The Return of the Sport of Kings

Aerial view of Santa Anita in 1934. In the background Smoot's abandoned track can be seen.

The conclusion of a 7-part series about horse racing in early Los Angeles County.

by Leonard N. Wynne

From the summer of 1932 until the spring of 1933, there was surge in efforts to build race tracks in California – despite the fact that racetrack gambling was still illegal in the state. When queried about the legality of such a venture, Joseph Smoot, the man leading the project to build a racetrack at Santa Anita, remarked that there “is no law against the building of a race track.”1 Although Smoot admitted that gambling would likely take place – privately between individuals – he reaffirmed his pledge that the operation of the racetrack would always be conducted within the laws of the state – being funded exclusively through donations. The success of such a venture would, however, require one racetrack to establish itself as the preeminent racing facility in the region, holding off all would-be competitors. The rush of various organizations to open the first track was halted, ironically, by the one goal that they all desired – the legalization of racetrack gambling in California.

The passage of Proposition 3 in July of 1933 not only legalized pari-mutuel gambling at racetracks in California, but it also created the California Horse Racing Board. The CHRB was invested with the sole authority to regulate the licensing and operations of all racetracks in the state, and it was made clear that permits to conduct horse racing would only be awarded to organizations which displayed sound financial standing, with members of proven integrity. Additionally, the CHRB required all applications to include a “good faith” deposit of $10,000 to secure a permit to conduct racing.

If there were any questions about how rigid the CHRB would be in maintaining their pledge to allow only organizations of the highest caliber to conduct racing, they were answered when the board convened for its first session to review the applications presented to them. Meeting with representatives of several racing organizations in early October, 1933, the CHRB would reject all but one of the applications – that of the St. Francis Jockey Club, which was seeking a permit to build a racetrack in the city of San Francisco.

In Southern California, with the Los Angeles Jockey Club having abandoned its efforts to build a track in Arcadia, and the California Jockey Club having shifted its attention from Baldwin Park to the Bay Area, proposing to build a track in San Mateo, the one hope for Santa Anita lay in the hands of a group of racing promoters the press had dubbed the “Millionaire Jockey Club.” This group, headed by Hollywood producer Hal Roach, had originally sought to build a racetrack in Culver City. Although denied their initial request for a permit, the “Millionaire Club” was encouraged by CHRB chairman Carleton Burke to continue their efforts to strengthen their organization, and to then apply again. Burke later optimistically reported to the press that although no decisions had been made at the meeting, “we expect to see horse racing in Southern California next spring.”2

Enter the "Doc"

Back in Los Angeles, Hal Roach and his associates – having now formed the Los Angeles Turf Club – immediately stepped up their efforts to secure the financial backers who would allow them to meet all the CHRB requirements. Although they initially planned to have a membership composed solely of Southern California residents, Roach and the Los Angeles Turf Club made the decision to look North, to San Francisco, for the support of the man responsible for securing the first permit the CHRB had issued – Dr. Charles Strub.

Charles “Doc” Strub was a dentist by trade, but a sportsman at heart. Having been the captain of the baseball teams at both Santa Clara University and the University of California, and for a time playing in the minor leagues in California, Strub's first love was baseball. Having become very successful in his San Francisco dentistry practice, Strub soon realized his dream of becoming one of the owners of the San Francisco Seals baseball team, ultimately rising to the presidency of that organization.3

When racetrack gambling was legalized in 1933, Strub, who had also been a fan of racing since his youth, was anxious to get involved in the rebirth of California horse racing. Having enjoyed great success in every venture he had undertaken, Strub was largely responsible for the St. Francis Jockey Club being awarded the first permit to build a track by the CHRB in late 1933. The plans of the St. Francis Jockey Club to build a new track in the city of San Francisco would, however, face stiff local opposition. When the city ultimately voted to reject the proposed track, Strub and his organization reluctantly decided not to fight a second time, and abandoned their plans.

Back to the Drawing Board

The sudden demise of the St. Francis Jockey Club would have a significant impact on the future of racing in California. With the plans to build a track in San Francisco abandoned, William Kyne and his California Jockey Club – which had earlier been denied a racing permit – quickly worked to gain the approval of the CHRB for the proposed Bay Meadows race track. Meanwhile, Charles Strub, who was still anxious to be involved in horse racing, accepted the offer of Hal Roach and the Los Angeles Turf Club to travel South, and to join that organization's efforts to open a track in Southern California.

