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Centennial and HBPA Fail To Reach Agreement Except to Hold Another Meeting At Omaha Track June 7 on Matter AK-SAR-BEN, Omaha, Nebr., May 24.— Officials of Centennial Race Track and officers of the Rocky Mountain divisibn of the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association conferred here Saturday afternoon and evening and following both sessions, it was announced that an agreement had not been reached regarding purse distribution for the 50-day meeting at the Denver, Colo, track which opens July 2 and continues through September 11. Before departing from this point, it was indicated that another meeting to discuss the issue has been set for June 7. and will be held in the Administration Building here. Saturdays meeting was attended by Ivan Thomas, general manager of Centennial, and Walter Stites, horseman and director of the Colorado track. The HBPA representatives, besides local committee members, were Tom Sheehan, published of the Horsemens Journal and John A. Manfuso, chairman of the HBPA National Purse Committee. Allen Higgins, president of the Rocky Mountain division of the H.B. P. A. released the following statement this morning: "The Board has determined that the horsemen cannot take another cut in purses at Centennial. The 45 per cent offered as the basis of this years distribution is less than the 46.3 per cent given the horsemen last year and the Centennial management is asking the horsemen to take a cut for the third year in succession. It has been apparent for some time that at the present level of purse distribution at Centennial, the horsemen participating have received in purses approximately 50 per cent of their actual expenses." Thomas proposed Saturday to distribute among the horsemen 45 per cent of the tracks share of the "take" dn thoroughbred races of the first 0,000,000 handled and 55 per cent of the "take" above this amount. ■
