George Woolf Memorial... A Caliente Tradition

A guest post by David J. Beltran

Every winter since 1950, jockeys select one of their peers to receive the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Award at Santa Anita. The list reads like a roll call for the Hall of Fame. Riders like Shoemaker, Arcaro, Longden and Pincay are among those who have been awarded this trophy. While most racing fans are aware of the award at Santa Anita, many don’t realize that Agua Caliente also had its own version of the George Woolf Memorial Award as well.

Daily Racing Form announces the 1965 running of the George Woolf Memorial Handicap.

With Caliente offering the only Sunday racing in the region, track General Manager and President John Alessio suggested that the fans at Caliente would love to see a host of such top riders as Arcaro and Longden come down and ride at Caliente. With the help of Jockey’s Guild Director Bert Thompson, Alessio made all the arrangements to host such a gallery of top jockeys.

Jockeys assembled at Caliente for the Woolf Memorial: (left to right) Eddie Arcaro, Wiiliam Shoemaker, Merlin Volzke, Walter Blum, William Harmatz, Jockey's Guild President Bert Thompson, Pete Moreno, Jimmy Nichols, Gordon Glisson, Johnny Longden, Ray York, Mel Peterson and Rojelio Trejos.

“It was a lot of fun,” said former jockey Donald Pierce in a 2003 interview. “Alessio put it all together, and we would make the trip down to Tijuana, have dinner at the track after the races, watch the greyhounds and then stay overnight and enjoy the drive home."

Jerry Lambert winning the 1968 running. Rider on the second-place horse is Laffit Pincay, Jr.

First run in 1947, a year after the untimely death of The Iceman, the inaugural running of the George Woolf Memorial Handicap was won by Johnny Longden. Set at 1 1/16-miles, Woolf Memorial featured many of the regular jockeys from the current Santa Anita meeting plus one or two top riders at Caliente. And the draw for mounts was held in the Arcadia jockeys room.

The race featured a full field plucked from the handicap ranks at Caliente. Most riders would amble about the Caliente Clubhouse, while others preferred to ride rather than wait for the feature race. While the purse was nothing compared to what was offered north of the border, it was bolstered by the gifts that came along with the winner’s circle trophy -- a saddle and whip with a plaque featuring the previous winners of the race.

Alex Maese in the Jockey's Room at Caliente.

Some of the game’s greatest riders ventured down to Tijuana to ride at Caliente. Jockeys like Arcaro, Longden, Shoemaker, Westrope, and Volzke were among the many that made the trip back to their old stomping grounds at Caliente to honor George “The Iceman” Woolf.

Photos: David Beltran collection.

David J. Beltran was born in Chula Vista and raised in San Diego and Tijuana. He has been attending the races since he was an infant, both at Caliente and the Southern California race tracks. Beltran is the author of the book The Agua Caliente Story (Eclipse Press 2004), a correspondent to Caballo, a racing magazine in Mexico, and a writer for the Argentine racing daily, Turf Diario. He recently published an article in HorsePlayer magazine covering betting on South American imports. Beltran also breeds Thoroughbreds and is a blood-stock agent specializing in Argentinean racing and breeding stock. He lives in Chula Vista with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. His previous posts explored the origins of the Big 'Cap and the "5-10" wager at Caliente.

Pick 6 Bet Had its Roots in Caliente's "5-10"

A guest post by David J. Beltran

“I came close to hitting the 5-10; a guy two seats down from me hit it!”
--Anonymous Caliente horseplayer.

We get emails announcing its carryovers. Handicappers adjust their playing to take a stab at it. At any racetrack in the United States the pick-6 is now an everyday betting staple. But it was not always the norm.

John Alessio, General Manager and President of Caliente racetrack was always open for ideas, and when the “5-10” bet was suggested, Alessio took notice. It was taken from a popular bet at Hipodromo La Rinconada in Venezuela, the cinco y seis (5 and 6). The object of the cinco y seis was to select the runners of the day’s feature race in running order: first through sixth. Nail down five of the six runners and one received a small percentage of the pool. This lottery type bet paid huge amounts for a tiny investment, and the bet was supported not only by the regulars but anyone who could make it on time to the track and place the bet. Legend has it that the track had a window outside to place the bets.

