Winter Racing

Moneyed fun-lovers follow the sun, and horse racing follows the fun-lovers. Accordingly, last week, in Florida and Southern California the sun lit the shiny flanks of horses, glinted on betters' money and starters' bugles as improvers of the breed gathered for a 20-day meet at Tropical Park, on the edge of the Everglades outside Miami, and for a 56-day meet at Santa Anita Park, 18 miles from the centre of Los Angeles.

In the opening race at Tropical Park a horse named Walter Morton broke first, was first at the halfway post, then Live One, who had been third at the half, moved up within a head of Walter Morton. Walter Morton faltered, and Live One leaped forward to nip him in the home stretch. That day amateur handicappers splurged $205,000 on their opinions--$20,000 more than on last year's opening day.

On Christmas Day, with thrice the fanfare and glamor, California staged the second opening of the winter horse-racing season. Santa Anita officials announced they would give $771,000 in purses. Minimum purse: $1,200, compared to Tropical Park's $700. Fittingly, the odds-on favorite of 50,000 spectators in the first race of the meet was Bing Crosby's High Strike. High Strike nosed home first, after being hard pressed by Iron Hills in the stretch. In the fourth race Owner Crosby's Rocco, butt of many a Hollywood gag, ambled in last of eleven horses.

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