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PERSONNEL OF RACING COMMISSION Review of Kentuckys Governing Turf Body Since Its Creation to Present Day Lexington Ky November 25 Inasmuch as Gov ¬ ernor A O Stanley recently announced the appoint ¬ ment of the fourth Kentucky State Racing Commis sion a review of the personnel of that body which has during a dozen years accomplished so much for the regulation of the sport so highly enjoyed at the proving grounds for thoroughbred horses should be of general interest interestThe The law under which the Kentucky State Itacing Commission was created was enacted at the 190i session of the General Assembly Tim father of the bill was Col J P Jack Chiiin He was a mem ¬ ber of the General Assembly and it was largely dur to his personal efforts that the bill was adopted Governor now United States Senator J C W Iteckham honored Colonel China by writing his nairn first of his five selections to compose the first com ¬ mission which he appointed in April 1908 the other four being Col K F Clay of Paris Col Milton Young of Lexington Charles F Grainger of Louis ¬ ville and Louis des Cognets of Lexington The law requires that three of the commission be brccderr of thoroughbred horses and no two of the members shall be stockholders in the same racing association The breeders on the first commission were Messrs Chinn Clay and Young Mr Grainger then as now was president of the New Louisville Jockey Club Mr des Cognets then as now was a Lex ingtou business man who seldom if ever attended the races He was one of Senator Beckhams politi ¬ cal supporters The first commission chose as itt secretary Arthur I Itouse present congrassmar from the sixth district It had its first meeting April 18 190 The commission honored Colonel Chinn by selecting him as chairman chairmanThe The second commission was appointed by Governoi Augustus K Willson and met for organization April 20 1910 Its membership was Col K F Clay chairman Col Milton Young vicechairman Majo Foxhall A Daingcrfield Johnson N Camden and George J Long W K Iidwell who had drifteo into Louisville from New England and had reporter the speeches of Governor Willson during his cam ¬ paign was made secretary at the governors re ¬ quest In June 1911 he disappeared and with him considerable of the commissions funds August 23 1911 the commission declared the office of sec ¬ retary vncart mid elerte l I Uelham JrJrtston Lexington In the spring of 1912 Colonel Clay re ¬ signed from the commission on account of the state of his health and Governor James 15 McCreary ap ¬ pointed Charles F Grainger and on January 5 1913 Major Daingerfield died and Governor Mc ¬ Creary named Thomas Hart Tnlbot of Paris t breeder and turfman of high standing to fill the vacancy vacancyThe The third commission was appointed bv Governor McCreary in May 1914 aud it organized on the lltl of that month by electing Johnson N Camden owner of Hartland Stud near Versailles who later became United States Senator filling the vacancj caused by the death of Senator William OConaell Bradley chairman and Thomas Hart Talbot vice chairman the other members being Charles F Graingor Gen AY B Haldemaii of Louisville and Judge Allie W Young of Morehead In order to qualify for his appointment it became necessary that Judge Young join the ranks of the breeders which lie did by purchasing some two or three mares from William K Phillips which were bred to Chair ¬ man Camdens stallions and kept at his fa nil The produce of those first unions ij the name of Judge Young have since carried his colors in racing and he has now a couple of youngsters eligible to rich produce stakes This third commission was com ¬ posed entirely of Democrats and it was known as the purely jwlitical commission Governor Mc ¬ Creary having made the appointments at a time when he was a candidate for Democratic nomina ¬ tion for United States Senator General Ilaldeman then was the owner of the Louisville CourierJour ¬ nal and the Louisville Times or at any rate he was one of the owners and the recognized head of the two papers in so far as their political policy was concerned Charles F Grainger hud been mayor ol Louisville and president of the Louisville Watei Works Board Judge Young was powerful in the Ninth Congressional District where before be ¬ coming of counsel for the big coal interests in which Mr Camden was and is a heavy holder lie had oc ¬ cupied a seat on the Circuit Court bench Tills commission chose as its secretary Sam C Nuckols Jr of Versailles VersaillesWHO WHO NEW MEMBERS ARE AREIn In naming the fourth commission Governor Stan ¬ ley reapiKjiuted Messrs Camden and Young md hen named John Olive Keeius owner of Keene land Stud Fayetta County Thomas Asbury Combs former state senator prominent Lexington business man being president of the Combs Lumber Com ¬ pany president of the Fayette Telephone Com ¬ pany and director of the Federal Iteserve Bank and William Abrams of Louisville a retired mer ¬ chant Jack Keene as he is widely and popu ¬ larly known is the third breeder on the commis ¬ sion Moreover he is probably the most experienced and be t qualified horseman who has ever been named to membership thereof He is a trainer of exceptional ability having won many races in the United States and Russia lie has saddled winners of Ills own breeding and is experienced as an importer of thoroughbred horses At one period in his career on the turf he was a bookmaker In short he knows racing from every angle He and Senator Combs are members of the Thoroughbred Horse Association Senator Combs while not being himself an owner of horses is a brother of Sewell S Combs who is a member of the Kentuckv Association owner of the Lexington track anil who owns in partnership with others several good horses horsesIn In certain quarters particularly from two of the Louisville newspapers there has been criticism of Governor Stanley for reappointing Judge Young the argument being presented that his preferment as with Governor Stanley came from a political basis Without undertaking to present a brief for Judge Young it is only fair to state that his appointment is quite satisfactory to those horse ¬ men who know and appreciate that he has been steadfast for stakes and purses of the higher value and that the present disbursement to liorse neii in Kentucky is due in considerable measure to his insistence that the race tracks give a just proportion of their revenues to the men who buy and own and train the horses that make the show the people pay to see seeWilliam William Abrams has a fondness for racing and regularly attends at Louisville hut he is not an owner of horses nor of race track stock though if is able to invest in either or both should his fancy turn in that direction He is an uncle bv marriage of 3Irs Stanley and is likeable gentle man of sound business judgment and should make a levelheaded commissioner commissionerSenator Senator Camdeu whose Hiirtland Stud now is one of the foremost of Kentucky breeding establish ¬ ments has thi year probably UK l lest est collection of weanlings it has been his good fortune to pro ¬ duce They are even letter looking than those crops out of which Jack Keene his former racing partner and trainer saddled three winners of the Itreeders Futurity Impurutor Helios aud Luke
