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New Ehgtofncf I By Joe Hirsch — Stewards Pool Plan Still Far Away Kriebelkamp May Appoint Committee Kelley Offers Questions on The Issue SUFFOLK DOWNS, East Boston, Mass., May 6.— Two years ago, at a meeting of the Thoroughbred Club of America, A. G. Vanderbilt suggested a plan for a pool of stewards for racing much like the pool of officials used by professional baseball, football and basketball, one of the basic thoughts behind the -plan being the removal of any pressures or obligations, real or imagined, on a steward by the association that hires him under the present arrangement. This plan for a stewards pool has been brought up at subsequent Conventions of the National Association of State Racing Commissioners. But, the first definite move to implement the Vanderbilt proposal came in Baltimore recently at the 1955 NASRC session, when Michigans commissioner James Inglis offered a resolution that would include the appointment of a 10-man committee to work with other racing bodies during the coming year in the interests of forming such a pool. Principal opposition to the wording of the original resolution came from two New Englanders — D. Thomas Testa, chairman of the Rhode Island Commission and Emmett J. Kelley of New Hampshire. Both took the view that the resolution committed the organization to sanctions with which they were not willing to agree. Nebraskas Earl Moyer, who was conducting the meeting at the time, ordered a recess to permit Inglis and the two objectors to confer, and the result of the talks was a resolution which expresses interest in the proposal and recommends further study, but which in effect serves to put off specific means of implementing the plan for another year. Oregons Dr. Frank Menne, retiring president of the NASRC, expressed the opinion that the original resolution bound the convention to nothing but principle and pronounced himself in favor of it, but there the matter stood and still stands. The next step is the appointment of a committee to study the matter by the new president of the" racing commissioners organization, Wathen Knebelkamp of Kentucky. Two Members Voice Opposition We were interested in talking with Testa -and Kelley upon their return from Baltimore to discover if they had any serious .objections "to the plan. Kelley was the more outspoken of the pair, and had several interesting observations. From his home in Berlin, N. H., he said, "Im more or less in sympathy with the idea of such a pool of qualified stewards, but there are a good many points that must be cleared up before I can go along with the plan. For instance, who will run , such a pool? How is it to be handled? Who is to establish the standards of the type of "stewards we would desire in such a pool? We would not want to see such an " organization fall into the wrong hands. Weve been pretty happy with the type of stewards weve had at Rockingham Park and I for one would want to move slowly before venturing a change. I served in the state legislature when we established standards for pharmacists in New Hampshire and I am familiar with the problems that we faced at that time. Incidentally, I am curious as to why the stewards havent associated themselves into some kind of an organization, prior to this. Such a group might prove valuable to the sport in the manner of the horsemens groups and others involving racing people." Testa, reached in Providence, R. I., said that he would not care to comment on the question as to whether or not he was in favor of a stewards pool, but did say that the felt the NASRC convention should not be bound by specific suggestions as to the implementation of the plan at this time: He fel that" too many important facets of the proposal were still left unanswered and expressed preference for a further study of the matter. We made a third call to Byron Redman, chairman of the New Hampshire commission, and from his home in Hampton, Redman declared himself for a stewards pool and believes that such a move will come eventually. He expressed the belief that Testa and Kelley were cautious lest the original proposal hold the convention to some course of action that they were not prepared to go along with, but he himself, like Dr. Menrie, felt that only principle and not specifics, were involved at this time. Clelland Ships Mares to Farm Around the Track! Odie Clelland shipped three mares to Murlogg Farm in Evansville, Ind. They will be covered1 by one of he Murlogg sires, Take Away or Fighting Step. . . . Jim Hannbn, who "calls "the races at Scarborough* Downs in Maine when Joe Fay works the horses at Lincoln Downs, and who is also announcer at the Brockton, Mass., fair, has joined Ed Sullivans staff here and will assist in the public relations program. . .w. The Dick DeStasios have named their second child Susan. Mother and daughter are both home from the hospital, doing well. . . . Eddie Legere, who should know about such things, selects . Laverne Fator and Earl Sande for Pimlicos Jockeys Hall of Fame among the inactive riders, goes along with Eddie Arcaro as the best of the active riders. Legere, incidentally, has a good word for Linus McAtee. too.
