view raw text
HBPA in California Requests More Two-Year-old Races HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 17. — The Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Associations board of directors at a meeting here recently passed a resolution asking the tracks and the horse racing board to cooperate in programming more races for two-year-olds. The horsemen want one race a day from Jan. 1 to April 1, and two such races daily throughout the remainder of the year. The horsemen present at the directors meeting, especially the trainers, stated that there is a disposition on the part of some track managements to "let the next track manufacture the future three-year-olds." The theme expressed was that each track should codperate in aiding the horsemen to get more action for the juvenile division. "It is impossible to make good Derby horses without racing them at two," it was pointed out. The horsemen are not unmindful, it was said, that Hollywood Park and Del Mar have in recent years, been emphasizing two-year-old racing, and admit that the two tracks have helped a lot. Nevertheless, the trainers declare that a minimum of two such races a day are needed. When statistics were offered to show that Belmont Park, the national leader in providing racing opportunity for juveniles, is currently offering only a small fraction more two-year-old races than Hollywood Park, trainer Jimmy Jones reminded that 25 or more juveniles are started in one race at Belmont. This is equal to two races at a California track, so far as concerns education of the youngsters.
