THE HOME STRETCH

[Music] what this sports greatest thrill the home Ronnie the knockout the touchdown run they're all wonderful moments in sport but thirty million fans last year indicated by their patronage of thoroughbred racetracks that their choice was the do or die battle of horses and jockeys down the homestretch here they come in a typical final thrilling drive for the gold and glory at Hollywood Park it's one of holly parks numerous hundred grandeurs the 1958 Westerner now called the Hollywood Derby in the final drive its strong bay on the upside with manually Kaza up nosing out Hillsdale another great runner let's go back at the seams for a few moments and look in on some of the preparations that are necessary to earn a visit to the winner's circle here we are in the pleasant and colorful stable area or back side as they call it training horses requires skill time and patience but it's also a lot of fun everyone gets in the act in the mornings and at Hollywood Park which holds its meeting during the summer months even the trainer's daughters spend their school vacation time working with the horses a Horseman's day starts at dawn's early light that's when the thoroughbreds start going to the track for the gallops and time trials that bring them to their peak for the races in many cases the way a horse works in the morning is a preview of how he'll race in the afternoon if he works too fast perhaps his race will have been left on the training track as the saying goes too slow and he might not be fit enough to withstand a furious challenge in the final strides of the race hard work on the racetrack brings its rewards and there is no more convincing example of this than jockey Johnny Longden [Music] in the morning at the track he's one of the first and in the afternoon he's first plenty of times to with far more than 5,000 winners during a distinguished career that has made him the world's leading jockey in the afternoon there is no question that the jockey is the hardest-working horseman and to help them perform at their best from race to race major tracks such as Hollywood Park maintain comfortable well equipped jockey Porter's the riders Vallot keeps his boots and saddles in top trim the track furnishes a masseur to rub out any aches and pains and tone the muscles if a rider has a weight problem there's a steam room to melt off the excess and a diet kitchen to keep it off there are recreational facilities of course for the boys sitting out a race or two [Music] adjacent to the jockeys quarters at Hollywood Park is the color room here the silks of every owner racing at the meeting are cared for the color room custodian sees to it that all silks to be used on a given afternoon are placed with a rider who will wear them perhaps into the winner's circle later on the rewards of the jockeys hazardous life are something more than pleasant quarters and the glory of winning and that's money more of it for the champion riders than can be realized by any other professional athlete these jockeys are in the amphitheater paddock at Hollywood Park getting instructions from the trainers as they await the $50,000 added Argonaut handicap [Music] bill shoemaker is writing number three roundtable in this race and if he can get the famed equine millionaire home on top he'll nail down ten percent of Round Table's take-home pay roundtable carried 132 pounds in this race and his great victory helped him win horse of the Year honors for nineteen fifty-eight let's watch shoemakers strategy now as race announcer Hal Moore calls the action going past the stands the first time it is apparent that shoemaker is content to play the waiting game he notes that how now seaneen and Kerrang all are showing early speed and setting a fast pace he lets them go and settles for fifth if shoe forces round table at this point he will lose precious ground going wide around the turn showing extreme confidence in his mouth shoemaker holds round table in fifth position going down the backstretch he's saving him at every pole knowing that was 132 pounds up he cannot ask for more than one big run from his horse heading into the far turn shoemaker sees that the time is now to go after the leaders he takes round table to the outside of like magic then still saving ground he moves past two rang on the inside he must now decide whether to go inside of the two leaders or play it safe and go around them for the drive how now shows he still has plenty of run and won't give up that rail so shoemaker heads round table to the outside and starts his final drive for home [Applause] great thorough brands like round table have made Hollywood part known as the racetrack of Champions in 1958 the Hollywood turf club honored the gallant thoroughbreds who raced there by erecting a life-size statue of this champion of champions the incomparable swaps those who saw swaps in his record-breaking races will never forget the tremendous bursts of speed he could summon so effortlessly or the terrific power he showed in his long ground eating stride at the dedication of the Swap statue James D Stewart vice-president and general manager of Hollywood Park recall some of the exploits of this California bred champion at Hollywood Park in 1956 it swaps the Wonder horse here in the Englewood handicap he challenges mr. Gus at the head of the stretch swaps had preceded this race with a world's record of 1 minute 33 and one-fifth seconds for one mile in the Argonaut handicap a week earlier the California comet pulls away easily showing his graceful gliding action as he sweeps toward the finish line it appears he is coasting in at only half speed but look at that time 1 minute 39 seconds another world's record now which July 14th 1956 as swaps races to victory in the $162,000 Hollywood Gold Cup they'll go a mile in a quarter and jockey shoemaker has the tightest of hole the first time past the stands whops is number