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. California Board Defers Action On Controversial 1955 Dates Santa Anitas Closing Day Of March 72 Snags Proposed Schedule of Solons, Tracks By OSCAR OTIS LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 25.— Official action by the California Horse Racing Board on the controversial date question for the next year, both .for the major tracks and the fairs, was deferred until a later date following an extended discussion of the matter Monday at a specially convened board meeting in its downtown Los Angeles offices in the Mirror Building. The dates scheduled for 1955 found Santa Anita lined up against the five other major race tracks in the state and Alameda and the Solano County Fairs requesting a shift in dates from those submitted for consideration by the racing board. The most important question was the Santa Anita dates. The board proposal was that Santa Anita open on December 31, close on March 12, for a total of 50 days, whereas the other tracks submitted a schedule, upon which they all agreed, calling for Santa Anita to open December 28 and close on March 5. It was claimed that the March 12 closing of Santa Anita, as proposed, would crowd the calendar for the remainder of the year and force hardship upon other tracks. Other controversial dates foil. : As proposed by the board, Golden Gate Fields, open March 15, close May 14, for 48 days. As agreed by all tracks but Santa Anita, Golden Gate opening on March 8, close May 14. As proposed by the board, Western Harness j open March 18, close April 16. As proposed by the major tracks, Western Harness open March 11, close on April 7. Western Harness indicated either of these dates would be agreeable. As proposed by the board, Los Alamitos quarter horses open April 19, close May 14. As agreed by the tracks, Los Alamitos open April 9, close May 7. Los Alamitos Proposal As proposed by the board, Hollywood Park open May 17, close July 23. As agreed by the tracks, Hollywood open May 13, close July 23. Other dates were not controversial, and were the same on both schedules. They include: California Horse Racing Association Bay Meadows, mixed quarter horse and harness racing, May 17 through June 25, 30 days. • Del Mar, July 27 through September 1.0, 40 days. Bay Meadows, September 12 through October 29, 42 days. Western Harness fall meeting: October 13 through November 19, 26 days. Tanforan, October 31 through December 17, 4 days. The "crushing" complained of by tracks other than Santa Anita occurs only in the dates prior to Labor Day. After that, the schedule is the same on both proposed date set-ups. The five tracks, Del Mar, Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, Tanforan, and Golden Gate Fields, agreed upon the revision, but which Carleton F. Burke, director of racing at Santa Anita, termed "unacceptable." In turn, the other tracks indicated that Santa Anitas request was not acceptable to them. Decision Likely Next Month It is doubtful if the horse racing board adjucates the dispute until late next month. As revealed yesterday, the fairs themselves agreed upon a schedule, but in two instances, this schedule was in conflict with those suggested by the board. According to the boards proposal, Alameda would open the fair schedule June 27, close July 9, for 12 racing days, and Solano would follow with a nine-day meeting. July 11 through July 20. The fairs asked that Alameda open June 24, race through July 7 and Solano open July 8, race through July 16. The other days were the same in both schedules, and follows: Sonoma, July 22 through July 30, eight days. San Mateo, August 5 through August 13, eight days. Humboldt, August 16 through August 20, five days. San Joaquin, August 19 through August 27, eight days. State Fair, September 1 through September 10, nine days. Los Angeles County Fair, September 16 through October 1, 14 days. Fresno, September 30 through October 8, eight days. The overlaps between Alameda and the CHRA at Bay Meadows, between Humbolt Continued on Page Forty-Six j j. A. KRAMER— Will send out Smart Devil for L. L. Haggin II. in the Rancocas Stakes at Garden State Park today. Action on 1955 Dates In California Deferred Proposed Schedules Hit Snag Due To Closing Day at Santa Anita Continued from Page Fire and San Mateo and between Los Angeles County and Fresno were said to be acceptable to all parties concerned, excepting CHRA. William Hornblower, representing CHRA, said his track, operating quarter horse and harness events only, could not compete with thoroughbred racing at Alameda, home of the Pleasanton track and about 30 miles away, inland. Bert Thompson, representing the Jockeys Guild, informed the board that the Guild was unanimous in believing the present rule, which decrees the naming of a rider at the time of entry, should be maintained. But Johnny Beverly, of the HBPA, said that, while his organization was in substantial agreement on the rule, felt it should be modified to permit a good rider on a horse that was a late scratch to be allowed to ride in the race, displacing a rider already engaged. However, no change in the rule is contemplated at this time. The Los Angeles Turf • Writers were 100 per cent in favor of the present rule. Other business before the board included the following: 1 — Instructed all track managements, both major track and fairs, to survey the stable fire fighting facilities on their premises and make a detailed report of same to the board. 2— Heard a request from the HBPA that the fee for lead ponies at the fails be either abolished or cut to . 3 — Heard a plea from the blacksmiths union that more state supervision be made anent the licensing of platers at the fairs. 4 — Took steps toward appointing a committee, whose membership probably will include Wendell Cassidy, John Beverly, Bert Thompson, Larry Kidd, and two racing secretaries to report to the board on a suggested rules changes regarding weight allowances for apprentice riders. The board would like a complete briefing on the subject, but felt California should not change its apprentice rule unless the proposed scale of allowances was in effect nationally. 5 — Heard a suggestion from Bert Thompson of the Jockeys Guild the stewards use more personal judgment in allowing a boy to ride after he has canceled a mount for illness or "fatigue." Under present rule, if a boy takes off for sickness, he cannot ride until he is cleared by a doctor, and this usually takes 24 hours, which means that he is off -for the remainder of one afternoon and all the next day. 6 — Permitted the withdrawal of an application for February dates for 14 days of racing by CHRA at Bay Meadows preceding the opening of Golden Gate. 7 — Denied the application for a pari-mutuel clerks .license to Frank Scaler of San Francisco, who had a bookmakihg conviction on his record. 8 — Denied the application of Tom Da-miano for an owner-trainers license. 9 — Denied the application of Richard Edwin Gach for a grooms license. 10 — Denied the application for an owners license to George V. Ranney, suspended for violation of Rule 319A. False registration of a foal. 11 — Granted the application of Dr. Phillip Ames for an owners license. 12 — Granted the application of the partnership of Brown and Friedland for an owners license. 13 — Ratified a number of minor items which had only technical significance such as the formal approval of the five charity days at Hollywood Park. All board members, chairman Dwight W. Murphy, George I. Holmes of Los Angeles and Bert W. Railey of San Francisco, were in attendance, as wds States Attorney William V. OConnor. Among those on hand as official representatives of their tracks included Carleton F. Burke, Gwynne Wilson and Bob Strub for Santa Anita, Jim Stewart and Thor Brekke of Hollywood Park, Frfcd H. Ryan of Tanforan, Charles E. Coughlin of Golden Gate Fields, Bill Hornblower of Peninsula track interests, and Clive E. Becker and Eddie Read of Del Mar. Among; the Fair representatives were Harry Bartell and Sam Whiting of Alameda, Jack Affler-baugh, Tevis Paine, and Walter Dauchy of Pamona, Ed J. Vollman of Stockton, Jack Leibeau of Santa Rosa, Tom Dodge, Jr., of Fresno, and Lou Merrill of Western Fairs Association.
