Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-04

II AGING in California will end one
II week from tomorrow under the
AU authority of law, and Santa Anita
will close the gates after the last race
is run that afternoon, with doubt and
uncertainty enveloping the future.
Those higher up in turf circles on the
coast profess to believe that the Wal
ker-Otis law will not stand the test or
the courts and that the law viii be
declared imperative when the case
that surely will be taken up is submit
ted to the supreme tribunal. Thomas
H. Williams, who is looked to for
solution of the uncertain problem and
whose word one way or another VIII
give hope or shatter 1t, is said to be
contemplating a test in the courts by
running a one or two days meeting at
Tanforan. Bookmaking will be tried
one day and auction pools and mutuels
will be tried the, next. This test will
determine whether bookmaking will De
permitted in future, and in the event
that the courts decree that it shall not
be permitted, a test will be made as to
the right to operate the mutuel ma
chimes. In the event that both tests
are decided adversely to turf interests,
it is believed that Williams will build
a track at Tia Juana. 1t is said that
Williams entertains great hopes that
the Walker-Otis bills are defective and
that he has been advised that way by
his attorneys. But, he is very wisely
keeping his own counsel and will not
give out anything regarding his plans
until he is ready to put them in oper-
alton. He will not tip his hand, in
other words.
W. w. Finn, wo is manager of the
Utah Jockey club, which will hold 40
day meeting at Salt Lake City, begin
ming May %, seems to have gotten
ahead of all rivals in that territory and
has taken advantage of the situation to
boom the sport in that state, where
there is little or no opposition to 1t.
Finn very properly has decided to make
a good impression upon the Salt Lake
City people by giving them the classiest
race meeting they ever have had the
opportunity to support. and he is show
ing his good faith by going ahead with
plans that horsemen and others in
trested in the turf approve most en-
Enthusiastically With accommodations
for less than 500 horses on the grounds
he is determined to have the best
stables that can be induced to race at
his meeting, and he has selected such
capable and popular officials as Judge
Joe Burke, Judge P. P. Pomeroy,
Starter Dick Dwyer and Judge A. c.
Henderson to help him carry out his
plans. The selection of these officials
and the announcement of his plans
along broad lines have inspired con-
f1dence in horsemen and the public and
he will have no difficulty whatever in
carrying out his every plan to sue
cessful conclusion. Instead of going
from door to door taking up subscrip-
tions to support the meeting, he and
his associates, w. H. Gleason and
others, have put up the money out of
their own pockets to pay all the purses
and running expenses. 1t is to be
dependent upon charity for the ex-
penses of operating.
Manager Finn says that the people
of Utah have made no complaint
against the sport of racing and that
he believes that they will not do SO
| if race meetings are run on high and
honest plane. Acting upon his judg-
ment in this matter. he proposes to
give them a season of high class, clean
sport and establish such a standard
for all time to come. In that way he
hopes to forever be able to dodge any
anti-racing movement that may be
started. Thoroughly convinced that the
sport will be firmly established after
the spring meeting is ended, he and
Gleason are going ahead with plans
for building a modern mile track and
racing plant at which meetings will be
held every spring and fall. Gleason is
multimillionaire and a high class
sportsman. He is willing to finance the
new jockey club into a permanently es-
tablished existence and to that end will
furnish the financial sinews for the
preliminary and final efforts. Utah
seems to be the hope of horsemen in
| the west Just now and even If racing
is permitted to continue in California,
the usual spring and fall meetings at