Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-23
OPENING is
SLATED FOR
NEXT MONTH
SANTA ANlTA'S INAUGURAL
POSTPONED
RACING ASSOCIATION MAKES A
WISE MOVE
Plant Can Open in Full Glory, and
Delay viii Hurt Only Few
Owners Now at
Ascot

Farewell to the hopes of the turtles
for racing on Thanksgiving afternoon
The directors of the Los Angeles Racing
association, after deep thought on the
subject, yesterday afternoon decided not
to open the Santa Anita plant until a
week from Saturday when everything
will be ready to be in readiness to pay
just dues to the beautiful course.
Only one thing caused any argument
over the matter at all. The oft repeated
promise that Thanksgiving day would
mark the inaugural Of the new track set
the directors to thinking. and for a while
will be in readiness TOT pay just dues to
the beautiful course.
Finally, when Contractor Allen had
pointed out the defects and others had
shown where it would work but little
hardship, 1t was decided not to attempt
to hold races on the original date, and
after short consultation the announce
ment came that December z would be
about right for beginning.
This move on the part of the Los An
geles Racing association officials is a
wise one, and with the exception of a
few Of the owners will work hardship on
no one. Still. these same owners will
suffer but little, although for one or two
of them it means a stringency of the
money market.
Some of those who will race their horses
at Santa Anita have been at Ascot park
for weeks getting their charges ready in
order to put one over during the first
few days of the meet With the opening
day scheduled for next Thursday horses
were put right on edge and primed for
an event at an early date.
Work for Nothing
Now a great deal of this work must be
done over again, for a thoroughbred can
not be kept right to his best mark all
through the time that remains, especially
when not racing. The horses will be given
a comparative rest, and not until next
Saturday or Sunday rolls around will the
workouts be as strenuous as they have
been all during this week.
Again, the owners have feed bills to
meet, and many of those with limited
cluster of greenbacks or scrip will be
kind of up against it. The association
will look after those, however, and none
of the horses is in danger of dying SIM
ply because the owners are caught short.
Now that there is no immediate hurry
Contractor Allen will call off the night
gangs and proceed with the work of COM
pleting Santa Anita in a more systematic
manner than would have been possible
in time for Thursday Training gallops
over the new track will be delayed a
week. and the grand stand will be up to
the full standard when opening time ar
rives. The big structure will be resplen-
dent in it's painted glory, and the grounds
themselves will not bear the half finished
look which would have been the case if
things were rushed.
AS many owners now racing at Ben
nings will ship their strings at the close
of that meeting November 30, the class
attendant on the selling and overnight
events should be considerably improved
over what it would have been had open
ing day at Santa Anita occurred next
week. 1t will also give the horses ar
rlving from the east every day a better
chance to become acclimated. all of
which will help those who brought their
good ones on the long trip across the
country.