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■■■ MSk. Jmp California By Kent Cochran Revive Talk of Staging Scully Races Large Number of Favorites Make Good June Lockhart-Ed Crowley Track Guests BAY MEADOWS, San Mateo, Calif., May 6.— Theres some talk here of reviving elimination races, called scully" races a generation ago. One segment of horsemen say too many worthless horses are cluttering up the entries and that a way should be found to get them off the California major circuit Theyre suggesting that the six major tracks agree to refuse stall space to horses who have not finished as good as sixth in their last eight starts. "If a horse cannot find his level in that number of tries, he no longer belongs," is their motto. Would probably help reduce the present congestion. Other horsemen point to the heavy shipments to Omaha, Denver, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia as being in effect an "operation clearance." Its surprising that so many favorites are upset in other sports, like boxing and tennis, for instance, where the public choice has only one opponent to beat. That is, its surprising when one considers the heavy percentage of winning favorites in horse racing where the favorite must defeat 10 or 12 rivals. All of which leads to the conclusion that the public has a better line on the horses than on any other sport where men are fond of backing their judgment with a bit. of cash. Derby Editions Flown to Portland Roy "Buttercup" Siebert has taken over the book of jockey Pete Moreno for the Hollywood Park meeting. "Buttercup" also makes engagements for apprentice Gordon Johnson and acts as stable agent for Hal King and Albert Bello. . . . Old-timers say that one of the smallest horses ever to win the Kentucky Derby was Clyde Van Dusen. So small that the trainer worked a strategy to prevent Pony McAtt from seeing the horse in the paddock. Kept the midget turned the wrong way in his paddock stall, and kept talking to McAtee whUe maneuvering the jockeys head away from the horse. . . . Last Friday, Jerry Margulis telegraphed Daily Racing Fork to air mail-special delivery 10 Kentucky Racing editions to Portland Meadows, of which he is vice-president. "I thought it would be nice to pass them out in the stable area," the Portland jeweler and horse owner explained. Margulis never misses a public auction of horses in California. Flew down for the Joe Hernandez auction on Sunday. ... St. Vincent, winner of a San Juan Capistrano, planed out last week from Hollywood Park with another horse for New York and Jersey, where trainer Vance Longden will shoot with him for several rich grass stakes. First objective is the Dixie Handicap. Frankie Sullivan, long-time associate of Lonny Tryon, Gene Normile and Marvin Allen at old Tijuana, but now proprietor of a stationery and book stare at Glen-dale, has written and published a bood, titled, "Inside Information." It deals with under-cover racing stories and anecdotes of the roaring 20s. Frankie and his brother, Emmett, came from Butte, Mont., to Tijuana in the old days and were a popular couple along the Mexico border for years. Both were singers and raconteurs on the side, while working for the track and "ring." An entertaining little volume and valuable historically. . . . Carl De Benedetti, who owns Eugenio outright and 25 per cent of Holandes n., is not a newcomer to racing. He owned a stable of seven horses and raced them at Bay Meadows during the war years. "Why did you stop racing after the war?" we asked. "Because they were county fair-type platers which were persona non grata at the big tracks down South and I didnt care to confine myself to the fairs." Regrets Feat May Go Unchallenged Regret will die immortal, as the only filly ever to win the Kentucky Derby. Thats what racing students are saying anent the programming of the Kentucky Oaks just ahead of the Derby. The arrangement precludes a good filly from ever being started in the Derby against colts; naturally her connections, no matter how good she is, would send her into the softer Oaks. Only way Regrets feat would be duplicated under present conditions would be for some stable to have two or three outstanding fillies come up in the same year, a thousand to one chance. In which case, they might go after both races. Stage and TV actress, June Lockhart, together with Ed Crowley of the Sheraton-Palace Hotel and a party of 20, will be guests of honor at Bay Meadows Tuesday, they have accepted the invitation to Mrs. Dorothy Kyne and Joe Cohen. Alice Fay and Phil Harris may join the party. The days feature will be named for the Sheraton-Palace, of which Crowley is manager. Hes also on Del Mars board of directors. . . .Marshall Han-rahan was gleeful when his juvenile filly, Deedees Doll, graduated from the maiden ranks. Marshall bred the filly. His mare, Bib Baby, is presently in foal to Determine. Hanrahan, inheritor of a fortune left by his father, a heavy industries contractor, owns a share in Determine and Imbros. George Schilling, acting for Johnny Alessio of Cali-ente, early Saturday afternoon presented the press-box writers with mint julep glasses, the official Churchill Downs souvenirs of Derby Day. The glasses are etched with the name of every winner of Americas most glam- Contimied on Peg* Forty-One CALIFORNIA I By KENT COCHRAN Continued from Page Six orous race. . . . Trainer K. L. Tex" Johnson and jockey Tony Dominguez accounted for the Daily Double Saturday, with Just As Fast and Fleet Domingo. . . Directing the destinies of a racing stable requires specialized knowledge. A competent trainer is sometimes trammeled in his work by an owner who interferes with the "placing" of his horses. Then there are those who say. "Get Shoe or Longden, or dont run him." Often, the owner is swayed this way and that by well-meaning, arm-chair strategists, whose advice only serves to gum up the works. Of course, the owner is footing the bills and so he has a right to call the turns. Too often, however, he calls em wrong. Where theres a choice, the trainer usually prefers a difficult horse to a difficult ovner.