This wagering format was studied for months by racing officials at Caliente. They planned to make it more playable and to suit the needs for Agua Caliente, which attracted crowds from both sides of the border. At Caliente, the format was changed. The object of the wager was to select six consecutive winners. The bet was placed on races five through ten, hence the name the “5-10.”

On April 15, 1956, Agua Caliente unveiled its new bet, which would turn this tiny track into a powerful weekend magnet for gamblers. The daddy of all the pick-6’s made its debut. That first 5-10 had a pool of just $10,082. Six people hit it with five winners each; five of those simply had $2.00 minimum bets worth $907.20 each. The other winning bettor bought five $2 dollar tickets, which were collectively worth $4,536.

The bet was placed by filling out a double-sided form. Local players quickly named this betting slip “la forma.” One would write out selections in one column and alternate selections in another. This was done in case of a late scratch.

The slip was then stamped at a betting window and sent downstairs to a room where several workers would sort out the tickets with winning numbers as the races progressed. It was fascinating to see the workers quickly sort through stacks of betting slips. Later, Caliente would punch the betting slip and the amount bet on the 5-10 would tally on the tote system, thanks in part to some customers who tried to cash illegitimate or forged tickets.

Alessio had unleashed a monster. This beast would for the next two decades draw an unprecedented flow of horseplayers to the city of Tijuana unseen since the glory days of the Agua Caliente Casino in the 20’s and 30’s. Caliente held all the aces, with no Sunday racing in California and this bet with “get rich quick” possibilities of lottery proportion. California racing was tied to a bland menu of Win, Place and Show betting and could do little to change or compete with the betting format found at Caliente.

Caliente was an innovator, always trying new ideas and betting concepts. At the time, Caliente already had Quinellas and the Daily Double and would introduce the “Perfecta” (Exacta) in the 1960’s. While the regulars at Caliente were very accustomed to the Quinella format, the perfecta offered more of a challenge. In order to win, one had to perfectly select the first two finishers in a race; hence the name, “perfecta.” This new wager debuted in the first race on Saturday, September 25, 1965. When Our Bongo, ridden by Raul Caballero, won the first race over second place finisher, Jolly Caper, with Antonio Herrera in the irons, Caliente made racing history. The first perfecta ever at Caliente paid $32.60 from a pool of over $7,700. It should be noted that the Perfecta is the original concept for what is now known as an Exacta. Santa Anita did not institute an Exacta until 1971, the year Caliente burned down.

To say that the 5-10 wager had an influence at the admission gates would be an understatement. Attendance for a typical Sunday card was roughly 25% more than Saturdays. The handle would double, if not triple on the days Caliente offered the 5-10. And when Caliente introduced the Reserve Jackpot system, patrons could expect to wait as long as three hours at the border crossing just trying to get home after the races. Word spread quickly, and the commute from Los Angeles to Tijuana would start after the last race at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, or Del Mar. Caliente track management made it easy for the North American bettor to venture south into Tijuana. One could easily book a flight out of Long Beach Airport and land at Brown Field in Otay Mesa, catch a chartered bus across the border into Tijuana where one would receive a free program and Clubhouse admission. After the races, reversing the procedure, one could be at home in the Los Angeles area by 8:00 pm. Caliente would later issue free passes for its regulars. After a time, the track would no longer charge parking or admission fees, for the stands were always full. Under the Alessio regime, Caliente catered to its customers, with free programs, seating and even betting vouchers.

With each succeeding Sunday, the pool for the 5-10 grew at a steady rate. As the pool sizes grew, so did the payoffs. Then on July 15 of that first year, a North American record payoff occurred when a $2.00 ticket with 5 winners paid, $20,088.20. This surpassed what was then a world record payoff for a Daily Double of $12,724.80 set on July 4, 1954 -- also at Caliente. The 5-10’s greatest growth period was when a rule was put into action in which 25% of the pool was set aside. The previous record was always in jeopardy of being broken. What was a record one Sunday could be just a memory the next Sunday. $20,000 turned into $30,000 $50,000 then $60,000.

On September 1, 1957, just 17 months after its inception, more than 22,000 fans filled tiny Caliente. They poured $124,816 into the 5-10 pool. Emerging as the sole winner was A. Thomas King of Los Angeles. On a $2.00 investment, he collected $84,250.80, as the only person who correctly chose all six winning horses. By now the Sunday 5-10 pools were grossing $100,000 or more.

