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California I - By Oscar Otis Race of Decision Looms for Determine Hit Highest Peak in Last Californian Madam Jet Game Victress in Sea Breeze HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 8.— Saturdays renewal of the 00,000 Californian, an allowance type stake at a mile and one-sixteenth and approach to the cause of scale weight racing for three-year-olds and older in the Far West, promises to be a race of decision for Determine. "We have two courses open for us," advises trainer Willie Molter, "with the first being the most obvious, continuing to race in later handicaps, or to take a sporting chance and send the horse to France for the t-v_: jj—. i » a -3 ~ m_: t nix. ue iaii; uc jLiiuuipiie, un idea which at the moment is being given serious consideration by owner Andy Crevolin. Personally, the notion of racing Determine in the Triomphe is rather appealing because Determine is one of the few good horses I have ever trained who can offer his best on any kind of footing, from a plowed field to a pavement. He showed an aptitude for the grass at Santa Anita last winter, and, having seen the Longchamp course two years ago, I see no reason he wouldnt race well over that, too. In any event, we are going to make Determine an eligible for the French classic and gamble the nomination fee of 200,000 francs about 60 at present rate of exchange on the chance that we might fly over for the stake." Future Races Factor in Stud Career. While Determine unquestionably has a future in the stud, come what may during the remainder of his racing career, what he accomplishes from here on will have a direct and significant bearing on the first, where he will stand, and second, what kind of a book he will be able to muster for his first few seasons. Ironically enough, it was the inaugural running of the Californian last year which proved the high water mark of Determines career, for although defeated by his own stablemate, Imbros, in then world record-equalling time, this observer at least rates Determines Californian performance perhaps the best effort in .his career, including his decisive defeat of Hasty Road in the Kentucky Derby. Determine simply was unable to give Imbros the weight decreed by the stake, Determine carrying 115 pounds, Imbros, getting some allowances, toting a mere 118. After that, so much was taken out of him that it is possible it accounted for his defeat a little later on in the Westerner. The three-year-old Swaps, is committed to try his luck against older horses in the Californian, an item which has spiced up interest in the Hundred Grander to a marked degree. If Swaps can step out and beat older horses under the weight setup in the stake, he will make a stronger claim than ever on potential "Horse of the Year" honors, regardless of how Nashua fares in the Belmont Stakes the same afternoon. If both win their respective engagements, and both will be favored by the public, the issue could not be settled until perhaps in the fall. There is some argument being .bandied around the west that a three-year-old takes slightly the worst of it on the scale at this time of the year when facing older, but in the main, there is little to support or gainsay such a theory in the way of facts. Too few three-year-olds have raced against older at this time of the year, as compared with the fall, to make any conclusions even half way valid. To the contrary, the three-year-olds demonstrated their worth so well in the fall that the scale was changed a few seasons back to make the competition more equitable, and the revision of the scale will go down in the books as one of the great contributions made to American racing by the late John B. Campbell. His changes were the most important made regarding scale since Admiral Rous first published his famous comparative poundages about 1850. Took Final Prep Tuesday Afternoon Determine, incidentally, got in his final serious prep for the Californian between races Tuesday, a bit of strategy decided upon by trainer Willie Molter as a work inducement. In the morning, Determine isapt to be sluggish on occasion, but in the afternoon, with a crowd for a setting, he usually travels in smart fashion. And so it proved Tuesday. He went a fast quarter in :22%, then slowed up for the asking to a half in :46and, . passed the five-furlong pole in :53Ys, and ran his last furlong in : 12, under a hard pull, for a final tab of 1:10%. It was a most impressive drill, and one that proclaimed the gray ready for Swaps or anybody else come the Californian Saturday. Madam Jet, the class in. the Sea Breeze Stakes, won the mile dash for three-year-old fillies as if best, getting up just in time to beat a hard-hitting one-time claimer, Baby Alice, and Auntie Bell. Madam Jet had to be much the best to win, for the daughter of Black Tarquin was in repeated trouble from the far turn to midstretch, having no place to run. It seemed as if one opening after another closed in just as she was about to make her run, but get clear she finally did, wore down Baby Alice with long, sweeping strides. Fair Molly, a strong second choice, found herself in a dilemma early when two or three others elected to race head and head with her, and she could not stand this sustained pressure. It would be superfluous to add, in commenting upon the Sea Breeze, to mention that Johnny Longden was in his top form.
