Judges Stand: Garden States Operation Interesting Study Donovan Finds the Amenities Pay Handsomely Evenly, Daily Racing Form, 1954-05-27

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, ; ■fc«frandandfjg i| JUDGES STAND By CHARLES HATT0N , ; i| GARDEN STATE PARK, Camden, N. J., May 26.— Ever since it first opened, on July 18, 1942, a golden stream has overflowed a small dam shaped like a "tote" board at this sumptuous course. Garden States patronage is at once the envy of most most of of Gene Gene Moris Moris contemporaries, contemporaries, ■fc«frandandfjg i| most most of of Gene Gene Moris Moris contemporaries, contemporaries, and the bane of clubs having concurrent racing dates. Figuratively speaking, the crowds at the present meeting have been averaging 21,611, the play ,939,629, with a brilliant holiday week end upcoming. And, not to make too sharp a point of it, Garden State recently spotted tax-ridden Belmont Park Native Dancer and Porterhouse and outdrew that spacious plant, long regarded as American racings "headquarters." Nobody, we think, will deny that this courses locale has a great deal io do with its overwhelming success. It turns out that Philadelphia, for all its conservatives, is one of the most avid racing centersin America, and Walter Donovan was telling us just* now that 75 per cent of the astonishing volume of business come from the "Quaker City." A good part of it also comes,, special delivery, by bus from New York, where the "take" is about three points higher. But we do not think Garden States phenomenal figures are altogether a matter of geography, if we may say so without appearing to offer some gratuitous criticism of rival tracks. AAA Here at the Camden course no stone is left unturned to merchandise racing, nothing is too good for the public, and the "average fan" luxuriates in appointments usually reserved for the carriage trade. Donovan finds it pays handsomely. "Running a race track is not greatly unlike running any other business," he observes. "One goes to the hotels that make him most comfortable. Women pa- Garden States Operation Interesting Study Donovan Finds the Amenities Pay Handsomely Evenly Matched Three-Year-Olds Aid Tracks Results of Benefit to Many Breeders - tronize the department stores that offer the most agreeable values in the most pleasant surroundings. A thing like a spic-and-span restaurant in the building can make a difference. Hialeah Parks experience with its elaborate new clubhouse is rather illuminating on this point I think." In other words, it is his philosophy that if a track "goes big" the public will respond, and this is the same thinking that enabled Col. Matt Winn to develop the Kentucky Derby into a national racing holiday. Up to now this club has offered racing of a straightaway, unadorned nature, with the signal exception of The Garden State, and its as yet undecided, unnamed companion piece for fillies. "Donovan mentions a possibility, however, that if the growing popularity of turf course competition warrants, Garden State will conform and offer its patrons racing in this colorful contest too. AAA The form of Hasty Road, Determine, Porterhouse, Correlation and Turn-to means many things to many people. For instance, Determines Derby may be translated into more patronage and prestige for Hollywood Park racing. And Hasty Roads Preakness will stimulate greater interest in Arlingtons sport, emphasized by the fact he was developed there last summer and has the appeal of a returning hero. Indications are that the Classic will bring together Hasty Road and Determine for the first time since their intense rivalry began at Churchill Downs. There was widespread disappointment when Turn-to broke down. But one may philosophize that now the honors are more scattered than they might have been if Turn-to was the phenomenon so many thought him. Summer stakes for three-year-olds do not now have the cut-and-dried aspects of foregone conclusions, and track operators are spared the anxiety of attracting a standout and courting minus pools. If there is a standout in the division, he has yet to be revealed. And that several of the leaders are fairly well matched has led to spirited renewals of the first two of the "Triple Crown" events, which tends to sustain the publics interest for future stakes. The keen form of the seasons three-year-olds also has a significance in various quarters of the world of bloodstock breeding. Porterhouse and Correlation are by the hitherto unsung sires, Endeavour n., serving in Virginia, and Free America, standing in California. Hasty Road gives the Romans a new and higher value, and Determine must have defeated the last skeptic of Alibhais ability. Harry Isaacs observes that Determine also has shown once again the efficacy of strong female families. One could hardly blame him if heregards his youthful broodmare, Isa, as a more valuable piece of property in view of the Crevolin colts form. You see, she is by Eight Thirty, out of Brown Biscuit, thus is a half-sister to Determines dam, Koubis, and to Dr. Asburys Brownian, herself a winner of some 00,000. As we have previously noted this is the immedate family of Equipoise and Sea-biscuit. It is not very populous, nevertheless has made a tremendous impression on American racing. Brown Biscuit, a mare of lovely quality, was purchased quite reasonably for Forest Retreat from Claiborne, and she has proved the next best thing to a license to print ones own money. Again, the activities of the three-year-olds has advertised the output of commercial studs in the present Continued on Page Thirty-Nine I JUDGES STAND By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Forty-Eight day. Hasty Road, Determine, Turn-to and Goyamo all passed through the salesring. Clearly, selected yearlings are becoming more select, for the homebreds no longer win the same preponderance of major events they did in another decade. Turn-tos benefactions to breeding extend beyond this country, to the stud in Ireland. He has been of service to Coras Trachtala Teo. A A A Turf ana: Garden State has twice at this meet missed ,000,000 handles by less than 00. Isnt it frustrating? . . . Goyamo ran in the Preakness sporting bandages in front, rubber heel boots behind, nevertheless is reported to have gone amiss. . . . Assaults sister, On Your Own, who won the Betsy Ross here, is a candidate also for the 0,000 Colonial on Memorial Day. . . . "In America," a foreign correspondent says, "wagering on the races is half sacred, half profane." To 20,000,000 Englishmen race-going is an essential element of human experience. . . . Garden State Parks track has an elaborate drainage system, with an embankment which might make installing a turf course a bit awkward, were the club ever to get around to considering this seriously. . . . The mood of the Preakness crowd was less festive than that for the Derby, and by contrast that on Belmont Day is downright prosaic. . . . New Jersey breeders like the Your Hosts. Before the Derby, Determine was bred like Your Host. Now, Your Host is bred like Determine.-. . . The next running of the rags-to-riches The Garden State was worth 85,215 as long ago as March 15, with an ante of 50 due July 13 and ,000 more per starter. . . . Miss America will be on view at Thistle-Down. ... It develops Pimlico is going to have to sacrifice a slice of its famed nostalgia in the interests of the patrons comfort after all. The new club will have lots of gleaming aluminum. . . . Punster remarks grass racing makes the other kind look so mundane. . . . Garden State reprints some of the late Joe Palmers graceful pieces in its programs. . . . Correlation will appreciate the easy, flowing radius of the Garden State turns.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800