Then on September 14, 1957, it was made available on the Saturday programs as well. It became even more popular. Caliente was filling the void left by its California peers as it attracted players venturing south looking for more action than the limited betting menu offered in the states. The 5-10 created a new breed of handicapper -- not only betting on the horses but trying to eliminate other players by picking long shots. The 5-10 spawned a new sophistication, which was only found in Mexico and the West Coast.

These handicappers were indeed the sharpest of the sharpies. Multiple tickets were the norm. Many serious 5-10 players viewed a straight $2 ticket as merely a backup. The failure of these multiple slips beefed up the jackpot on a weekly basis. The fact that one lost only made one come back in an effort to get even. This would become the mantra for players who pursued the 5-10 dream for years, many without even hitting a small consolation payoff in an effort to find the Holy Grail of horse betting.

Even with all the huge payoffs, the 5-10 was not always life changing. Many times the winning selections were short priced horses, favorites, that were on many if not ALL the betting slips entered that day. Payoffs were commonly as low as of $150; but none was as low as the $5 payoff when 4,163 Caliente patrons picked all six winners. On that day, favorites were the rule of the day.

After the rebirth of racing at Caliente following the fire, the 5-10 grew to monstrous proportions. The pools exceeded $150,000 to $200,000 and more when no one hit all six winners. The reserve jackpot would continue to grow until someone hit it. Ten percent of the regular 5-10 pool was deducted each racing day to accumulate the Reserve Jackpot. Once it reached $250,000, it was distributed one week later on Sunday, unless in the interim there was a single ticket with all correct six winners. One half would then be added to the regular 5-10 pool on “distribution” day, and the remaining half would remain in the jackpot. The amount distributed was the same, regardless if there was one single winning ticket or multiple ones.

It was on days like these that Caliente would host upwards of 12-15,000 fans and handle more than $1,000,000. The start of the fifth race was delayed by a minimum of 20 minutes. The horses would amble to the gate, at times resting under the shade of the many trees that lined the outer rails, just to make sure that everybody got their 5-10 tickets in.

The record payoff at Caliente for the 5-10 was set on November 12, 1977. Ignacio Gomez was the only patron that day to hit all six winners. His payoff was $350,204.40. This caused him to say, “The 5-10 is the best bet in all racing.”

Everyone in Tijuana knew of the 5-10, from housewives that pooled their money to the city’s racetrack regulars. The 5-10 was something to shoot for, at times reaching monumental proportions, for the citizens of Tijuana. Even in “non racing circles” the 5-10 meant good luck or well being. For example, should someone’s daughter marry a man who was well off, the girl’s parents might say, “She got the 5-10 with this one.” The 5-10 was one of many threads that connected the city’s non-racetracker with the hipodromo.

One by one, Caliente’s betting innovations would be absorbed into the North American betting format. In the early days of Agua Caliente Jockey Club, the plush Agua Caliente Casino supported the rich racing meet, which consisted of a $100,000 Handicap and $30,000 Derby in the late 1920’s. That format has now been adopted and even a new term, “racino,” coined. While Daily Doubles were exotic for American tracks, Caliente offered them as early as the late 1930’s after they were introduced at Bay Meadows. Exacta betting was not given a permanent slot in California until the early 1970’s, and the Quinella owes its beginning to greyhound racing, which has been a mainstay in Tijuana since the days of the Agua Caliente Casino in the mid 1920’s. Caliente would even accept bets on North American tracks at the Foreign Book. That concept was also adopted and it is now called Off-Track Betting. Around Kentucky Derby time, Caliente would also host a future book and was the official barometer on the race.

When Sunday racing was allowed in California, the crowds were no longer the same at Caliente. Even the concept of the 5-10 was taken and given a new name… the pick-6.

Photographs property of David Beltran Collection.

David J. Beltran was born in Chula Vista and raised in San Diego and Tijuana. He has been attending the races since he was an infant, both at Caliente and the Southern California race tracks. Beltran is the author of the book The Agua Caliente Story (Eclipse Press 2004), a correspondent to Caballo, a racing magazine in Mexico, and a writer for the Argentine racing daily, Turf Diario. He recently published an article in HorsePlayer magazine covering betting on South American imports. Beltran also breeds Thoroughbreds and is a blood-stock agent specializing in Argentinean racing and breeding stock. He lives in Chula Vista with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. His previous post explored the origins of the Big 'Cap.