three on the rail now once again setting the face it's the Llangollen farm star mr. Gus who later in 1956 trounced the Great Nashua and even waits at Belmont Park on the turn for home swaps overtakes mr. Gus handling his strongest rival with ease look at that smooth power-packed stride as he draws up to a long lead its swaps breezing home again this time in one of the fastest mile and a quarter races in history as jockey shoemaker looks back one minute 58 to fifth seconds on July 25th 1956 swaps answers the final question asked of a thoroughbred champion can he carry his tremendous speed over a classic distance of ground and with 130 pounds now you are watching Hollywood parks $100,000 sunset handicap at a mile and 5/8 swaps is leading the first time past the stand just look at the tight hold shoemaker has on the champ now they're in the stretch of this marathon and swaps his packing 130 pounds far enough you bet fast enough it's 238 and 1/5 and other worlds record again eased up with shoemaker looking back [Music] swaps goes into the record books as one of the greatest of all time and at a signal from Mervyn Leroy president of the Hollywood turf club the beautiful bronze of the horse in full stride is unveiled and here is the swaps family from left to right trainer mich Kenny Rex Ellsworth who raced him sculptor Albert Stewart president Leroy and shoemaker great racehorses may come from the summer sunshine of California or the wintery snows of the East in Maryland alfred van der Bilt's famous native dancer is now siring future champions at the breeding farm winner of 21 of 22 races native dancer missed only Racing's most coveted prize the Kentucky Derby but 3,000 miles away in California stands another fine gray horse who did win the run for the roses at the Laguna Seca ranch of the Frank bishops near Monterey is determined raced in the silks of former owner Andrew Creveling determined is now the property of a syndicate when turned out in his spacious paddock determined gives proof that what a thoroughbred would rather do than eat or sleep is run determines exploits on the racetrack they soon be emulated by one of his sons this little guy doesn't even have a name at this tender age he's only one day old believe it or not in a week he'll be galloping all over the place it is breeding farms like this one that have made California second only to Kentucky as the thoroughbred capital of America the old racetrack saying that great horses make great jockeys has stimulated many a lively discussion among followers of the turf although it no doubt contains a lot of truth to millions of racing fans the skill of the rider is just as important and as thrilling as the speed and courage of the racehorse at Hollywood Park the finest jockeys in the world are regular performers and their contrasting styles have earned them followers as loyal as any star of the entertainment world could hope for if anyone will ever break Johnny Longden record for winners it will most probably be this rider Eddie R Carol calls him a genius bill shoemaker of course the sit still jockey with a perfect balance George Taniguchi on the number 2 horse quickly gets his cross or hold on the mountain he's driving his horse to get a good position around that first turn in races of a mile or more saving ground around the clubhouse turn can mean lengths at the finish line Ralph Neves on the lead is a master at that art once he straightens out down the backstretch he leaves his mark just a little to give him a breather a California regular is jockey Alex Maison number 4 showing extreme confidence turning for home Alex is being challenged by the horse on the inside but still hasn't gone to the whip he has his horse in hand as the saying goes here's Hank Marino showing how to finish with a tiring horse a few touches with a right hand whip note the perfect timing and then put the whip away and use Boonton hand in the final few strides to the wire a relative newcomer to the Hollywood Park in California racing picture is Ronnie Fair Hall Ronnie on the outside is stating off the challenge of shoe maker on the rail the shoe is giving you a perfect example of left hand with action while Ronnie is keeping his mom's mind on his work by shaking the whip by the horse's head there's one the shoe didn't win [Music] the Panamanian fireball manually casa is as popular with Latin Americans as the most famous bullfighters note manuals extremely short cross he's literally pushing that horse home by way of contrast here's Ralph Neves finishing he uses a much longer cross when hand riding dem da Z Casa Johnny Longden is without a doubt one of the most amazing athletes in the history of sport his success has come from conscientious work devotion to his profession and expert horsemanship the pumper has demonstrated his ability in the saddle on countless occasions but here is one of his most dramatic rides it's in the 1957 starlit States at Hollywood Park turning into the stretch fleet nasrullah with longed enough is in front but beginning to lose the lead to the fast closing strong ruler ridden this day by the veteran Mel Peterson as strong ruler starts to go by long dunes mount jockey Peterson urges his Colt and under the right-hand whip strong ruler swerves over to the rail longan suddenly placed in trouble pulls is not out of danger strong ruler goes on to win over the fast closing Old Pueblo this incident in which a horse takes the path of another results immediately of course in the stewards calling for an inquiry [Music] the inquiry sign means that films of the race taken from towers around the track will be developed immediately and viewed by the stewards the photo patrol system now in use at all major racetracks in this country was originated and developed at Hollywood Park during an inquiry the stewards interview the riders review the patrol judges reports and check the film's let's ask presiding steward