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Reflections — By Nelson Dunstan , American Racing Manual Is Off Press Great Horse Book Is Ready for You w It. Answers the 4,000 Question , NEW YORK, N. Y., May 10.— At hand is the book, above all others, that we eagerly await, The American Racing Manual. It is the one book we look for as our guide throughout the year. A staff of statisticians in the Chicago -office of this paper have compiled records that are so carefully woven as to give us the only factual history of the American turf. With hundreds of turf and breeding books available to this writer, this is the only one we always keep within arms reach. On occasion we pull a boner because we have relied on memory when j we should have checked against this work. There is nothing quite like" it. Every year we receive hundreds of letters asking for information of some turf event and we seldom fail to answer them . without referring to the Manual. Racing is a sport of minute detail and through the years a million questions arise that cause debate and .confusion. But no so with the Manual to settle the issue. Horses, owners, jockeys, trainers, -the backstretch, equipment, track conditions, _ track layouts, money-winning horses, experimental handicaps, "time records, match races, highest-priced yearlings and horses all come up for discussion, and many other subjects that no living man could answer j x without reference to some authority. That authority is The American Racing Manual. It would take columns and more columns to review adequately this book which has been published annually for over 50 years. Chronology of Racing From Coyer to Coyer For many years this writer has commented on each v. new issue of The American Racing Manual. This year we can take-a new approach. -Lets suppose that you were called upon to answer the "4,000 Question." It-would by no means be easy. A little old lady, and our heart went out to her, selected horse racing as her subect and we were amazed by her knowledge of racing. For example, she answered the question about the eight Triple Crown winners and vhen she cited the years they won we were utterly confounded. There now is a new program called the "4,000 Challenge," and we . wonder if anyone will challenge this lady from Nichols-ville. A million and one questions could be asked the champion and the challenger about the sport of kings, but we would wager that The American Racing Manual would supply the answer if one read the book from cover to cover. Lets have a little fun. Suppose you were called on the "4,000 Question" and the dapper Hal March started throwing questions at you. However, through your knowledge of racing you could be given questions that would stump any man. Here are just a few: What-was Tom Fools pedigree?; How many letters are you allowed irr the naming of a horse?; What is the world record for a mile and a quarter? ; Next to Kentucky, what state produces the most winning horses?; What Was the shortest price and the longest price of winning horses in American racing history?; What is Americas oldest racing event?; What horses were recently elected to the Hall of Fame in the National Museum of Racing?; Does the English and Amexican scale of weights differ?; Who was the sire of the most juvenile winners in 1955?; Who are the greatest money-winning horses of the world?; Who was the winner of the 1930 running of the American Derby?. They are puzzling questions and any man who could answer them would./be well entitled to the 4,000. The answers to these and almost every other question that could be,hurled at you is to * be found in The American Racing Manual. Accurate Source of Breeding Information Breeding can offer just as many puzzling questions as that of racing. For instance, how many foals were registered in 1903, how many in 1900, how many in 1954? Suppose March asked you, "What was the origin of the British thoroughbred?" A million and one different questions could be asked about this great sport of ours, but no man is so all-wise that he could give you accurate answers. The real fun of racing is not in the betting, but the thousand and one things that, go to make up the sport. The American Racing Manual will answer practically every question that you could ask regarding racing and breeding and we are very happy to have our 1956 edition at hand. We would not be without it, nor should you.