On his arrival in Southern California, Stub joined with Roach and other members of the Los Angeles Turf Club in their efforts to secure backers for the project. Rather than seeking out just a select few wealthy individuals, Roach and Strub began a campaign, calling on many prominent Angelenos to offer individual subscriptions to the organization for the sum of $5,000 each. Derided by other racing promoters for their “door to door” approach to funding their project, the Los Angeles Turf Club would soon have the satisfaction of proving their detractors wrong – raising the one million dollars in needed funding. On January 4, 1934, Roach and Strub presented the CHRB with their application, and a check for $10,000.4 A week later the permit was secured, and the work on the new track was begun with all haste.

The Race to the Wire

Prior to the approval of their permit, the Los Angeles Turf Club had considered three possible sites on which to build their proposed racetrack. The most desirable to the organization was the old Baldwin ranch, with the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains serving as a backdrop. The one limitation to the Arcadia site was that, despite the improvements that had previously been completed by Smoot, the property offered little opportunity for future expansion – and even at that time Strub and his associates were looking to the future. When Anita Baldwin agreed to sell a large portion of land just to the East – where once Lucky Baldwin's vineyards and winery had stood – the future of racing at Santa Anita was assured.5

On March 26, 1934, a thousand spectators gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony at the new Santa Anita Park. Anita Baldwin, who was traveling in Europe at the time, was not on hand to reenact the ceremonial passing on of Baldwin's colors that had marked the groundbreaking for Smoot's attempt to build a new Santa Anita the year before. Nevertheless, the event did carry on the tradition of uniting the old with the new, as Jack Fisher, an elderly African-American blacksmith who had turned a shovel of dirt at the ground-breaking of Baldwin's original track, was given the opportunity to do the same at the new Santa Anita Park.6

With the formalities concluded, the Los Angeles Turf Club immediately began the construction of the new facility. The task ahead of them was, no doubt, daunting, and many viewed the plans to have the track open by the following February unrealistic. All such doubts would soon be expelled, as it was announced that progress on the track was far ahead of schedule, and that Santa Anita would be ready for racing by Christmas Day. In a period of just over eight months, the racing oval, stables for 1,000 horses, and a beautiful Art Deco clubhouse and grandstand, designed by the well known architect Gordon Kaufmann had been completed.7

The Great Race Place

By early December the first horses began to arrive at Santa Anita, in preparation for the highly anticipated race meet that would be highlighted by the Santa Anita Handicap, a stakes race with a purse of $100,000 – the highest ever offered in the nation.8

On Christmas Day, 1934, despite the hardships of the depression – or perhaps motivated by it – a crowd of some 39,000 eagerly arrived at the beautiful new facility in Arcadia. Shortly after 1:30 PM that afternoon, a cheer went up from the crowd in the stands as a brown mare named Las Palmas became the first horse to cross the finish line at the new Santa Anita Park, winning the first race of the day – The Greetings. Nearly a quarter of a century had passed since the original Santa Anita had closed its gates when, on this day, in the shadow of the very same mountains, racing fans hailed the return of the Sport of Kings to Southern California.9

Photos courtesy of Arcadia Public Library.

Related posts:
Part 1, The Sport of Kings in the City of Angels
Part 2, Sport of Kings, or Den of Thieves?
Part 3, The King of Arcadia
Part 4, Baldwin's Luck Runs Out
Part 5, Days of Auld Lang Syne: Arcadia in the Years Without Racing
Part 6, Pretender to the Throne
Hollywood Park and the Great Fire of 1949

1 Los Angeles Times, January 1, 1933, A2.

2 Los Angeles Times, October 12, 1933, A9.

3 Beckwith, B.K., The Story of Santa Anita, 13.

4 Los Angeles Times, January 4, 1934, A9.

5 Anita Baldwin was paid $236,500 for the initial piece of property,
and ultimately the LATC would more than double the size of the land
purchased. Los Angeles Times, January 10, 1934, A11.

6 Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1934, A11.

7 The track as it opened in 1934 was considerably smaller than it is
today. Between 1935 and 1938 additions to both the clubhouse and
the grandstand would practically double the size of the track.

