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Canada Regret Woodbine In Its Last Year By FRANK ARMSTRONG WOODBINE PARK, Toronto, Ont., June 17. George Swinebroad, famed auctioneer of the Fasig-Tipton Co., was a visitor at Torontos Woodbine race track recently and in a moment of relax ation expressed a feel 1 ing of regret that thf historic plant of thl 5 Ontario Jockey Clu was in its last year d existence. It was sur prising to hear a re nowned turfman givi voice to thoughts which would have been more characteristic of a hometown devotee of racing. He was at Woodbine for the first time about six years ago and it woud have occasioned no surprise if he . considered Woodbine as just another race track among many he has visited. He had an explanation for his viewpoint. "There is something .about this track that grows on you and Im not sure that I can define something unless it is atmosphere, or perhaps personality, if race tracks have such qualities. But I like Woodbine and its friendly people. It is a track apart from the average. Keeneland would be the only counterpart in my opinion. I would say that racing at these two tracks is idealistic of the turf sport in its original meaning. That may be the expression of the intangible something about Woodbine." Swinebroad was not alone in his opinion. He had the support of Humphrey Finney, Fasig-Tiptons president. "I feel the same way as George," said Finney, "but hes practically a stranger here. I came to Woodbine about 30 years ago when I represented Sylvester Labrot, and I liked the track then as I do now. So did everyone else. We brought some good horses here and we won our share of races and several of your stakes, with such topnotchers as Tred Avon and Springsteel. Woodbine will not be easily forgotten but it was inevitable that it would outgrow itself." Conversation had drifted to tradition and turf history .when Swinebroad, who had just concluded a sale of horses, reached to a hip pocket and produced a gavel. "Look it oyer," he said. "Did you ever see a gavel just like that one?" We admitted to having seen few gavels of any kind, but we observed that this one was solid wood, carved in one piece. "I have six like that one," said Swinebroad. "A friend of mine carved them from cherry wood, according to my specification, and the pattern was modeled from the gavel that struck the final bid on Man o War, the gavel that sold the greatest horse in history, the gavel that made sales history." Swinebroad be- , came enthusiastic and obviously sentimental as he told the story of the gavel. We wouldnt know if the story has been written or told before, but it will be told again and again when the gavel that sold Man o War is viewed in its red velvet adornment at Saratogas National Museum of Racing. The gavel was the original property of auctioneer John Bain. It was carved to his design from a rare African hardwood known as Anaconda wood. This is a jet black wood and is believed to grow only in the jungle. If there" is any in America, Swinebroads search for it was without avail. The wood is light and nearly resistant to wear. John Bains gavel withstood the pressure of constant pounding for more than 50 years. When the veteran auctioneer retired he sent the gavel to Billy Tracy, manager of Tattersalls of America, with Continued on Page Fifty-Six Report From Canada By FRANK ARMSTRONG Continued from Page Nine the instructions that it be given to his sue- s cessor on the Fasig-Tipton block. George Swinebroad was the successor who became the owner of the-gavel. He used it for 30 years, during which time it tapped a total of 5,000,000 in horse sales. Said George: "That gavel sold many horses, but there was only one Man o War." Eventually Swinebroad noted just a trace of a crack in the wood and, rather than risk damage from further use, he donated the gavel to the museum. Returning to the Woodbine theme, it is significant of racings ever-growing popularity that a modern wagering record of 40,535 was established on Queens Plate Day. The all-time high was recorded in 1921, when a days total exceeded 90,000. Queens Plate wagering in this final year at Woodbine reached a new high for a single race with a total of 77,413. The old record set in 1921 was 75,000. Racing in Canada has never known a "million-dollar day," but that day is visualized when the Ontario Jockey Clubs new Woodbine " opens in 1956.