The Original Big 'Cap: South of the Border

A guest post by David J. Beltran

When Einstein crossed the finish line to win the 2009 $1-million Santa Anita Handicap, he added his name to a list of champions that have made it Santa Anita’s signature race. Many people don’t know that the concept for the storied Big ‘Cap actually has its roots in Mexico, with the Coffroth Handicap.

A crowd filled the stands of Tijuana Racecourse for the 1924 Coffroth Handicap.

The Coffroth Handicap, started at Tijuana Racecourse, was named after the track’s president, San Francisco boxing promoter James "Sunny" Coffroth. The first running of the Coffroth only held a purse of $5,000 to the winner, but soon the race would increase in value when it was suggested by Tijuana’s presiding steward, George W. Schilling, that the purse should increase by $10,000 each year.

Outside of Oriental Park in Havana, Cuba or The Fair Grounds in Louisiana, winter racing at the time was non-existent in the United States. There was a revolution simmering in Mexico, and the Juarez racetrack had closed its doors. Tijuana racetrack was poised for serious growth thanks in part to a supportive social and governmental environment. First there was no competition from any other racetrack that operated during the winter months. Secondly, Prohibition had inspired many an American to venture into Mexico to misbehave, spend a little money and gamble at the various casinos that dotted the U.S-Mexico border. And with the Mexican government declaring the northern region of Baja California a free trade zone, American investors were able to set up business to support the border region of San Diego/Tijuana as a winter vacation getaway. With Coffroth’s Blue Fox Casino funding the racetrack venture the value of the Coffroth Handicap seemed to have no limits.

The early runnings of the Coffroth Handicap featured the best local runners from the current winter meet, but it was not until 1924 that the first BIG horse was lured into Mexico. His name was Exterminator -- the winner of the 1917 Kentucky Derby. “Old Bones,” as he was affectionately called, made a devastating debut south of the border to win an allowance race and was heavily favored to win the $40,000 Coffroth Handicap, but the best he could manage was a fourth-place finish.

With each subsequent running, the Coffroth Handicap not only increased in value but in the fields it attracted, such as top handicap horses Atherstone, Sunspero, Carlaris and Princess Doreen. The race reached its goal of $100,000 in 1928 when Crystal Pennant beat 17 rivals.

Crystal Pennant after winning the 1928 Coffroth Hadicap.

The following year, Golden Prince took home the $113,000 prize when he forged home ahead of 21 competitors. Sadly this was to be the final racing season at the old Tijuana racecourse. The racing permit was bought out by the management of the Agua Caliente Casino and Resort, and racing was to be held at the new $2.9-million dollar Agua Caliente Jockey Club.

The “new racetrack” simply transferred over the old racing calendar and proceeded. The inaugural running of the Agua Caliente Handicap in 1930 attracted 1928 Preakness winner, Victorian. Highweighted at 126 pounds, Victorian did not find the weight an obstacle as he went on to an easy victory.

Post parade for the first running of the $100,000 Agua Caliente Handicap, March 23, 1930.

The inaugural meeting at Agua Caliente proved to be a success, and the 1931 running offered a first place prize of $100,000. Entered was America’s top handicap runner, Sun Beau. Like Exterminator, Sun Beau prepped in an allowance race early in the meet and was heavily favored to win the big race. In a field of 10, Sun Beau found traffic early in the race. Once in the clear his rider made the decision to try and steal the race with five furlongs to run. Leading into the stretch, Sun Beau began to fade from his early efforts when he used himself up evading traffic. With nothing left, Sun Beau finished fifth, beaten by the unaccomplished Mike Hall.

The following year was perhaps the most famous of all Agua Caliente Handicaps. It was the race in which Phar Lap made his only North American start. Phar Lap was a managerial coup, and the Agua Caliente promotional machine was revving its engines in hopes of having The “Terror of the Antipodes” make one start before the big race. But the hyped International Handicap between Phar Lap, American Derby winner Reveille Boy, Preakness winner Dr. Freeland and local favorite Scimitar never left the drawing table. Phar Lap had suffered a quarter crack in one of his hooves and was sidelined for most of his stay in Mexico.