8 A general estimate places the $100,000 value from 1935 to be the
equivalent of approximately $1,500,000 in 2007.

9 Racing actually took place at fair meets before the major racetracks
as the facilities were already built and fair racing was managed
differently. The opening of the modern Santa Anita was preceded by
Alameda County Fair, Bay Meadows, and the Los Angeles County Fair.

Leonard N. Wynne is a lifelong fan of horse racing and its history. Wynne earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Cal Poly Pomona, and holds advanced degrees in History from Cal State Los Angeles and the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is currently on leave from PhD program in History, UCSC. His areas of specialization include 19th Century United States with an emphasis on religion and gender and Popular Culture in the United States.

Pretender to the Throne

Anita Baldwin

Part 6 of a 7-part series about horseracing in early Los Angeles County.

by Leonard N. Wynne

Revenue Trumps Morality

In 1932, as the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression, economic hardships helped loosen the influence of the moral reform movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite a national ban on alcohol, and laws against gambling in most states, the fact remained that many people would continue to drink and gamble – whether it was legal or not. Moreover, as the Depression worsened, cash-strapped state governments would begin to view racetrack gambling as a source of much needed revenue. With the adoption of the French pari-mutuel style of wagering – a system seen as far more honest, and assuring the states a percentage of each wager – racetracks began to reopen across the nation.

Enter Smoot

In the spring of 1932, the whispers that had been heard around the city of Arcadia that horse racing was about to make a comeback proved to be more than just rumors with the arrival in town of a man named Joseph Smoot. A well-known figure in the horse racing world, Joe Smoot was the man credited for getting the racetrack at Hialeah built several years prior. Now, in partnership with Anita Baldwin, Smoot announced that he was anxious to do in Arcadia what he had already done in Florida – build a first-rate racing facility.

The newly formed Los Angeles Jockey Club would, however, have several obstacles to face – not the least of which was the fact that gambling was still illegal in California. The immediate issue confronting the plans to build a new racetrack, however, was the need to gain city approval to re-zone the Baldwin rancho. By 1930, Arcadia had grown from a small settlement into a city with a population of more than 5,200 residents. Although Arcadia's business leaders favored the proposed track, an equally powerful coalition of civic leaders representing the city's churches and schools were vocally opposed to the plan. Leading up to the special election in Arcadia, the Los Angeles Jockey Club campaigned energetically to gain community support for the building of the racetrack. Their promises that all building contracts would be awarded to local contractors, and that the track, when finished, would provide the city with many desperately needed jobs, helped swing public opinion in favor of the project. On July 26, 1932, the citizens of Arcadia voted to approve the project by a vote of two to one.1

Even before the election took place Smoot, confident that the plan would be approved, began to present his plans for the new Santa Anita Park. The proposed racing facility would have stables to accommodate some 1,500 horses and a luxurious Spanish Colonial style clubhouse and grandstand designed by the noted Los Angeles architectural firm of Walker and Eisen.2

Smoot then announced that the track would conduct a winter race meet that would be highlighted by two of the richest stakes races in the nation – the $50,000 California Derby and $25,000 Los Angeles Derby. Finally, Smoot boldly announced that the track – if approved – would be ready for its inaugural meeting by February 1933.

Smoot's confidence that the track could be completed and in operation within just a few months reflected a sense of urgency that was grounded in a very justified concern. Although racetrack gambling was still illegal in California, in 1931 the state was experiencing a sudden interest in racetrack building. At the same time that Smoot was presenting his plans for Santa Anita, a Los Angeles businessman named Alexander Pantages announced his intention to build a racetrack across town in Inglewood. Meanwhile, a third group, headed by Northern California racing promoter William Kyne, was showing interest in building a racetrack in nearby Baldwin Park.3 Smoot knew all too well that for Santa Anita to dominate racing in Southern California it would have be in operation before any rivals could pose a challenge.4 On August 19, 1932, the public was invited to the groundbreaking at Santa Anita – an event marked by the ceremonial uniting of the old with the new, as Anita Baldwin presented Joe Smoot with a standard bearing colors of the Baldwin racing stables.5

