Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-01-29
$1,4O0,00O Turf Plant
To Be Most Modern
Of Miami Group
Cheap Fields to Stort,
But Competition Will
Be Felt by HioIeoh
BY FEED BOX,
Star Stan Correspondent.

MIAMI, Jan. %. - Gulfstream
Park, Miamis newest and most
modern race track. will swing into
action next Wednesday, according
to its builder, principal stakeholder
ing. If Gulfstream opens as sched-
uled, it will be something of per-
sonal triumph for the youthful
Miami Beach sportsman-build as
constructing this $1,400,OOO, racing
establishment was practically one
man job.
Starting in December, when
ground was broken for the huge
grandstand, with its cantilever roof,
club terrace, administration build
Ing, paddock and other necessary
construction, young Horning prac-
tically has lived at the track. Many
nights have been spent in his trailer
on track property after he had been
on the job for 10 hours or more and
had no time to get to his beautiful
Hibiscus Island home to sleep and
return to his job on time the next
day.
OTdnUSCanQ UnnnlSneQ.
II 1t were not for the calm as
surance of all Hollywood Jockey
Club officials, I would say that the
opening planned for Wednesday was
next to impossible. If it fails to
open its gates to the public on time,
the principal reason will be that the
steel framework for the grandstand
opposite the finish line is not yet in
place. Gulfstream intends to place
its judges stand, booth for the
camera for photo finishes and its
press box on the roof of the grand
stand at this point.
This final grandstand construc-
ton cannot be blamed on any one
at Gulfstream. 1t was caused by
an unfortunate delay in shipping
the steel. The freight cars were
loaded and ready to roll when it was
discovered that the steel had been
loaded 9 inches too high and the
train could not clear the tunnels
through which it had to pass. The
cars had to be unloaded, then re-
loaded before they could head for
Florida.
Strip in Fine Condition.
The mile racing strip is in excel
lent condition. The 7-furlong chute
allows every one to obtain a clear
view of the start of every race at
this distance. There also is a g.
furiong chute and 2-furlong chute
straightaway for the baby racers.
Gulfstream Park already is beau-
tiful. Two miles of Australian pine
hedge 10 feet in height have been
planted, the backstretch providing
perfect background for the horses;
a palm-lined drive to the club ter
race and another to the grandstand
are in place and other picturesque
groupings of royal palms will be |
found around the grounds.
The infield has two cleaning lakes |
connected by winding canal. The
infleld about these lakes was graded |
and grassed with 100000 pounds of
seed some time ago and now is a
velvetlike carpet of green. Scattered |
about the infield are 1000 shrubs
hibiscus, the red acalphia and |
ligusrtum.
Cheap Horses at Track.
There are about $50 thorough
breds now on the grounds and more
are arriving every day. The sport |
at Gulfstream will have a decided |
Charles Town flavor, as the ma
jority of the horses now in training
over the Gulfstream racing strip
competed at the West Virginia oval
In December. Some idea of this
can be obtained from the fact that |
the inaugural handicap field is ex-
pected to include Teddy Haslam,
Holluschickie, Kenty, Last Chase,
Little Drift. Happy Host, First Entry
and Sheknows.
When norSemen racing at Hialeah !
discover how cheap are the fields at
Gulfstream, many of them are sure
to ship their strings to the new oval,
where they know they will be able
to win purses.
The powers that be at Gulfstream
expect and are prepared to take a
loss on the coming session. Every
one agrees, however, that no mat
ter how much or how little business
the track does it will cut deeply into
Hialeah Parks revenue.
The wise thing for the Florida
Racing Commission to do is to allot |
dates for next year to Gulfstream
Hialeah and Tropical that do not
conflict. 1t will be better for the
tracks, better for the customers and
better for the thoroughbred sport
as a whole. Past history proves that