Evening star., 1938-12-31
Horses 10 Struggle
For $1,o00,00o in
D.Day Campaign
Fons Expected to Wager
$35,000.0 900 or More
On 400 Contests
By GRANTLAND RICE.

Special Correspondent Of The star.
ARCADIA, Calf, Dec. 31.-Sixtv
thousand people today will pay trib-
ute at Santa Anita to that cock
eyed wench known as dame for
tune. For the first time in turf
history thoroughbreds will start out
after 81 900 900 in purses, and highly
optimistic seekers after easy money
will bet somewhere between $35, ,000,-
900 and $40, 1000, 900 on some 400 races
spread over so days.
Here at Santa Anita is the pot
Of gold at the rainbow's end-if you
can find the end of the rainbow.
Certainly no such amount of money
ever before was hung up before
horses and humans, in such a set
ting.
The snow-capped peaks still look
down on Santa Anita and its $780,
900 splash of improvements. Sixty
acres of flowers, including the bril-
liant blue and white flame of Oregon
pansies, light up the infleld; 155
acres of parking space are ready
for $4,000 motor cars, another world
record in one inclosed space.
The highly industrious Charles
Strube, the tracks general manager,
has set out to break every known
record for high-paid competition in
a scenic pageant beyond most ilnagi-
nations. And those snow-capped
peaks above the millions of flower
plants and the orange trees don't
blur the setting In any way.
1900 Horses On Hand.
There now are 1900 horses stabbed
at Santa Anita, ready to run.
Naming those which will run the
fastest is another matter.
Past records show that even the
experts, leaning naturally to the
favorites, can't quite reach IS per
cent when it comes to nominating
the winners. But that doesn't dis
courage the optimists and the
dreamers.
Today's opening, with its $10,-
600 feature for California -breds, is
only the prelude to major winter
The big spot is the 100000 added
Santa Anita Handicap on March 4
For the last two years the iron
and rubber horse, Seabiscuit, has
been the high spot of this major
ensemble. The Biscuit has missed
two 100000 shots by less than a
nose. His beak has cost him 5000 900,
which is an expensive adjustment
to any ones frontispiece.
Even this far ahead they are talk
ing about the next 100000 winner.
Stagehand, Dauber, Ligaroti, Speci-
fy, Ossabaw, Heelfly, Porters Mite,
Flying Scot. Indian Broom, Marica,
Count Arthur-top nominees from
18 or 20 starters on the big day.
$4,000 Day in Purses.
1t will be an open race with Sea-
biscuit, the favorite, if he starts. He
is assigned to carry 1874 pounds,
which he can do If they don't knock
him down again and then force him
to run around the field. Anyway, no
one has shot him yet or thrown q
lasso around his feet, in this $780,
600 test.
I talked to General Manager
Strube, and he seemed to think that
Seabiscuit would appear at Santa
Anita in the 100000 affair, even If
he raced in Florida first.
Whether he does or doesn't, car
rying 1874 pounds In a 20-horse race,
the big special still is wide open.
Too many things can happen when
that much horsefesh is moving into
action for that much money.
No matter how you figure it, Santa
Anita's opening today means more
than trif1e in the way of thrills
and also financially.
The horses at Santa Anita will
gallop, run or quit cold for a matter
of $4,000 a day in purses, which
also is a new record-an average
above $4,000 a race.
In the wake of all this, the sole
important matter is picking enough
winners to break nearly even. This
is a job that belongs to a hero. In
any event, 1t will be something to
look at.