Evening star., 1960-02-06
Angry Horsemen Reject
Bowies Compromise Plan
Negotiations Off
With Disputonts
$4,000 Apart


$4,000 Apart
BY JOSEPH B. KELLY
Star Racing Editor
BALTIMORE, Feb. 6.-After
coming within $4,000 of reach
ing an agreement for a purse
contract involving more than
So million over a three-year
period, negotiations last night
between Bowie and the Horse
mems Beneficial and Protec-
tive Association broke up when
the horse owners in a huff left
a surprise meeting in a hotel
here.
President Donald Lillis of the
Bowie track had presented a
counter proposal to the horse
men in long distance teIe-
phone call from New York and
for a time it appeared that his
move would settle the long
dispute.
But the HBPA representa-
tives found a stipulation to
which they objected and
stormed out of the meeting,
still resolved not to run at
Bowie unless their demands are
met. The Bowie race meeting
is due to start February IL.
Shortly before the executive
committee of the Maryland
Delaware Charles Town Divi-
sion of the HBPA convened
last night to hear Lillis' new
proposal, r. Bruce Livie,
chairman of the Maryland
Racing Commission, declared
that there would be no strike
at Bowie.
HOrsemen are Adamant
But the horsemen scoffed at
LIVES statement that he could
prevent a strike against Bowie.
They said, however. they would
attend a Racing Commission
conference on the purse dis
pute set for Monday.
Livie said the two factions
would stay right in the Racing
Commissions Offices until the
row is settled.
IF they can't settle their
differences, then we will settle
it for them" he declared. I'VE
have rule which says we can
regulate the size of purses, and
If we have to we'll use it."
DR.. George RoSenberger,
president of the local division
of the HBPA, said he had no
intention of calling off a gen.
eral meeting of owners and
trainers scheduled for Tuesday
night in Laurel. The HBPA will
vote on whether to enter horses
for Bowie's first program Of
1860 at that meeting.
At last nights session of
the horsemen's Executive Com
DR.. Rosenberger pre-
sented Lillis' proposal for a
of the dispute which
has been seething since the
end of last years race session
at Bowie. when the horsemen
claimed they got $4,000 less
in purses than they were en-
titled to receive.
Compromise Offer
Lillis' compromise last night
offered the horse 3.34 per cent
of a 81 million dollar handle
in purses for the coming meet
ing and then proposed that
the 1861 and 1862 purse dis
tributionS be determined by
giving 3.34 per cent of the
average handle for the three
meetings at Bowie.
Although the horsemen's
committee agreed that the 1860
distribution was fair, they OBJ
jected to striking an average
on the three previous years as
a basis for the 1861 purses.
The horseman's committee
countered with plan to take
only the two previous years
into consideration, thus elimi-
mating Bowie's poor year of
1858, when bad weather cut the
average handle to $4,000.
LilliS fatty refused to grant
this concession.
Negotiations Broken OFF
The committee then voted
unanimously to break off any
further negotiations and to ad-
wise the general membership
of the HBPA to refuse to enter
their horses at Bowie until
further notice.
Rosenberger said that he
felt that if Bowie was allowed
to base its 1861 distribution on
the average of the previous
three years, the horSemen
would lose about $4,000 in
purse money "just about what
we did not get last year"
Although he is not a mem
Der of the Maryland committee
Of the horsemen, William Hal
Bishop, who recently brought
his 50-horse stable to Laurel
from New Orleans to run at
Bowie, declared he was 100
per cent behind the horsemen
here" The colorful Illinois
owner and trainer, perenially
one of the Nations leading
trainers, is expected to sway
many trainers of smaller stables
at the horsemens' general meet
ng.
Attending last nights meet
ng as representatives of the
lorsemen's committee in addi-
ion to DR.. Rosenberger we're
Appel, John A. Manfuso,
Edward O'Brien, Mike Freeman,
Glenn Smith, James Simpson.
TOhn Forbes Harry Eklof opd