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MB M — - MMm California By Oscar Otis Hollypark Stake Racing in High Gear Caliente Derby Promotion Big Success Breakpoint1 in Weight for Determine HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif.. May 13.— Hollywood Park presents a home-foaled stake, the Golden State Breeders at a mile and one -sixteenth, as as its its first first Saturday Saturday stakes stakes of- as as its its first first Saturday Saturday stakes stakes of- offering of the meeting tomorrow. On Tuesday next, the Cabrillo for two-year-olds, bona-fide California -breds, will be raced as the first juvenile stakes of the meeting and on Friday, May 27 the Junior League, also at five furlongs for bona-fide California-bred fillies, will be decided, and that s the extent of the restricted stakes on the rather impressive Hollywod Hollywod Park Park roster. roster. It It is is evi- evi- Hollywod Hollywod Park Park roster. roster. It It is is evi- evi- MB M — - MMm dent that in general, if California-breds are to prove themselves up during the current meeting, they must do so in open competition. Personally, we see nothing wrong with this proposition, for Cal-breds have been doing right well in open stakes the last several years, It is only fair that we bring our readers up to date on the "pay-offs" of that novel promotion of Johnny Alessio at Caliente, inasmuch as this column first "broke the story" that the man would put on a Derby Day Saturday at the border track, provide a mint julep party with typical Kentucky atmosphere, and accept pari-mutuel wagers on the Derby — as the feature race of the day at Caliente, excepting that the horses were running in Kentucky in reality, on the radio and TV for the Caliente fans. Attendance for the afternoon was just slightly under double a normal Saturday, play on the regular card of races also was just under double for an average good Saturday, and Derby race pari-mutuel wagering was just a few thousand dollars under the whole rest of the card put together. In fact, well over 50,000 went through the pari-mutuel machines on the Derby alone. Payoff to Downs Mutuel Prices Alessio paid off to Churchill Downs pari-mutuel prices, the only thing he could do under the circumstances, and as was expected, but could not be helped, Swaps went to the post a decided favorite over Nashua. It cost Caliente 1,000 to pay off to Churchill official prices. However, this was not "dead loss" to the association, as the increased business helped take care of this "lossage." It was, of course, charged up to advertising. And, in case you are interested, the future book on the Derby, made a tidy profit, but nothing sensational like Dark Stars year, when the Cain Hoy cblt, in beating Native Dancer, proved an eagle bird, as the saying goes, for the men who established the call-over prices. Caliente had 2,000 souvenir julep glasses, and they were all gone long before Derby post time. To the North, Golden Gate Fields comes to a close on Saturday, and it can be said that the two-year-old stakes late in the season added a zest to the stake racing which was invaluable. Two years ago, this writer predicted that Futurity type two-year-old races in northern California would more than prove their worth, and it seems to be so working out. Also of significance in the North was the fact that in a big stake the other Saturday, an entry was split, for betting purposes, Alidon and Determine going to the post "on their own," even though both were trained by the same man, Willie Molter. Alidon, the longshot part of the entry won, Determine was beaten. The crowd cheered Determine, still a popular hero with the multitudes, in defeat, and Golden Gate officials tell me there wasnt a single complaint or grumble over the outcome. Competition Tougher Over 127 Pounds My observers in the North, during my stay in Kentucky, tell me also that it is fairly clear that Determine has a "break-point" in weight, and that a good guess as to the exact point is 127 pounds. With that figure, he might beat just about any horse in America going most any distance you would care to name. Over 127, he just gets up to other good, but by no means top horses, and seems to hang. It is a proposition that should be proven beyond a doubt during the ten weeks ahead here, for Determin is a candidate for almost every big stake on the Hollypark schedule. Moreover, this testing will be under ideal conditions, for it is known that Determine is exceptionally fond of the Hollywood Park pasteboard. We will have more to say on this subject in the near future. It is well known that Rex Ellsworth, owner of Swaps, and his trainer, Mischa Tenney, do not drink, and that 10 per cent of Swaps earnings in the Derby and other races, for that matter go to the Mormon church. Nashua, in Kentucky, was supposed to be drinking Mountain Valley water, and some wag suggested that after the race, it might be proper to deliver to Tenney the Mountain Valley aqua, the champagne to Nashua. Sending of champagne to the barn of the winner is an old Derby custom. To the surprise of everyone, Tenney accepted the champagne, has it on display at his stable here, unopened. "This will be my Derby trophy as trainer," Tenney told us. "A trainer has to win the race three times to get a trophy cup. So, until that time comes for me, if it ever does, this magnum of wine will serve the purpose. It will go on my mantle at home and Ill be just as proud of it as I would be with a silver cup."