By September of 1932 half of the grading of the new oval at Santa Anita had been completed, and work was begun on constructing the stables. Although a proposition to allow racetrack gambling was defeated in the November election, Smoot nevertheless pushed ahead with his plans, announcing that the stables would be ready to accept the first horses within a month. By December, however, progress on the track had slowed, just as the timing of completion took on more urgency with the turf war over Southern California racing again making the news. Although the group headed by Pantages had faded from the scene, the Northern California group headed by William Kyne – now organized as the California Jockey Club – announced that they had filed the papers to begin construction of the racetrack in Baldwin Park. Even more troublesome to the backers of the Santa Anita project was Kyne's assertion that double shifts would be employed to have the proposed Baldwin Park track opened by mid-February – a full two weeks before the now delayed opening of Santa Anita.6

By early 1933, the threat of competition from the California Jockey Club became less urgent, as that organization had turned its focus to first completing the proposed Bay Meadows track in San Mateo. With the construction of Santa Anita still progressing at a slow pace, Smoot and his organization then turned their attention to a special election slated for June – when, for the third time in a decade, a measure to legalize racetrack gambling would be on the ballot.7

A far more carefully worded measure than the previous two attempts, Proposition 3 was approved by a margin of nearly two to one. With the passage of Proposition 3, the State Constitution was amended to allow for pari-mutuel wagering on horse races, and to establish the California Horse Racing Board to govern all horse racing in the state. The new CHRB would be given the sole authority to license racetracks for operation in California, and to oversee pari-mutuel wagering – to assure that it was conducted honestly, and that the licensing fees gained by the state were allocated appropriately.

Left Holding the Bag

On July 7, 1933, members of the Citizen's Committee for the Regulation of Horse Racing – having fulfilled their objective of getting Proposition 3 passed – gathered for a luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, to celebrate their victory and to then formally disband. When his turn came address the gathering, Smoot announced that the plans for the completion of Santa Anita would progress immediately, and that he was hopeful that the CHRB would soon grant his organization a permit for at least 50 days of racing. All of the members of the committee, Smoot then announced, would be honored on a golden plaque naming them honorary members of the Los Angeles Jockey Club.8

The optimistic tone of the committee luncheon, however, would be overshadowed less than a week later when Anita Baldwin announced her resignation from her position as an honorary director of the Los Angeles Jockey Club. Baldwin's unexpected resignation touched off rumors that all was not right in the organization. For the next two months little progress was made at Santa Anita, increasing speculation about problems brewing in the Los Angeles Jockey Club, and furthering doubts about the future of the Santa Anita project.

The rumors of dissension within the Los Angeles Jockey Club would prove to be accurate when, on July 22, 1933, the Los Angeles Times reported that the organization had disbanded. It was reported that Joe Smoot – who was primarily the promoter for the organization – had suddenly found himself without the support of his financial backers. Faced with mounting costs, and accusations of unfair labor practices, all work at Santa Anita was abandoned. The Los Angeles Jockey Club's offices in Los Angeles were closed down, and the Arcadia property was returned to Anita Baldwin.9

Just a year after the celebratory groundbreaking in Arcadia, Anita Baldwin was left with a property containing nothing more than several empty barns, a partially completed racing oval, and the staked-out building site for a grandstand that was never started. Joe Smoot, meanwhile, vanished from the California horse racing scene just as suddenly and mysteriously as he had appeared some 15 months earlier.

In Part 7, The Sport of Kings and the Queen of the Foothills, the conclusion of this series, Charles Strub enters Southern California racing, and Santa Anita Park returns to Arcadia.

Photo courtesy of Library of Congress.

Related posts:
Part 1, The Sport of Kings in the City of Angels
Part 2, Sport of Kings, or Den of Thieves?
Part 3, The King of Arcadia
Part 4, Baldwin's Luck Runs Out
Part 5, Days of Auld Lang Syne: Arcadia in the Years Without Racing
Hollywood Park and the Great Fire of 1949

1  Los Angeles Times, July 27, 1932. 4.

2  Ibid., June 25, 1932, 7, June 27, 1932, A12.

3  Ibid., June 20, 1932, A9.

4  On several occasions Smoot was asked about the gambling
issue and responded that the track would always honor the
law. That expenses were planned to be funded through
donations explains why competition was viewed as such
a threat to the track.

