Evening star., 1944-12-24

commission chairman, said the
Byrnes request was "a distinct shock
to horsemen, but after all, if it is
necessary for prosecution of the war,
then I think We should defer"
The commission has not yet set
spring dates for Maryland and Small
said that "if things are better then
we expect to run. but if the powers
think it Is better to close, we will
go along with them willingly"
| The directive will have no imme-
diate effect on the two tracks In
West Virginia The winter meeting
at Charles Town ended last We'd
nesday. and the next racing in the
State is not scheduled until the
middle of next May.
Tropical Park decided to open to-
morrow and operate until January 8.
| Gordon B. Hanlon, president of
Suffolk Downs, where a spring meet
| ing is booked, said at Boston that
Suffolk Downs will cooperate 100
per cent with the Government and
the war effort"
| oAuCI AihS CdmuCu 1ICdu.
Garden State Park, Camden, N.
j., will cooperate with the Govern
ment order requesting race tracks
to shut down by January g." Presi-
dent Eugene Mori said, but he de-
clared he didn't think IAN order of
/ this kind should be directed at rae
ing any more than another indus
! try"
Maj Ednyfed H. williams, presi-
dent of the National Association of
State Racing Commissioners, said he
was confident there would be cheer
full compliance from all turf officials
in the Governments request. Will
liams also is chairman of the Illi-
nois Racing Board, which super
vises four Chicago district tracks,
Arlington Park, Sportsman's Park,
Hawthorne and Washington Park,
and also Fairmount Park near East
st. Louis.
The Los Angeles Turf Club an
nounced it had abandoned plans
for any racing whatever at Santa
Anita Park prior to January 3.
William p. Kyne, general mana
ger of Bay Meadows track near
San Francisco, said II will Coop
crate with the Government in any
thing they want to do" Bay
Meadows has no dates until March
II. Bay Meadows has contributed
all its profits of the last five meet
ings, estimated at nearly $3,000,0O0,
to war rehabilitation and other re-
lief agencies.
Must Obey Boss, Winn Says.
Col. Matt Winn head of the
Kentucky Derby, expressed the gen.
eral sentiment, saying There is only
one thing to do and that's to obey
the boss 4. things must be pretty
serious for the Government to take
such action, and we should follow
every instruction"
Millard Caldwell, who becomes
governor Of Florida January 2, said
that the closing of the tracks will
wipe out" a $7,5O0,0OO balance in
the States general revenue fund.
The Oaklawn Jockey Club will
cancel its 30-day meet scheduled to
start at Oaklawn Park in Hot
Springs, Ark, February 26.
The ban on racing, which also in
cluded trotting and pacing, came as
a surprise to Roger Duncan, execu-
tive vice president of the United
States Trotting Association. NAT
urally, we'll go along with the re-
quest" said Duncan. 1--WE can only
hope that the situation will clear
up before the harness horses start
making the circuit late in the
spring"
Racing at the Fairgrounds at New
Orleans started yesterday, but off,
cials announced everything would
be shut down by January 8.
Havana,s Oriental Park reopened
yesterday for a month, three
times-a week horse racing schedule
with hopes that the quality of its
meeting might be improved as a
result Of the request to close United
States tracks within the next TO-