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mWf0rmJ There There has has been been susr REFLECTIONS by nelson dunstan AQUEDUCT, L. I., N. Y., June 23. — Arriving home from Kentucky, we found a letter from Jimmy Donn, president of Gulfstream Park, awaiting us. Recently we wrote a column saying that the election of the new governor governor in in Florida Florida averted averted what what certainly certainly would would have have been been a a date date war war among among the the three three Florida Florida tracks. tracks. suspicion icion for for some some time time that that Jimmy Jimmy Donn Donn mWf0rmJ There There has has been been susr governor governor in in Florida Florida averted averted what what certainly certainly would would have have been been a a date date war war among among the the three three Florida Florida tracks. tracks. suspicion icion for for some some time time that that Jimmy Jimmy Donn Donn was seeking a change in the dates for the benefit of his * Hallandale track. In his letter, Donn says: "Please be advised that James Donn did not attend last years session of" the legislature. Gulfstream Park did not sponsor the rotation bill because, in my opinion, it was a bad bill and the only track that would have benefited would be Tropical." In some quarters in Miami, there is a feeling that the complacency with which Hialeah Park accepted a "minor league status" in winter racing may have caused the Florida State Legislature to be mistaken in assigning the choicest dates to the beautiful track, which now has one of the finest clubhouses to be found in the United States. How anyone could call Hialeah racing minor league is something we fail to understand. In adidtion to two 00,000 events and one of 0,000, r, fine brand of sport is conducted there annually. AAA Critics of Florida racing point to California as. proof of the minor league status in the Miami Urea. The comparison is hardly fair, for Los Angeles is a year-round city, while Miami is a resort area during December, January, February and March. The influx of visitors is light in December, and in April, Gulfstream has its difficulties as most of the stables are moving north for the opening of the sport in various states. It is true that Santa Anita offers one of the finest stake schedules of the year and Jimmy Donn Writes About Florida Racing Denies Sponsoring Race Date Rotation Bill Says Proposal Would Benefit Only Tropical Critics Call Hialeah Minor League Racing also that many powerful stables, along with many of the best jockeys, move to the Coast in the winter. The stake set-up is a magnet for eastern horses, but last year Miami also attracted many of the finest stables and leading race riders. Los Angeles has a population of something like 4,000,000 people, while Miami must depend upon visitors in the winter. Whether the law giving the track which contributes the most revenue to the state the choice dates is a fair one we do not pretend to pass upon. After all, it is a law. Gulfstream takes much the worst of it in the last three weeks of its meeting and this is brought about by the edict of the Florida solons. As Donn stated to us in his letter, he did not sponsor the rotation bill because, in his opinion, it was a bad bill. Rotation would be confusing as there would come a time when Tropical Park, which certainly does not offer the brand of racing found at Hialeah or Gulfstream, would have the best dates. AAA Down through the years there have been many suggestions to work out a schedule of dates that would be fair to the three tracks in the Miami area. None has been practical, nor is the latest, offered by a columnist in a Miami newspaper. The plan suggested to the legislature and the racing commission read: "Before assigning racing dates for the coming season it was suggested that each track in that area submit a sealed and sworn list of the stake events to be offered. Then assign the bonanza dates to the track which offers the most money and is thus willing to do the most to bring the horses and riders to Florida." That is undoubtedly the most impractical plan we have heard, for it would completely nullify the set-up as it is today. It would freeze Tropical Park completely out of the picture, and limit the choice dates to Hialeah and Gulfstream. As matters stand today in Florida, the law distinctly states that the track contributing the most to the state treasury is entitled to the choice dates. As Donn says, the rotation bill is a bad one, and we cannot see how there can be any changes from the present set-up. There has been some talk of Tropical Park being converted into a trotting track. If that were to come about it would mean that Hialeah and Gulfstream would do well under the program that would follow. AAA There has always been objection to the Florida "scholarship plan," by which about 50,000 is donated to the University of Florida and lesser amounts to other state schools to "buy football players." It is simply the old, old story of racing funds being drawn upon for various purposes than cannot be obtained in any other manner. Even that does not alter the fact that the present set-up is about the best that has been worked out, even though it operates against Tropical in the early weeks and Gulfstream Park in the late weeks. Hialeah could hardly compete with California in stake and purse distribution and it is idle, as we see it, for such comparisons to be made. Under existing conditions, Florida offers a good brand of racing, especially in the three-year-old ranks. Many of those prepping for the Kentucky Derby and other spring events make their seasonal debut in Florida. It is also a proving ground for eastern two-year-olds. Date wars never do racing any good, and as we said in our previous column, we are glad that the recenrelec-tion averted one in 1955 and probably many years to come.