5  Ibid., August 14, 1932, 18., August 20, 1932, 5.

6  Ibid., December 7, 1932.

7  In 1926 and again in 1932 propositions on the ballot in
California were defeated, due in large part to the wording,
which stated merely “racing,” and called for the creation
of a California Racing Board. Many thus argued that this
could be applied even to such things as college track meets.
Proposition 3 on the June 1933 ballot specified specifically
“Horse Racing” and the California Horse Racing Board.

8  Los Angeles Times, July 7, 1933, A11.

9  Ibid., August 9, 1933, A9.

Leonard N. Wynne is a lifelong fan of horse racing and its history. Wynne earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Cal Poly Pomona, and holds advanced degrees in History from Cal State Los Angeles and the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is currently on leave from PhD program in History, UCSC. His areas of specialization include 19th Century United States with an emphasis on religion and gender and Popular Culture in the United States.

Words of Appreciation for Richard Shapiro

The California racing industry was taken aback Monday, when chairman Richard Shapiro announced his resignation from the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB). Clockers' Corner was naturally buzzing with the news the next morning, most people realizing that you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

While it's very easy to sit around and criticize the decisions of the men and women who serve on our racing board, it's next to impossible to find someone willing to take on such a job. To do so takes an extraordinary amount of courage and conviction, something Shapiro demonstrated over and over during the last four years.

Responding to an email I sent him expressing my sadness at his resignation and thanks for all he has accomplished, Shapiro responded in part:

"Please understand, it is not my desire to leave the sport, only the Racing Board. I have come to the conclusion that the CHRB is limited in its ability to direct the reformation of the business, to develop the plans necessary to improve the economics of the game; and therefore if given the opportunity I would like to find a place to help create a better business model as we all move forward. Racing is a wonderful game, with great people, but we need to be dedicated to change, some of which will not be easy; but without developing such a plan, I fear we will not create the rules, and secure the help we need from Legislators and others to allow us to sustain and grow ourselves."

Some Voices at Clockers' Corner...

"I don’t think people realize the extensive amount of time and expense that Richard donated in an effort to do what was best for the industry. Nor are they cognizant of the pressures created by the totally unfair and unwarranted criticism that he was willing to endure. His position as Chairman of the CHRB turned into a full time unpaid job. Only his friends are aware of the overwhelming stress the job placed on him. Throughout it all he remained a gentleman to friends and enemies alike. Most changes in this industry come from the participants. Richard Shapiro was the first Chairman of the CHRB to initiate and accomplish major innovations. I suspect it will be a long time before racing again benefits from such unselfish and important efforts." -- Ed Halpern (Executive Director, California Thoroughbred Trainers)

"When they replace Mr. Shapiro, I'm sure we're not likely to get the same kind of aggressive, motivated behavior that this man had." -- Jim Gremke, owner

"Thanks for a job well done. You are going to be missed. It's nice to see somebody in a position of authority take the initiative and not be intimidated in enforcing the type of changes you made." -- Gary Stevens, Retired Hall of Fame Jockey

"I have been training in this state for the past 20 plus years, and know that only his detractors will speak out, and that the uninformed won't realize what a great contribution this man made to the industry here, to the horses here, to the fairness and kindness of our sport. By being proactive, outspoken and honest, and a "getter done" kind of man, he opened himself up to a ton of criticism, and when things didn't go exactly as planned, he took a raking over the coals.

He changed the racing landscape in California. The medication reforms passed under his administration alone made for the most level playing field in the U.S. The installation of safer tracks led to the cleanest run Breeders' Cup I can remember. He should be thanked by us all, and if you see him at the races, thank him for all the hours and sweat he gave for free." -- Howard Zucker (Board Member, California Thoroughbred Trainers, and former Chair, Track Safety Committee)

CHRB Will Consider California Race Dates for 2009 and Beyond

After today's meeting of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), horsemen will hopefully have a clearer idea of what the future racing calendar for California will look like. Item 10 of a lengthy agenda for the meeting that begins at 9:30 a.m. (pst) at U.C. Davis, will consider the allocation of race dates for 2009 and beyond.

Some of the most contested issues include allocation of dates for Northern California now that Bay Meadows is no longer in the picture, and future race dates for Southern California in light of Hollywood Park's reticence regarding a commitment to operating beyond its 2009 Spring-Summer meet.

Check this blog this afternoon for an update on today's action by the racing board.