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HBPA Accepts Reduction In ThistleDown Purses Approves Cut in Minimums as Wagering Declines at Meeting THISTLEDOWN, North Randall, Ohio, June 17.— At a meeting of the Ohio division of the HBPA held Wednesday evening in the ThistleDown cafeteria and attended by the full committee and some 100 members, it was voted to accept a purse reduction program as outlined by Lou Pondfield, executive vice-president and general manager. Pondfield pointed out that the drop in wagering at the current meeting from last years figures found that the host association was now paying in purses 64 per cent of its share of the mutuel handle, as against a generally acceptable 46 per cent. A small minority of those present suggested that a reduction be made in the values of the advertised stakes at the meeting, but this proposal was quickly overruled when Pondfield pointed out that the local stakes dispersal amounted to only about 6 per cent of the total distribution. The purse reduction calls for a drop in the minimum purse values from the orig-inal ,800 as follows: The purse for horses entered to be claimed for ,000 or ,500 in short and long races will be ,500. For ,000 claiming prices, ,600; for all two-year-olds, ,800. For condition races, ,000 and ,200. Stakes and feature race purses are to remain unchanged. The purses will be revised upward if business warrants such a change. Committee members present were Ray Pollock, president; Stuart Bullock, secretary, and committeemen, C. B. Fischbach, George Bills, Leo Wagner, Norman Haymaker and Ed Moran. A few other details concerning minor improvements in thr stable area were discussed and turned jovetd i to the -committee for action.
