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B E TWEEN RAC E S ,o4 HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., May 31. One of the facets of racing not generally understood is the item that lakes geese, elevators and escalators often confer upon the thoroughbreds competing in such suroundings with a mantle of class which they do not always deserve. Conversely, some horses which race at the smaller tracks and even bull rings are depreciated in the public mind simply because they are competing on such ovals. At the same time, we fully recognize the fact that purses do create values while not changing the individual horse. AAA In other words, a horse worth ,500 at some ovals, upon arriving at Hollywood Park, immediately becomes worth at least ,500 because he runs for a ,000 minimum purse, and a better horse becomes worth more simply because his earning possibilities in stakes and allowance races become far greater with a track that puts up at least a 0,000 feature, and as often as not a 2,000 or 5,000 overnight feature on non-stake days. To put it still another way, the same horse is worth more at a track like Hollywood Park, assuming he has any chance of winning, than he would be at a track where overnight purses were 00 or ,000. This circumstance provides for a few oddities of racing, but at the same time, we think the experience of a couple of horses are a distinct tribute to the improvement of the breed out this way in stakes other than California. AAA Consider the case of Tommy, a four-year-old by Piccolo from the Chance line mare, Vegas Mary. Piccolo has on occasions led the sire list in the state of Washington even though he stands at- the Pullman Agricultural College, while Vegas May is a stout Nevada mare. Tommy raced at Phoenix last winter, and in a handicap there was given 112 pounds as against 125 for Heno Sissy, one of the fastest Arizona colts of recent times. Heno Sissy beat Tommy convincingly at those weights. Yet Tommy, after a few races at a Northern California spring track, came to Hollywood Park and proceeded to humble some of the best sprinters on the grounds. A A A The other is Rover Bill, the best two-year-old of this year in the Northwest. He Surroundings Boost Horses Value 4 Sign Northwest Breed on Improve . West Coast Rooting for Blue Sail is sired by a comparatively new Washington sire, Rover, a son of Bull Dog, and who was purchased by Herb Armstrong on the recommendation of Ed Heinemann, college educated field agent for the Washington Breeders Association. While we wouldnt say Rover Bill is the best sprinter on the grounds, he has more than held his own with the near greats. The point we wish to make is that the appraisal of a race horse as to merit, and potential value in the stud, should not of necessity be based on surroundings such as lakes and flowers, but rather on basic performance. Perhaps the best horse in recent years to race anywhere and most everywhere was Auntie, to our mind one of the top American racemares of our day until she went wrong. Auntie will never receive the credit really due her unless such credit comes belatedly through her offspring. A AN A V. Running of the English Derby usually only evokes a slight ripple of interest here on the Pacific littoral, possibly because England is so far away plus the fact that Western daily newspaper coverage of the event is so meager. This year, however, Johnny Longdens presence at Epsom has sifted the imagination of Calif ornians to a considerable degree, and they are ful that he and Blue Sail can accomplish a victory. This thinking is a trifle selfish, admittedly, for Wilder Ripley, one of the partners in Alberta Farms, owners of Blue Sail, tells us there is a good chance that Blue Sail ;will be at Santa Anita next winter after a hoped-for whirl in the Washington, D. C, International at Laurel. -"We think it would be best for the horse to keep him in Europe, come what may in the Derby, until later in the ,season," explains Ripley. "But that San Juan Capis-trano looks mighty tempting to both myself and my partners in Alberta.". AAA Longden, incidentally, has outlived in the saddle his disfavor with the public. A few years ago, a lot of fans always booed when Longden came back to the winners circle. Indeedj once at Del Mar, when it was announced over the public address that Longden had won an important stake across the continent, they even booed the announcement. But this situation no longer prevails. The man has become, we suppose, a fixture. Legal minds in California are carefully analyzing the decision of .a judge in San Diego, last Friday dismissing a demurrer of the Del Mar Turf Club against Bill Black, who has sued to recover payment on the tickets he held for Lady Cover Up in that now infamous Frosty Dawn case. As readers may recall, Frosty Dawn won, but was found to be ineligible, " and the purse was taken away from her, but all bets were allowed to stand. The judge has said, in effect, that Black has a right to sue and not only that, but to represent ticket holders other than himself. The judges decision means the case actually will go to trial, perhaps in about eight months. AAA It undoubtedly will be a jury trial, and as we understand it, will go to the V. S. Supreme Court whichever side wins. At stake is the principle of "all bets standing after the official is posted" regardless of other circumstance. This principle has been upheld before, but never where fraud has been alleged to management itself, in this case, through its authorized agent, the one-time general manager. When we say fraud charged to management, we must make clear that Al Hart and his associates were deemed responsible only for the acts of their agent. A A A Word that Correlation had failed to as much as run in the money in the 0,000 Jersey Stakes at Garden State Park quickly spread about the track in mid-afternoon here, and while no details were available, the opinion reigned that maybe it would be best if Bob Lytle brought the son of Free America back home and freshened him up for a spell. But for Free Americas enthusiastic syndicate, there was a modicum of salve for their wounded feelings when Sword Trick came from behind to nose out the highly regarded Nasrullah, Blue Ruler and Noordown in a maiden race for quality juveniles. AAA While Correlation has dramatized Free America as a sire, the rank and file of his get are doing exceptionally well, if you please. The Saturday stake feature, the Ramona, was decided before a crowd of almost 50,000, and the winner turned up in Circle M Farms Is Proud, who set a new track record of 1:09 flat. The old record of 1:09 had been equaled on many occasions at this meeting, so a new mark was not unexpected. But the fact that Is Proud accomplished the job was in the nature of a surprise.
