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_ California By Oscar Oils Swing in Ireland to Nasrullah Bloodlines Anita Prepares for 1959 Silver Jubilee Hollywood Park Bet Trends Hint Maturity HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 22.— Nasrullah blood has developed into as desirable a line as there is in the world today, bar perhaps that of _ Hyperion Hyperion and and Nearco. Nearco. If If you you Hyperion Hyperion and and Nearco. Nearco. If If you you take a going price in Nasrullah as a guide to his value, the sire at Claiborne assays at just under ,000,000. Moreover, Nasrullah and his sons already at stud, seem to nick well with most anything, although his success in America is due, in our opinion, to . some extent to bold outcrossing, an opinion that I look no further than the English Derby and St. Leger Leger winner, winner, Never Never Say Say Die. Die. Leger Leger winner, winner, Never Never Say Say Die. Die. John Hertz seems to be bent on proving up a cross of Nasrullah on Count Fleet mares, and if his first experiments in this, as exemplified by a couple of two-year-olds for which he refused a quarter of a million dollars, are confirmed it would seem an ideal mating. In any event, it is noteworthy that Ireland is making a strong bid for,, world sire prestige at the moment by the return of Zucchero to the land of the Shamrock. The announcement of his private syndication was recently made by Paddy Harbord of The Curragh Bloodstock Agency of Newbridge, County Kildare. Zucchero Rated Oyer Tulyar "Top sires in -England and Ireland are harder to come by than formerly," Harbord tells us by transatlantic phone, "for some of the world leaders have been retired, others have been exported. Zucchero was rated a better horse than Tulyar in weight-for-age and was "tipped" to beat the latter in the George "VT. and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in 1952, but ,Zucchero was so badly kicked and cut at the post by the French horse, Matde Cocagne, that he came in bleeding- profusely and all agreed that under that handicap, he ran a brilliant race even though finishing out of the numbers. Zucchero is by Nasrullah from a Bois Roussel mare, and won the Coronation Cup, Blue Riband Stakes, etc., and also was placed in the Washington, D. c, International at Laurel. It is most pleasing that Ireland, which has been such a heavy seller the last few years, was able to obtain a horse of this caliber as a leading sire prospect for the long range future of the export business of Ireland lies in just such acquisitions. The syndicate has decreed that some matings be kept open to other than the shareholders for worthy mares and it is entirely probable that some American owners, who cant get -to Nasrullah at home, will send a mare to Zucchero. Hell be at his new home at Major McCalmonts Ballylinch Stud, County Kilkenny, but our agency will act as secretary to the syndicate." Santa Anita is undertaking a prodigious project in assembling a vast amount of data dealing with its opening year, the winter of 1934-35, for use two years hence, the 1959-60 season when the track will be 25 years old and will celebrate its silver anniversary. We dont have to do much checking ourselves, as we were there, a rather skeptical onlooker as Dr. Charles Strub "revolutionized" racing. The good Doctor had some-ideas about racing which were frankly ahead of the times, and as an indoctrinate of the so-called old school, we had our doubts. But the Doctor was right, and we were wrong. For he anticipated the thinking of the future, and that future is now, of the role of management in racing, or the corporate approach to racing rather than the one man racing magnate, or promoter. The opening of Santa Anita clearly marked the end of an era in racing, the introduction of a new one, the broadening of the appeal of racing from the few to the many. Many of his innovations have become standard procedure most everywhere on this continent. More Wagering in Higher Denominations A sign that Hollywood Park is achieving maturity as a race track can be seen with wagering" trends and which are approaching the major tracks in the East as to pattern. Substantially up are wagers in the 0 and 0 denominations, slightly up are the 00 bets, the 5 combine windows are doing more business, and down are the fives, twos, and six dollar combination. The first week, when form was not established, per capita was low, ranging daily from a low of 2 to a high of 4. But after the first week, the per capita rose to a low of 4, and a high of 6. We doubt if the per capita ever will be as big as in New York or New Jersey because Hollywood attracts more tourists, people new to racing, some of whom even come out to see the lakes and flowers, and these folks wager lightly, maybe a group chipping in fifty cents each to make up a sporting two dollar wager. The two dollar bets have dropped, however, to a new all-time low, or exactly 25.23 per cent of the wagering volume. Our own notion as to this trend at Hollywood is the item, indisputable if you look at the conditions of the overnight races that fill, and have been raced, that Hollywood has as fine a group of horses as any track in the conutry, and good horses make for confident backers. Indeed, one of the most apt descriptions of the so-called cheap horse is that by comparison, he is somewhat unde-pendable, and cannot be counted on to turn a good race back again, at least not to the degree that a good horse should.
