,780 Mutuel handle 6,139,969 Daily average mutuel handle 03,110 Leading Money-Winning Owners Owner. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Won. Crevolin, A. J. 9 6 6 33,650 Calumet Farm 8 3 4 45,350 Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. N. G. - 6 all 7 34,950 Alberta Ranches Ltd. 6 5 1 26,575 JOCKEY WILLIAM HARMATZ Riding star at Bay Meadows with 65 winners. Houssels and Mooers "2 0 0 22,925 Kidd, Mr. and Mrs. L. W. 10 11 5 21,125 Hirschberg, A. 2 0 1 16,800 Naylor and Owl Stable 1 1 2 15,325 Dun Hou Tang Stable 5 9 3 13,850 Double A Stable 3 4 2 13,650 Leading Money-Winning Horses Horse. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Won. Imbros 2 10 4,900 Determine 3 0 0 35,100 Kingly 2 0 0 22,925 Fleet Bird 0 1 0 20,850 Decorated 1 0 1 17,250 Blue Butterfly 2 0 0 15,750 Golden Abbey 0 1 2 13,925 Stranglehold 0 2 0 13,000 Wild Glory 3 0 0 10j600 Trusting 0 0 1 10,000 Leading Winning Jockeys Jockey Mts. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Unp. PC. Harmatz, W. 307 65 51 35 156 21 Longden, J. 155 35 24 20 76 .23 Taniguchi, G. 211 33 25 32 121 .16 Valenzuela, I. 182 25 15 26 116 .14 Glisson, G. 216 24 30 16 146 .11 Neves, R. 167 23 20 16 108 .14 Trejos, R. 175 23 27 26 99 .13 York.R. 165 23 29" 19 94 .14 Shoemaker, W. 60 17 11 10 22 .28 Ford, R. 158 15 15 20 109 -.09 Leading Winning Trainers Trainer. Wins. Trainer. Wins. McDaniel, R. H. 28 Roberts, B. R. 10 Molter, W. 26 Stute, W. 9 Cornell, R. 13 . Eisen, M . 8 Drumhller, A. Sr. 11 Jones, H. A. 8 West, C. R. 11 Sorrell, E. H. 8 Kidd, L. W- - 10 Following is the list of stakes that were decided: Stake. Date. Winner. Value. Springtime Handicap, March 9; Kingly $ 6,675 Burlingame Matron Handicap; March 13; Fortune Teller 6,375 San Jose Handicap, March 20; Determine 9,550 Bay Meadows Handicap, March 27; Decorated . 16,500 Peter Clark. Handicap, April 3; Determine 9,750 San Mateo Matron Handicap, April 10; Blue Butterfly 13,250 Bay Meadows Derby, April 17; Determine 15,800 Governor Goodwin J. .Knight Handicap, April 24; Imbros 14,600 Sub Deb Stakes, April 28; Jovie K. 6,775 William P. Kyne Handicap, May 1; Imbros 48,800 Bay Meadows Beau Brummel Stakes, May 5; Beau Busher 6,625 Childrens Hospital Handicap, May 8; Kingly - 16,250 The percentage of winning favorites was below normal, as shown in the subjoined tabulation: Number of races 371 Winning favorites 125 Winning second choices 70 Winning outsiders 177 Winners at odds-on 23 Defeated at odds-on 13 Percentage of winning favorites 34 Dead heats one for win
