Opening of Santa Anita Proved Off-the-Cuff Affair

Hal Roach, the movie producer, observed his 99th birthday the other day. He is best remembered as the creator of the “Our Gang” comedies, but there are those who remember him also as the first president of Santa Anita. As the former head of the Arcadia track, Roach has an amusing story to tell on himself.

“As the president of the new track,” he said in an interview at his Bel Air home, “I was supposed to make a speech welcoming the crowd on opening day. That was on Christmas, 1934, the first day that Santa Anita opened.

“The night before, I wrote a short speech and put the note in a coat pocket. Or so I thought. When the time came before the first race the next afternoon, and I was called upon to step up to the microphone, I checked all my pockets and couldn’t find it. No speech.

“So I had to improvise. I told the crowd: “Bet only what you can afford to lose, not what you expect to win.”

Fred Purner, who was publicity director of the track, then picked up the story, sent it to the news services and it went all over the country.

“Santa Anita Advises Patrons Not to Bet,” were the headlines.

“Anyway,” Roach said, “that speech brought me more publicity than anything else that I ever did as president of Santa Anita.”