Giving Jack his due

In yesterday's post, we mentioned that Parx Racing had created a Hall of Fame, with the first flush of inductees honored in the winner's circle on September 24, Pennsylvania Derby Day, which included current track announcer Keith Jones.

It was unfortunate that the voice of perhaps the greatest Pennsylvania Derby of all was not among those receiving recognition - the late, great Jack Lamar, who was behind the mike for Broad Brush's thrilling victory in 1986.

Here's a link to that historic racecall: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2021784423765&oid=118356888221220&comments

Lamar was the race announcer when the track opened as Keystone Racetrack in 1974 and he continued through 1987.  His call could also be heard on the feature race of the day that was broadcast on radio stations in Philadelphia and South Jersey.  During his career, he also was the track announcer at Dover Downs in  Delaware, Marlboro Downs in Maryland, Hialeah Park in Florida, Garden State Park in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Atlantic City Racetrack in McKee City, N.J.

Here's a link to Lamar's life and career, courtesy of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia: http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/bp10/jacklamar.html

In February, 1987, Lamar - who was 61 at the time - was fired by Philadelphia Park track owner International Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. and replaced by Keith Jones, who was 29. According to a story in the Philadelphia Daily News of July 12, 1988:

"Jack Lamar, former track announcer at Philadelphia Park and Garden State Park, filed a claim against ITB last year with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in which he alleged age and religious discrimination. Lamar, who is Jewish, recently withdrew his claim with the EEOC and has filed suit against ITB in U.S. District Court in Camden. Lamar was fired, with minimal explanation, in February 1987."

Lamar's many accomplishments were ignored by the Parx Racing Hall of Fame committee, and here's hoping they give him his rightful due next year. Those of us who were patrons of old Keystone and the tracks in the South Jersey region remember him fondly as a straightforward, accurate announcer.  Lamar, who died in 2006, does not get even a mention in the track's current media guide.

As an aside, when yours truly researched and wrote the 1997 media guide for the track, Mr. Lamar's contributions to the early days of racing in Bensalem were included, but sadly his name has been edited out of the current online version.

Fact-checking, and K-Mart

Last Saturday was the 32nd running of the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, and it was a treat to see Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott win the nine furlong test with a talented 3-year-old named To Honor and Serve.

But as I gazed out at the people ringing the winner's circle, all hoping to catch a T-shirt tossed by the track's costumed mascot, Parx the Horse, I was struck by how the race has been changed from a Labor Day extravaganza with huge crowds that would jam the grandstand, Picnic Grove, and track apron to a condensed group of diehards content to see some good 3-year-olds on a Saturday afternoon in late September.  Although I never liked navigating through and around those large throngs - which often numbered more than 25,000 in the race's late 1980's heyday - I actually feel saddened at how the sport has dropped out of the public's consciousness, except at select venues like Saratoga, Del Mar, and other seasonal meets.

This year, to spice up the Pennsylvania Derby card, someone came up with the idea of creating a Parx Racing Hall of Fame, and the first class of inductees were honored in the winner's circle between races. "Special Achievement" honoree Robert W. Green, who bought the track in 1990 under the Greenwood Racing banner from Robert Brennan's International Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., was credited with "creating telephone (and internet) wagering applications," which got me thinking how factually correct this statement was.

Sure enough, my memory served me correctly. I pulled out an old Philadelphia Park media guide from 1990 and it stated that, "... in 1985, ITB received national recognition with the advent of its Phonebet system of wagering. Phonebet is a program in which patrons unable to make it to the track can still participate by wagering legally by telephone on the races."

Greenwood may have expanded the Phonebet system after the track's purchase, but it did not create it. Guess it was just a little factual embellishment for the Hall of Fame inductions.

Speaking of Parx Racing, did you know it actually had three previous names? Originally the track was to be christened Neshaminy Race Track, but prior to its official opening on November 4, 1974 it was changed to Keystone.  In the summer of 1985, it was changed again, to Philadelphia Park, and then was slapped with the Parx moniker last year.

Here's a couple of old photos from the media guide - the first shows that there actually were fountains in the infield lake at one time, while the second shows the Keystone grandstand's distinctive "K" on its back wall.  Many oldtimers, in fact, nicknamed the track "K-Mart."

Yes, there really were infield fountains, folks. Check out the crowd in the background.

A long line of cars in the parking lot of "K-Mart." Circa 1976.

Season's greetings

            ‘Tis the season for stallion announcements … a season I look forward to every year.  I love finding out which stallions are moving where, and usually I am surprised by more than a few.

            The announcement earlier this week that Silver Train was relocating from Vinery in Kentucky to Northview-Pa was probably the worst-kept secret in the business, with the only surprise being his $7,500 stud fee for 2012, which is the same as this past breeding season.

            Although I look forward to this season of stallion “musical chairs,” I must admit I am getting a little cynical.  Nine times out of 10, horses that relocate from Kentucky to Pennsylvania are doing so because of declining popularity among mare owners, or runners not performing to expectations, or disappointing sales results, or all three.

            With the Pennsylvania breeding program offering such rich incentives to owners and breeders, one would think it would be an attractive region for graded stakes-winning, well-bred freshmen sires, much like Spendthrift Farm’s Dublin, a Grade 1-winner who will be standing his first season in New York, or stallions whose progeny have proven themselves on the racetrack, like Ghost Ridge Farm’s Jump Start.

            Northview-Pa had the right idea a few years back when it decided to stand freshman sire Fairbanks, a graded-stakes winning son of Giant’s Causeway. Not only did Fairbanks get supported by the better mares domiciled in the Keystone State, but also by Kentucky mares through his part-owner Margaux Farm in Midway. His first foals race next year.

            Speaking of Margaux Farm, we took a peek at its web site today and noticed that Petionville was suddenly missing from its stallion roster. 

Hmmm … let the musical chairs begin. And just remember, you read it here first (hint, hint).

* * * *

I recently discovered an excellent online magazine, Australian Breeding & Racing, which covers a wide variety of topics not just limited to racing “down under.” In this current issue (see link), there is an article entitled “The Great Stud Fee Debate,” as well as “Colour Blind,” in which pedigree analyst Jane Henning assesses the impact of coat color on performance.

            The e-edition contains many beautiful photographs, as well as advertisements for American stallions who shuttle. Those ads contain many new conformation photos; the one I saw for Lookin at Lucky was especially nice.

            Here’s an interesting piece about whether a thoroughbred’s conformation can predict its wet-track ability: http://www.breedingracing.com/pdfs/99/Editorial/wetTrack.pdf

            All in all, I highly recommend Australian Breeding & Racing to anyone interested in the global thoroughbred world.  The link to the current edition is: http://epublishbyus.com/ebook/ebook?id=10020910#/0