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r California I By Oscar Otis : Westerners Not Miffed at Woodward Silver Lining to Match Race Cloud Far West Form of National Concern HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 16. If there is any lurking suspicion in the minds of anyone that West Coasters are miffed at Bill Woodward over the bizarre turn of events which saw Hollywood Park, or so it assumed for a time,x have a -match race between Nashua and Swaps, and then see the match disintegrate, we can say that just the opposite is true. While a series of misunderstandings was most regrettable, it was just one of those mixed-up affairs, and now that the smoke has cleared, the stature of William Woodward as a sportsman, and the esteem in which he is held in the West, has emerged as even greater than before. There is no question but that the publicity on the Hollywood Park proposal for a match was poorly timed, and this fact aloiie, we feel, was entirely responsible for some of the snippy words that developed along the line. But at the same time, we feel sure that much good has come out of the whole affair, and that Hollywood Park has finally obtained the recognition which it so richly deserves, even if a meeting between Swaps and Nashua does not develop here on the Coast. Let us repeat, the flurry of statements came through a wrong interpretation of the position of William Woodward following the running of the Belmont Stakes and the Californian here last Saturday. The unfortunate timing came about because the Hollywood Park release, offering the invitation for the proposed match, was made almost immediately after the Californian running, although it was held up for publicatoin until Monday morning. Therefore, neither horse had cooled out of the race to the extent that his true post-competitive condition was absolutely known, nor was a final re-check made with both owners Woodward and Rex Ellsworth to at least semi-confirm a willingness to meet at Hollywood Park on the basis of the Bel-mont-Californian results. Fortunately, the air has been cleared and Hollywood Park president, Mervyn LeRoy tells us he will be in New York on business shortly and his first act there will be to look up Mr. Woodward and have a chat with him. See Possibility of Event Still Being Run Technically, a meeting between Swaps and Nashua here at Hollywood Park cannot be ruled out as yet because it is entirely possible that after Nashuas commitment in the Arlington Classic on July 16 Woodward might feel that a foray into the West would be feasible. A flight from Chicago after the horse cooled out from that stake would put him here well in advance of a race which could be carded on say July 25. This would provide for a long enough stay on the grounds to give Nashua a chance to et the feel of the race course and train properly. Hence, Hollywood Park is somewhat justified in its belief that there still remains some sort of a chance to staged this "race of the year." With Swaps, whom many Californians are hailing as a "wonder horse" and without question the best California-bred of modern times, here on the grounds, it has made dramatically clear the notion that Hollywood Park racing has come of age to a considerable degree. In the past, California horses always have had to go East to gain recognition and prestige, and eastern horses have seldom, if ever, considered the idea they might have to ship to the West to prove one of their horses the number one horse of the year. But they may have to from now on. Southern California racing has made such progress in prestige racing that a Swaps-Nashua meeting would be quite in keeping with the tone of the sport. Indeed, we venture to predict that such an event would draw more than 75,000 racing fans to the park, and Hollywood, fortunately, could guarantee fair weather and a fast track. Nashua Could Ship West After Classic Nashua, after the Belmont, was scheduled for a campaign to the Arlington Classic, just as Swaps here is being pointed for first, the Westerner, then the American Derby. Hence it is more than wishful thinking to presume that Mr. Woodward might be persuaded to change his mind about coming out if his horse comes out of the Classic okay. Had sound interviews been made with Mr. Woodward and his trainer before the formal announcement of the proposed race at Hollywood, it is just probable that the race would be much further along than at present. But as we say, the bright lining in the clouds is that previous misunderstandings have been cleared away, and everyone can proceed from here on a firmer foundation. To revert again to Hollywoods growing place in the sun, the performances of Swaps at this race course, where he won his first stake as a two-year-old, will go a long way toward earning him possible Horse of the Year honors, and if so, it would be the first time a horse ever gained such a distinction basically on West Coast performance, a performance in the Californian, for example, which more than confirmed the intrinsic merit of his Kentucky Derby victory. Hollywood has been leading the nation in average per diem purse distribution, its stakes roster is comparable to that offered anywhere, and its daily average attendance is extremely high, hovering about the 30,000 marks. It has everything that a major meeting needs excepting the national recognition of the item that the track has ftaally arrived, pr.estige-w.ise,. , ....