Wendell Cassidy for his observations as we look at the official pictures here we see fleet nasrullah but Jackie longed enough racing on the rail as the horses come off the final turn into the stretch strong ruler on the outside comes on with donkey melt it is the riders duty to keep his horse straight and stretch and this camera will furnish the proof but Mel Peterson in his eagerness to win uses his work vigorously causing his mount to veer in front of longer and longer must pull his horse clear let's back up the film and study it again see how far Peterson lets his horse drift in and how quickly a dangerous situation can develop that's it let's look at the incident to the eyes of another camera to check the distance between the two horses there goes strong ruler into the rail there's certainly no margin of safety between him and the fleet's nasrullah the patrol judge at this point reported the shoes of the two horses clicked together which indicates what close quarters they were in strong ruler finishes first Old Pueblo with Jackie Eddie Arcaro second but because of the foul strong ruler must be disqualified and placed back of cleat nasrullah the value of the official films does not end with the results of an inquiry in the afternoon the following morning films of every race are reviewed and these sessions are particularly valuable to the jockeys apprentice riders for example may profit by watching pictures of such acknowledged perfectionists of the saddle as Eddie Arcaro America's Stakes winning king he's riding whirlaway to victory here in the 1941 Kentucky Derby whirl away or mr. longtail as he was known to his millions of fans set the Kentucky Derby race record with this victory a mile in 1/4 in 201 and 2/5 and our Carol's uncanny ability of blending his riding action so perfectly with runaway strides undoubtedly helped his mount earn that long standing time mark [Music] veteran riders frequently use the films to watch pictures of stars of yesteryear like the famed Iceman George Woolf who wrote Seabiscuit number two in his thrilling match race with lurid merle in 1938 here is the walk up started Pimlico as Seabiscuit and War Admiral are sent away in one of the most exciting and most talked-about match races in the history of the sport it is West versus East as the underdog Seabiscuit owned by Charles s Howard of California surprises the fans and his rival by rushing away to an early lead down the backstretch the great eastern favorite War Admiral draws alongside to challenge the flying Seabiscuit stride for stride the two champions race as one head and head nose and nose for more than a half mile [Music] [Applause] [Music] as they swing into the homestretch it is apparent that Seabiscuit is not going to give up that lead with less than a furlong to go the biscuit surges ahead and jockey George Woolf drives on to an amazing victory with another of his marvelous riding performances the keen but friendly East versus West rivalry has continued in the thoroughbred world since the memorable race at Pimlico in 1938 and all over the West one that won the shoe is sometimes on the other foot in 1958 gallant man the Eastern Champion flew to Hollywood Park to compete against the best in the West in the Hollywood Gold Cup one of America's major championship events for the handicapped stars in the paddock trainer John narrowed confers with jockey shoemaker with owner Ralph lo close by for Western Stakes champions will face gallant man who will carry top weight of 130 pounds at the mile and a quarter distance here is announcer hal moore's call of the race and while you're watching note that at one point or another in this thriller each one of the five starters gets the liana man passing the stands for the first time is mystic eye leading by 3/4 of a length whirling Aviat second by a head on the inside Eddie Schmidt is third two by two then comes seaneen and gallant man the end of the clubhouse turn its mystic eye by a length Wehling abbey is second by three-quarters on the rail Eddie Smith is third by a length in a quarter then come seaneen by a length and a quarter and a gallon man around the clubhouse turn mr. kite has it - by a length and a quarter sweating Abbey is second by a neck on the rail Eddie Schmidt saving ground is third two by three quarters John eNOS fourth by a length and a half and a gallant man the end of the backstretch it is still mystic eye by a half-length but now swelling abbey is moving up and here comes Shawn teen and a contention on the outside with Eddie Schmidt fourth and gallant man is beginning to move they're nearing the half mile course with mystic I am sweating a bee head and hat and now it is mystic eyes showing by a heads floating Abby second by a head Shawn eNOS third and gallon man has moved up to fourth on the outside at the top of the pattern sweating Abby has the lead to by ahead with Shawnee right behind the money outside to be second battling mr. KY is next to gallon man and now Eddie Schmidt is beginning to come on between horses they're passing the quarter Pole and Shawn has on the outside on the outside and now it is in front and in that final drive down the homestretch that we've just seen we have the secret of Racing's amazing popularity and why it is a number one spectator sport today from the day a thoroughbred is --fold his ultimate goal is supremacy in the homestretch he loves to race and he is born with a desire to win his breeding and training are devoted to building his speed stamina and courage which he will proudly display on the racetrack his supreme moment it's the all-out battle down to the wire the classic climax of a great sport like the home run with the bases loaded or the winning touchdown run in the last minute of play there's no greater thrill in that moment when thoroughbreds born and bred to give their best meat in that final testing ground of speed and courage the Holmes [Music]