Stables Plan Center Operations in Vegas

Sun Archives

Las Vegas Race Track before it was demolished to make way for the Las Vegas Convention Center and International Hotel. June 1958.

By Sun Staff (contact)

Friday, Sept. 4, 1953 | 6 a.m.

This desert resort town promises to become one of the nation's major horse racing and breeding centers as many owners and trainers pouring into the new Las Vegas Park race track for the September 4 opening state that they inted to keep their stables here the year around.

Eugene Flagg, who trains an 11 horse public stable which just arrived here from the Del Mar race track today declared:

"I am planning to maintain a public stable here permanently and utilize Las Vegas as a center of operations, sending horses out to race at Santa Anita, Hollywood, and Del Mar as well as racing here."

The owner of a nine horse Chicago stable which came in over the weekend said that he will base his operations at Las Vegas and race his horses both ehre and in Southern California. He stated:

"Last year it cost me $18,000 to send my horses to Pimlico, Bowie; Belmont Park, Arlington, Washington Park, and Santa Anita race tracks. The opening of the Las Vegas Park now affords me the opportunity of year around racing in the Southwest with large purses to shoot for at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Del Mar, and Las Vegas Park."

Some trainers expressed the belief that Las Vegas Park which now has 100 days of racing annually may eventually offer seven months of racing a year.

Flagg, who for many years owned breeding farms both in Wisconsin and Ohio declared that the Las Vegas area possesses everything neccessary to become a breeding center of major importance.

"There are vast area of pasture land available for this purpose," Flagg stated. "You have plenty of water here with Lake Mead only a few miles away, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of people buy up land and go into the business of breeding thoroughbreds."

The Secretary of the Nevada Racing Commission, Harry E. Parker who has been a racing official for over 20 years, also expressed the breeding area of nationwide importance. Said Parker: "Las Vegas is a natural center of operations for horsemen who wish to race here and in southern California. They have the advantage at Las Vegas of a place to stable their horses during the entire year, and one of the country's top racing strips on which to train."

Parker said that the temperature weather is another big advantage for year round training activities in Southern Nevada.

The eveteran racing official likened Nevada breeding operations to California in 1934 when horse racing was legalized there. At that time California had only one large thoroughbred breeding farm owned by Norman W. Church. Now California has 156 breeding farms which represent an investment of over $90,00,00.

J. Kel Houssels, who has a breeding farm near Las Vegas, is the only breeder of importance in the state. He began his activities in 1948 and has been a consistent producer of good thoroughbreds with such stallions as Bymeabond and Flash 'O Night.