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11-$.. THE SEGL'IN GAZE I I1 MAY t''TRA speaksHorse racing bill on May ballot(The fallowing article was v rlMrn by the Tevw Kirin Association and is preserdad to Gazett* readers to give the FRA views on the legnlire hr. , 'Mil ■!. t*. V .v 4 i : .*, It toesnot jiecessarllv ref:- ■ *’ • z#He vi**w-noi*aIn 179f it Alexandria R* re , r ♦ K-iamrtng toThomas Jefferson beat the still lor, v • • . »• = ' bv Georg*Wi«h!afton, : knowi : • • ■-dents of the United state.' opposed e.t other t*; net* track. George Washington was a reim atlc ■ and served as an official In the fir si rid-, .-sc:' tun orf : * t t iurleston, South Carolina, to IT*The competitive nature of wax. id * uie horse racing fiopular through a!! cultures where- :*ui e* have existed. The first recog-nixed rac»- tr k in America, Mow market, us built ir. 1665 by Governor Richard Mcelis on i c.^ Island in who is now Nassau Countv.Horse racing, well known as the “sport of Kings** can rightly b€ called the “King of Sports”. F or the sixteenth consecutive year thorough Vrc • V-r^e nctor ’ 1 rmmmfned its position as America** Nun ber One spectator sport.We to Texss ’mve been there and know the thrill of the opening throw of the Mg league baseball — the rush of getting to the football ct.. 'tun for the kick off — but Texans are dented themost exciting and colorful of all moments — when the horses have reached the post.Horse racing Is perhaps the oldest sport In history tliat con-tinu»»«- -Yionr bistorts Hnoc Unless horse rarfnr had nmvldedthrills and excitement to untold millions of people over centuries past, i would liave long since disappeared.Horse racing Is enjoyed In states representing two-thirds of population of the United States, 1965 sports flr.irrs show the following attendance figures for the major sports:Pari-mutuel horse racing. ...... 68,495,454Automobile racing............39,390,000Basolxill (Major and Minor),.....35,193,461Football (College and 1 ro).......34 r37.742Wrestling 4,630,000Track and field hockey, soccerand hoxing combined. ... .’p; .3,000,000 Why no horse racing to Texas? Perhaps Governor John Con-nally had the answer when he was quoted In the January 17, 1964, Issue of TTME, when he was featured on the TIME cover, as saying, “Texas Is really still to the throes of joining up with the rest of the mid-20th America,”Texas is grow tog £ast.\ pertiaps It Is time that Texas also grew up. With our rapidly Increasing tax burden, Texans should be aware that this colorful sport makes great contributions to the states that give hor.se racing a liorne.California and Texas both voted for racing to 1934, In 1937, Texas voted It out but the industry continued to expand in California, Since 1937 the revenue from pari-mutuel horse racing to California has leen one-half billion dollars to direct Pari-Mutuel taxes. This does not Include property taxes, payroll taxes and other sources of tax revenue.Clark Nealon in “POST TIME** in the April 6, 1967, edition of the HOUSTON POST said, **The point is tliat Texas, although its people have to go elsewhere to race and evidence thetr Interest to the sport with Invasions of Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico, among otner status, each year, could have a mushrooming thoroughbred Industry with the impetus of legal racing,. Sure, New York took $77 million in revenue from pari-mutuel betting on thoroughbreds last year, California $37 million and Florida almost $15 million but the breeding industry is of equal Importance.** (According to the I960 Report of the National Association of state Racing Commissioners, revenue to these states from all racing including harness and quarter horse racing was New York $148,173,782, California $48,479,202 and Florida $16,647,053.)The joteritlal of Texas as a first class winter racing state is almost unlimited. With our excellent climate, the high mineral content grasses and other fine pasturage facilities, the interest and enthusiasm of Texans for raising horses of unexcelled quality and the tremendous numbers of horses now raised to Texas ill point to Texas becoming one of the most advanced winter racing states to the nation.Sports of all kinds depend on spectator Interest. Without football and baseball fans, Texas would soon lose these sports. Whether or not we Texans can look forward to the end of our l*»tog the “Live nots** when it comes to enjoying well conducted horse racing wttl magnificent animals, finely trained Jockeys and strictest controls 10 insure maximum performance by all is strictly up to the sports fans and people of Texas,May 4th Is “post time** for racing . . . the day the people of Texas will vote for or against legalized horse nctog in Texas. Horse racing can win to Texas if the people show at the polls that they want the “King of Sports** in Texas.
Newspaper Details
Seguin Gazette
Seguin, Texas, US
Thu, May 02, 1968
Page 26
Full Page
Clipped by
Monte N.
NA, NA 08 Sep 2023
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