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gin Stakes, Stakes, the the firs first , distance, distance, and, and, whe when BETWEEN RACES By Oscar Otis HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 23.— Hollywood Parks coveted Hag-gin gin Stakes, Stakes, the the firs first t of of a a series series of of the the most most , important important juvenile juvenile of- t of of a a series series of of the the most most important important juvenile juvenile of- offerings of the summer, saw a stunning surprise when the homebred Mr. Sullivan withstood a prolonged stretch drive from a hard-hitting Back Hoe and won the stakes in approved good race horse fashion. Willie Shoemaker had Mr. Sullivan in front for just just about about the the entire entire in it it came came time time for for an an distance, distance, and, and, whe when just just about about the the entire entire in it it came came time time for for an an answer in the stretch, Mr. Sullivan had it. It was a welcome victory to Californians on a number of counts, one being the added proof, if proof be needed, that Sullivan, along with Radiotherapy, has the makings of a good sire for Ann Peppers of Riverside County, as well as the item that owner and breeder Phil Klipstein is, at long last, up in the blue chips with a top stakes prospect. Klipstein is not well known, even in California, but he has been breeding horses at his place near Bakersfield in the desert oil country north of Tehachapi for more than 35 years. He has quietly interested any number of "new people" in the joys of breeding horses, and while some have dropped out, others have remained to become bulwarks of the industry in the West. AAA To say that the Haggin Stakes was truly run would be an overstatement, but so far as Mr. Sullivan and Back Hoe were concerned, it was. But others in the race encountered trouble on the turn, and one, King Ranchs Postcript, simply could not get around it. As for Calumets Trenton-ian, he, too, was carried wide but he wasnt a contender at the time, so as for him, the excuse is not valid. Mr. Sullivan has but two previous starts to his credit. He won one of those three-furlong "ed-ucators" at Santa Anita last winter, then was laid up to await the Hollywood Park season. He had started but once earlier here, and was fourth in an allowance affair. Mr. Sullivan will have further chances to demonstrate his merit in the C. S. Howard and the Starlet, two big ones for juveniles still to be decided. But regardless 1 of that, the two-year-old stakes picture here continues to provide a major field of pleasant speculation, and there is no standout at the moment. As the season opened, Trentonian was hailed as the "horse of destiny" for Calumet, but all that has been forgotten in the light of subsequent events. ► Mr. Sullivan Surprises in Haggin Miz Clementine to Contest Oaks Distance of Race Now Nine Panels Thursdays ninth running of the 5,000 mile and a furlong Hollywood Oaks is expected to confirm Miz Clementines pretentions toward being the standout sophomore filly of the West and, as we have hinted, perhaps the best three-year-old of either sex in the Calumet barn. Management is nursing the secret hope that maybe Miz will also appear a week from Saturday in the 0,000 Westerner and take on Determine, but on this score Ben and Jimmy Jones have maintained a discreet silence. They profess to be scared out of their wits by Determine, but in the past, they have never flinched at starting a good filly against colts in instances where the filly had shown evidence of real class. A A A At the same time, the awe in which Ben and Jimmy hold Determine is genuine and both join in the view, generally held in the Far West, that whatever has transpired in the East since the Kentucky Derby has done nothing to alter their opinion that, as of right now, Determine is the leading three-year-old in America and the pacemaker for Horse of the Year honors. As for the Oaks, we think general manager Jim Stewart made a wise move when, after consultation with his racing staff, decreed the distance of the race be increased to a mile and a furlong. For the past three years, it has been raced at a mile and a sixteenth. Prior to that, with the exception of 1947, it was contested at a flat mile. The 1947 running was at seven furlongs. AAA To be frank about it, the mile and a furlong running will attract only a smallish field, but this is" a temporary situation and one which will right itself through the coming years. In the early stages of the Oaks, it was a mere gesture to three-year-old fillies and offered sort of out of duty to "balance the stakes program." It was carded at the non-championship aspect distance to insure at least a worthwhile field. But now that the quality of competition in Southern California is becoming better of a summertime, Stewart felt that it was perhaps high time the Oaks was raced at a distance that would, in the matter of proof of quality and as a credential for breeding purposes, mean something. AAA Actually, we see no reason why that, ►within he next few years, the Oaks should not tie stretched to a mile and three-sixteenths. Unfortunately for Miz Clementine, the Oaks is just about the end of the road for her in the West until the inaugural of Santa Anita, unless she does tackle the colts. Incidentally, California-breds have won six of the previous Oaks runnings, and two of those winners have been tabbed as first class fillies. Honeymoon won the inaugural running in 1946, and iier name is legendary in California distaff circles, and-A Gleam won it two years ago. While Real Delight was voted the three-year-old filly of her year, most folks, including the Jones boys, found it hard to separate the pair in their minds. AAA Only a few months ago, a new rule book was published in California, a set of regulations established only after the most meticulous study. .Indeed, these rules were published in the Daily Racing Form prior to their adoption so that anyone, including "average fans," could digest same and protest if they wished. However., it seems the rules were so voluminous that a few things slipped in, and one of those slips apparently seems to be the rule now prevailing which, in effect, says that in the event of a claim, the engagements do hot follow the horse. The situation was not discovered until last week and Greek Runner was ordered scratched from th e Lakes and Flowers Handicap. Repercussions were immediate. Such a rule might play hob with a race like the Maturity and even with a great many futurities which are becoming so popular in California. AAA To be honest about it, the general rules of racing indicate that an engagement follows the horse, all other conditions, including claiming, to the contrary. Any rule which nullifies this situation would seem to us, and to a great many others, to be against public policy.. No man who loses a horse via claim should have any further hold on said horse, and it Would put some owners in the unfortunate situation whereby, if the loser of the horse via claim wanted to be nasty in the matter, lie could either prevent a horse from running in a stake, or, if he gave permission, demand a portion of the purse. Too many good stakes horses have been develped in the West from the ranks of the claimers to allow a rule like this to louse up the even tenor of racings current course. Incidentally, the California book also is notable in a few instances for "omissions" as well as in commissions.
