Breeders of California Favor Simultaneous Plan: Hbpa Also Approves of Racing in North and South at Same Time, Daily Racing Form, 1954-06-23

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Breeders of California Favor Simultaneous Plan HBPA Also Approves of Racing In North and South at Same Time HOLLYWOOD -PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 22. — The recent action of the local breeders association in going on record as favoring simultaneous operation of major race courses in northern and southern California during periods of ideal weather in the San Francisco Bay area received hearty endorsement by the states horsemen at a meeting held in the clubhouse here last night. The board of directors of the West Coast division of the HBPA unanimously passed a resolution approving the plan, and pledged the organizations support. "We like to race at the northern tracks when the weather is good," said president George W. Ring, "but many stables are fed up with endangering their horses by training and racing over tracks deep in heavy mud." Gordon Guiberson, Allen Drumheller, Sr., Jimmy Jones, Rex Ellsworth and Bill Buck, among those in attendance, echoed this opinion, and expressed belief that the few inconveniences which might arise from long-period overlapping of dates as between the north and south would be heavily outweighed by the advantages which would accrue. The horsemen and the breeders would benefit as regards extended racing opportunities, the public in being able to enjoy racing in the San Francisco area during seasons of ideal weather, the race-track-stockholders in additional profits from longer meetings and larger attendance, and the state in increased revenue, all members agreed. The horsemen said it is ridiculous to think that simultaneous racing could not be held in the bay area and the southland, separated as they are by more than 400 miles, when it is considered that east of the Mississippi tracks operate profitably within a radius of 100 miles while in competition with each other. Simultaneous operation of the two racing centers would relieve the congestion of horses and would end the bickering, jockeying and fighting over racing dates, the horsemen said. Buck stated that 800 horses are stabled at Pleasanton, ready for the fair meeting which is soon to get under way, and that only one-half the number is required. Fourteen hundred are stabled at Hollywood Park, and 200 or more are at private training tracks and boarding farms. The HBPA also passed a resolution which asks the racing board and the race March 31, and two or more such races daily thereafter each year. The horsemen, 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 thought was that each track should cooperate more fully in aiding the horsemen to get more action for two-year-olds. When information was offered to show that Belmont Park, the national leader in this respect, is currently offering only a small fraction more two-year-olds than Hollywood Park, Jones reminded the meeting that 25 or more juveniles start in one race at Belmont, equal to two races at any California track in respect to the number of baby racers undergoing education. The trainers were a unit in stating there is not enough juvenile racing to properly develop their youngsters into high-class three-year-olds. Simultaneous racing north and south and lengthened schedules are the only solution to many problems, the horsemen said.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1954062301/drf1954062301_52_6
Local Identifier: drf1954062301_52_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800