Phar Lap's trainer, Bobby Woodcock trained the horse by keeping him moving in long walks. The day of the big race finally came, and Woodcock feared that his horse would not only be a target of gamblers but the riders in the race. To throw everyone off, Woodcock brought Phar Lap over from the stables and saddled him two hours before post time.

In the race Phar Lap broke slowly then was taken in hand and out towards the center of the course to prevent him from being boxed in or crowded. As the field made its way around the clubhouse turn, Phar Lap was well behind the field. When the field straightened out on the backside, Phar Lap made one gigantic run at the leaders. Making the lead with a half mile to run, Phar Lap coasted until Reveille Boy made a run at him and seemed well on his way to overtake Phar Lap. But the great Aussie champ turned it up another notch and won drawing away.

Phar Lap in the winners' circle after the $50,000 Agua Caliente Handicap. Pictured are trainer Tommy Woodcock and jockey Billy Elliot.

Fourteen days after this great victory, Phar Lap would die under mysterious circumstances at a ranch in Menlo Park,California. Emotionally stirred by this tragedy, many believed the great horse was poisoned, but in reality Phar Lap died of a rare form of colic.

The Agua Caliente Handicap was caught in the rigors of the Depression, and the purse was reduced to $25,000. The 1933 and ’34 runnings were won by Gallant Sir, ridden by George “The Iceman” Woolf and John “Red” Pollard of Seabiscuit fame, respectively. 1935 saw the end of the great racetrack in Tijuana as a new president of Mexico, Lazaro Cardenas, sought to close the gambling empire run by Americans. It was not until 1938 that both Agua Caliente racetrack and its signature race joined forces in an effort to revitalize racing in Northern Mexico. Seabiscuit made his only start outside of the United States as he scored an easy win in the $12,500 race.

With the opening of Santa Anita in 1934 and the lifting of Prohibition, Agua Caliente racetrack no longer had the stronghold it had during the early 1930’s. Agua Caliente was reduced to an arena for lower level horses but remained a popular attraction for horseplayers during the 1950’s and 60’s. Caliente offered a varied betting menu, which made its Anglo neighbors seem drab in comparison. With Quinellas, Perfectas and the 5-10 (racing’s first pick-6) Caliente lured the American bettors into Mexico for the only Sunday racing in the Western region.

Run by John Alessio, Caliente saw an opportunity to make racing history by reviving the Agua Caliente Handicap and luring the great Round Table. At the time, Round Table was $30,000 short of being racing’s newest millionaire, and the winning share of the Agua Caliente Handicap would put Round Table over that mark.

Round Table winning the 1958 Caliente Handicap.

Assembling a host of local runners, Caliente assured trainer William Molter that Round Table would not carry more than 130 pounds. More than 30,000 people crammed into Caliente that day. Round Table, ridden by William Shoemaker, had a close call on the clubhouse turn as Shoemaker found himself in a tight running position. But “Shoe” was able to get the big horse out in the clear and won the race with a decisive move on the far turn. Round Table won by nine lengths in track-record time for the 1-1/16-mile distance.

Round Table in the winners' circle with trainer William Molter, Jockey Bill Shoemaker and Caliente General Manager John Alessio.

After the 1958 running, the Agua Caliente Handicap would never be run again. While the Santa Anita Handicap has seen monumental growth from its birth in 1935, the great race has its roots and owes its very concept to the great tracks of Tijuana, Mexico.

Author's Note: Agua Caliente was destroyed in a 1971 fire. Rebuilt, the “new” Caliente opened in 1974 and eventually closed its doors in 1992. Today Caliente is no longer the racetrack it used to be and has been converted into a private home of a failed local politician, its infield retrofitted with a soccer stadium.

All photographs property of David Beltran Collection.


David J. Beltran was born in Chula Vista and raised in San Diego and Tijuana. He has been attending the races since he was an infant, both at Caliente and the Southern California race tracks. Beltran is the author of the book The Agua Caliente Story (Eclipse Press 2004), a correspondent to Caballo, a racing magazine in Mexico, and a writer for the Argentine racing daily, Turf Diario. He recently published an article in HorsePlayer magazine covering betting on South American imports. Beltran also breeds Thoroughbreds and is a blood-stock agent specializing in Argentinean racing and breeding stock. He lives in Chula Vista with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.