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California By Oscar Otis Determine in Drive to Win Inglewood Travel Bug Finally Bites Bill Molter Swaps1 Training Pattern Most Unusual HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., June 27. Determine turned in one of his best efforts here Saturday in the mile and a sixteenth Inglewood Handicap, but it took almost all he had to beat a hard-hitting Mister Gus by a long head in a photo finish. It developed that Willie Shoemaker was able to rate Mister Gus near the pace, and the Nasrullah colt had a ot left for a stretch drive, too much, in fact for the comfort of Determine. Louis B. Mayers Alidon was third, a half length farther back. Determines time was a smart 1:40, a feat accomplished under 124 pounds. It was ironically, the first winner of the meeting for owner Andy Crevolin. The Inglewood proved that while Determine is no super horse, he is far better than an empty stall. And he remains as popular as ever, applause greeting him as he entered the track, an ovation awaited him at the winners circle. Determine earned a: mere pittance of 5,250 in the Inglewood, an amount, however, which will lift his lifetime earnings to 63,360. With any luck from here on, he will either surpass, or at least approach, the 00,000 mark in earnings before the current meeting is over, after which he is scheduled for a rest pending his planned flight to Paris and the Arc deTriomphe. Trainer Has Sudden Change of Heart Trainer Willie Molters enthusiasm for starting Determine in the Arc deTriomphe in Paris come October 9 came as a pleasant shock to his friends, who have long had the notion that Molter simply hated to leave California for any reason whatsoever. Molter, as we vividly recall, was not too keen about sending Determine to Kentucky for the Derby and his opinion that the colt should be trained for the classic by racing in "northern California prevailed, and everything went so well that he just couldnt find an excuse not to fly the horse on. After the Derby, he wanted no part of the Preakness, and under the circumstances, it was to be expected that Determine rushed back to Hollywood Parjc rather than continuing on East. But whatever his reasons were a year and a half ago, for disdaining the other side of the Rockies, he has had a change of heart and our own guess is that he has his stable now so operating that he can pick up and leave for a spell and enjoy peace of mind. "I would have advised against nominating for the Arc deTriomphe if it were mos tany other horse but Determine," .Molter confides, "But I have absolute faith that Determine can deliver his best race at Longchamp just as easily as at Santa Anita or Hollywood Park. You dont get this kind of a horse very often, and by that I mean a horse that ran and will run his best on any kind of footing. I honestly believe "he would be as much at home on the proverbial plowed field or concrete highway as on any of our California tracks. As for Longchamp, you forget that I am quite familiar with the course, having spent a few days there" two years ago in company with Johnny Longden. While only a visitor, I kept my eyes and ears open, thoroughly inspected the Lonchamp . grass, and I saw nothing that maybe wouldnt suit Determine even better than the Camino Real grass course at Santa Anita. His smallish stature would be of advantage in a race like the Arc, for he is quick . on his feet." Displayed Liking for Turf in Capistrano A guide to Determines grass ability is easily provided by his effort in the San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita last winter when he went out on the pace in this long affair and knocked over one contender after another and, although beaten by St. Vincent at the wire we still consider the Capistrano one of Determines great lifetime efforts. Johnny Longden, who has a modicum of experience in riding in Europe, tells us that he would like nothing better than to be invited to ride Determine in the Arc. Longden and Molter are lifetime friends, although the final decision as to a rider will be up to owner Andy Crevolin. Longden, one of the few California experts in the field of European racing and riding conditions, is of the firm opinion that Determine, if even within pounds of his good form, would be exceedingly dangerous in the Arc regardless whether it was a vintage running or not.. The training regime of Swaps for the 0,000 Westerner is quite unlike any seen for a good horse at Hollywood Park. His works are few and far between, and when he does drill, trainer Mischa Tenney is quite insistent with exercise boy Chester White that without question, the first part must transpire in slow time. When Swaps starts a drill, the distance is left "open," so to speak, and Tenney does not make up his mind as to "how far" until the horse is straightened out in the stretch. He has an elaborate set of signals worked out at this point to inform White exactly what to do from that point on. If Swaps is going along more rapidly than wanted Tenney times every eighth, the drill ends at the wire. If not, it is extended as far beyond the finish line as Tenney desires. "If there is one thing about training and racing Im convinced of," remarks Tenney, "that is that a fast early pace can do more harm to a horse than perhaps any other single thing. Not only, for instance, do we work SwaRs slowly the first of even a five furlongs breeze, but we never let him run to ability in the early part of any of his races, as those who have seen his races this year will agree."
