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On the Wire By Hugh J. McGuire - Illinois Solons Defeat Allowance Measure Homebreds Dont Rate Unfair Advantages Example of an lll-Advised Turf Legislation ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, 111., June 24. It is not too often that friends of racing have the opportunity to commend legislators for their handline of bills concerning the sport, but the lawmakers of Illinois rate an accolade for killing in a Senate committee a measure that would have granted a five-pound weight allowance in races to horses foaled in Illinois. -The bill had passed the House. Agitation for the passage of such bills has arisen almost from time immemorial in various states, but careful consideration of the effects of enactment almost invari ably has shown that such a rule is ill-advised for many reasons. Proposed as an encouragement to breeding within the confines of a state, the ill-effects of such a law far outweigh its problematical benefits. ITB Trying to Encourage Industry No one can take issue with a group of breeders, such as the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders Association, for trying to- encourage the industry within the state. There is already in effect here a law covering awards to winning Illinois-breds in the amount of 10 per cent of the winners share of all purses. Such awards have done a great deal to foster and encourage breeding in several states, and the practice is soundly sanctioned by representative groups of horsemen everywhere. .This does not hold true of weight allowance, which is even condemned by some whose horses would benefit from it. It has always been, held that the granting of a weight allowance merely because of the birthplace of a horse, carries with it a stigma either of admitted inferiority of the horse or of unfair advantage. Many breeders are unwilling to admit that the animals they breed are less capable than those bred elsewhere. There could be far more serious repercussions to such a rule than at first appearance. One of the first that could be expected would be retaliatory legislation by other states which would nullify any benefits. Another is that it would terld to create disunity at a time when all-racing bodies and the National Association of State Racing Commissions are working toward uniformity in rules. Perhaps the greatest objection is seen -in that racing has prospered under free enterprise as has the rest of the country. While racing is big business; it it also a sport, and sporting events should be settled on the merits of the contestants and not by legislation or politics. A proposal to give a ball player four strikes because he was born in Illinois is too ridiculous to contemplate. It is held in many informed quarters in racing that the increasing practice of introducing new legislation concerning racing could be definitely detrimental to the sport as it tends more and more to place a free enterprise under political control. Very often such, legislation is treated as a political expedient without the advice, knowledge, or opinions of those within racing who know the sport best. The passage of such a bill as the one in question would have granted a special privilege to a minority group in racing, a group whose own members were not solidly behind the proposal. Board Chairman Serdar Supported Bill It will come as no surprise to Paul Serdar, chairman of the Illinois Racing Board, an Illinois breeder in a modest way, and a supporter of the allowance bill, that this corner would be opposed to such legislation. We have the greatest respect for Serdar and believe that he is honestly trying to do a good job for racing, but we differ on this subject. We are in definite sympathy with any breeding organization trying to improve its conditions but differ as to methods. Serdar informed us that there were only 29 fliinois-bred two-year-olds registered this year, and we agree that the breeders need encouragement. On the other hand, it came as a definite surprise to us that the bill for the five-pound allowance was supported in the House by representative Joseph Kohout, a thoroughbred owner and president of the local division of the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association. As president of this section of the HBPA, Kohout -represents nearly 100 per cent of the horsemen racing here. The number of Illinois breeders who are also members of the HBPA is only a small fraction of that groups membership, yet this bill would have favored that minority over all other members. Shoemaker Holds Edge on Hartack A toothache and a goose egg prevented the two Willies Shoemaker and Hartack from making any gains on each other in their ton-id battle for leadership in the national jockey standings Thursday. Shoemaker has the toothache and took a day off from riding at Hollywood Park, while Hartack drew one of his infrequent blanks at Arlington Park. With the completion of Thursdays racing, Shoemaker continues to lead Hartack, 185 victories to 183.
