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On the Wire By Hugh J. McGuire Texarkana -Voters to Decide on Racing Association Points Out Value to City Thriving Louisville Cited as an Example ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, 111., June 29. Before us is a copy of a letter addressed to the voters of Texarkana, Ark., on the letterhead of the Texarkana Racing Association, Inc. It points out the misconception held on the sport in many quarters in areas where there is no racing. Texarkana is to have local option voting, on a track in that area on July 12, and the letter is to combat the erroneous impression that a race track brings with it hardships to local business and undesirable characters to the neighborhood. The letter quotes from the Wall Street Journal and goes on to say that 25,000 new homes have been built in Louisville during the last five years and that General Electric recently chose Louisville for the worlds largest appliance plant that will employ 10,000 people. In addition, year-end statements of banks and savings associations in Louisville show an increase of 9.4 per cent in personal savings in 1954. There has been racing in Louisville these many years, and it is quite possible that the General Electric Company first heard of the city through the publicity given the Kentucky Derby and other races. Recalls First Impression of Charles Town From the press box at Arlington Park one can see beyond the backstretch rows upon rows of hundreds of new, modern homes where only two years ago the land, then owned by the track, was vacant. Certainly this track has not injured business in Arlington Heights, where merchants are prospering from the horsemans dollar. Very clearly in our mind is our first impression of the small city" of Charles Town, W. Va., when we first saw it in December of 1933, when the inaugural race meeting was held there. Isolated in the Shenandoah Valley and a considerable distance from any town of importance, Charles Town did not present a very attractive picture. Its roads were poor and its few shops were shabby. Today, by contrast, Charles Town is a modern, up-to-date city where racing and its people are welcomed as friends. There are many other cities larger or smaller than Charles Town that could tell the same story of benefits that have followed the acceptance of racing. Searching our memory, we can find no town that racing has destroyed. The letter made a nice point, we thought, when it said: "The same kind of people will come to races at Texarkana as go from Texarkana to other towns to attend horse races, and we will be proud to have them as visitors to our city. We know, and you know, that our friends and neighbors who go to see horse races at Hot Springs and other cities are not gamblers, prostitutes and other forms of social parasites as has been described by the Citizens Committee Opposed to Racing. " It may come as news to those opposed to the thoroughbred in Texarkana that racing is the most stringently policed and supervised of all sports, and it will be up to the Texarkana Racing Association to see that this supervision is rigidly maintained if the voters pass favorably on the measure. Racing is proud and jealous of its reputation. Lea Lane Being Returned to Farm While the crop of two-year-old fillies racing here numbers several very promising prospects, as evidenced by the running Monday of the Pollyanna Stakes, the three-year-old filly division is about to lose one of its prominent members. This is Charlton Clays courageous Lea Lane, whose recurrent knee ailment has prompted trainer Price Sallee to send her back to the farm with the recommendation that she be retired for breeding. Lea Lane, who is by Nasrullah Lea Lark,, by Bull- Lea, flashed into prominence by impressive victories in the Miss America, Pollyanna and Durazna and was second in the Arlington Lassie, Made-le and Alcibiades, winning 9,067 at two. This he was second in the Kentucky Oaks and third K Ashland, but failed to stand training, ile Sallee will lose Lea Lane, he has in training venile half sister, Fleet Flight, by Count Fleet, whom he believes will develop into a good filly. For the partners, Roger Wilson and Ray McDermott, Sallee has the winning two-year-old, Tommys Jet, who is being pointed for the Hyde Park. Louis Tutts stake winner, Jen jay, probably will pass up the Modesty in favor of the Matron. Sallee thinks highly of the untried colt, Blue Flame, by Blue Swords, from the stakes winner, Eternal Flag. This youngster is the property of J. C. Pollard. For Dr. R. C. Austin, of Dayton, Sallee has the three-year-old filly, Mauverneen, who has trained well, and for Mrs. Elizabeth "Brisbine he has Golly, Rippsy, So and Spontaneous. For many years Sallee has trained some of the horses for the dean of active Kentucky breeders, Thomas Piatt, and for him he now has Lady Alorter and Tucky Miss. Arrival here of the Keeneland Sales catalogue and some literature on some of the youngsters to be sold July 25, 26 and 27, reminds that the time to secure replacements for depleted stables is again near. From Fred Jansons Knollwood Farm comes word of a colt and three fillies that are to pass through the. ring, while Leslie Combs n. will offer 21. More about these later after we have seen them, but word on one of the Combs group already reached us by the underground. This is a colt by Ardan Boudoir II., a half brother to iYbur Host. Reportedly he is quite something to see;
