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BETWEEN RACES By Oscar Otis HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 2. California two-year-old stakes racing continues in a state of transition. I and by next year we venture the opinion that at long last juveniles will have their proper place in the sun, so to speak. The response to the new stakes at Golden Gate Fields this fall, the Golden Gate Futurity and its filly companion feature, the Golden Gate Girl, surpassed all expectations. In deed, racing secretary Barry Whitehead tells us, "The complete nomination figures for both stakes was far better than we dared hoped, with 185 second payments made on the Futurity and 173 nominations to the Girl. Of particular importance to Northern California racing is the item that some of Americas best-known stables have kept horses eligible for the Futurity, an indication that there is a strong possibility that these stables, if contemplating a Santa Anita winter campaign, will, consider racing with us in the San Francisco Bay area prior to the Santa Anita season. AAA For instance, Maine Chance Farm has kept 11 eligible, including Apollo, Friendly Ace, Jet Blue Bird, Jets War Date, Lord -Vanity, Model Ace, Now Busher, Queens Guard, Star Garland, Star of Roses and War Garland. Canadian interests also are liberally "alive" by the fee payments, including Alberta Ranches and Park Hill Farms. Calumet has left the door open for only one, but that one is Trentonian. Also" we Were pleased to note that the Murcain Stable is represented, this being the racing name of Wofford Cain and Clint Murchison, of Dallas. AAA This writer has long been of the opinion that San Francisco racing has not developed its full potential, either horse-wise or with the public, because many racing programs in the north have been based on expediency and not geared for the long range. Therefore, many stables which , might have raced in the north in the spring, but especially in the late fall, have preferred to lay up at Santa Anita. This situation in the north is not primarily one of money, for it was demonstrated, and rather conclusively, we feel, at a peninsula track last spring that a race of a 00,000 gross would not get substantially better horses than one for 0,000. But by build- Big Response to Gate Futurities Del Mar Plans Third Juvenile Stake Offers Noyel Idea for Fee Payments ing a two-year-old program of both good monetary value and prestige the north not only has an opportunity to cash in on some big eastern stable names, as well as all the tops among the regular California owners, but also to build its own stake stars of the future. AAA It is a source of great satisfaction to this writer that Golden Gate Fields and Tan-foran have come around to this way of thinking and, while Tanforan is not overemphasizing two-year-old racing at its early fall meeting, it is making a definite move toward a more balanced stakes program, as well as one offering more prestige to its stakes winners, by carding a midsummer derby, the California Derby, and an Oaks. Some steps also have been taken to give these races continuity, an important item, yet one that is difficult of attainment in an area where the dates are rotated. f. We also learn from authoritative sources that Del Mar, the pioneer in far western two-year-old stake racing, will shortly announce a third major juvenile offering, this to be a sweep for California-breds and which will bulwark- its program headed at the moment by the rich Futurity and Debutante. The suggestion for such a homebred race was made by Louis B. Mayer, chairs-man of the board, and it is now in the discussion stage, and, we might add, favorable discussion. It will not, however, be inaugurated until the summer of 1955. If it proves a success, and we are certain it will, it would be inevitable that a companion stakes, for homebred two-year-old fillies, would follow. AAA There is so much, in common between Del Mar and Saratoga that we suppose no one should be surprised if Del Mar continues to develop along Saratoga lines. Already, the California breeders have decided to move their annual summer sale of selected yearlings to Del Mar, but that is another story. Actually, if Del Mar can make itself summer capitol of two-year-old prestige racing in the West, we believe that the older stake horse problem will pretty much take care of itself. Mayers suggestion, by the way, is one stemming from pure idealism in the betterment of California racing in general and that at Del Mar in particular, for he is no longer a California breeder of consequence. He has some mares at Spendthrift, and, if we recall correctly, but one mare in California. AAA While on the subject of the growing number of two-year-old races in the West, and some of which might properly be styled classics in the American acceptance of the meaning of that term, it might be mentioned that while California breeders are enthusiastic over the recognition, at long last, of the public appeal of two-year-olds, a few also have given some thought to the problem of fees as it concerns the breeders. Lou Rowan, a big wheel of the breeders organization, has advanced the following idea for discussion purposes only. AAA Explains Rowan: "The growing popularity of two-year-old stakes throughout the country is a move toward more balanced, and I am sure, better stakes racing. It is bound to have an impact upon the improvement of the breed. But at the same time, it also is imposing, higher financial obliga- tions upon the breeder. As it is now, a breeder simply must name for everything if he keeps or sells, for if he keeps and the horse turns out good and is not eligible, he has made a mistake, and if he sells, and the horse is not eligible, buyers feels the colt must be cheap or he would have been named. I propose a sort of a have your cake and eat it too proposition. AAA "This would be the sale, by the race tracks, of open nominations to far distant two-year-old stakes. The sale would be to the individual only, and would not be transferable. He could utilize the nomination for any horse he so chose. I propose that while the nomination not be transferable, nothing would bar an owner with a nomination from buying a horse to fit said nomination. This would help create a stronger market, but at the same time would nullify any chance of a market in nominations developing. I think that under a circumstance like this, most every owner and breeder would buy nominations, and that the gross money values of the stakes involved would not suffer. But the financial burden would be spread over a far larger base, and not, as at the moment, fall primarily upon the breeders. The growth of future stakes for two-year-olds in the far west is most gratifying,, and the added financial burden to the already heavy expense involved in breeding horses is the only drawback. If that drawback were eliminated, to a large extent, at least, by the plan I have suggested, the set-up would be about ideal."
