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KENTUCKY TRACKS MERGED Deal Completed for the Transfer of Latonia and Douglas Park. All of the Four Major Tracks to Become the Property of the Kentucky Jockey Club. LEXINGTON. Ky., January 31. Within tliR next thirty days the Kentucky Jockey Club, a .,000,000 rporntion. articles for which shortly will be filed willi the secretary of state at Frankfort, will be tin owner of the race tracks at Lexington. Louisville and Latouia, and racing here at Churchill Downs and Latonia next spring will be under its jruspiecs. The underwriters for the new corporation are former Tinted States Senator Johnson X. Camden, Edward F. Simnis. Edward It. Bradley, Jerome It. Kespess, Thomas A. Combs and Robert L. Itaker. Senator Thomas A. Combs, who is handling the deal for these underwriters, lias op-lions on the Lexington track or the Kentucky Association and the Churchill Downs track of the Xew Louisville Jockey Club, whicli will be exercised as sion as the titles and the deeds to the Latonia and Douglas Park plants are examined and passed .- nd the remainder of the 50,000 is paid to the I.-itonin Jockey Club and Douglas Park Jockey Club stockholders. The Intention is to offer the stock for sale throughout the State of Kentucky, with the understanding that its earning capacity is limited to len per cent and that no man can hold more than five per cent of the stock. It is the purpose of toe organizers of the Kentucky Jockey Club to lake commercialism and politics out of racing in this state and to conduct the sport.. as nearly, .as, tHil;- for-hvlniprovcmeril" of the breed of horses. It is believed here that Pat J. Hanlon, prominent IjHlisville business man. will be selected as president of the Kentucky Jockey Club. Senalot1 Combs is receiving the congratulations of scores of men and women who are interested in the preservation of the thoroughbred horse industry and in the spirt of racing upon the purchase of the Latonia and Douglas Park plants, which has made possible the realization of their hopes and expectations. NO RACING AT DOUGLAS PARK. It is understood here that there will be no racing at Douglas Park next spring. The dates allotted to that rack will be given to Churchill Downs and I.itonla. The purses at each of tin three points are to be materially increased, there having already been presented to the State Racing Commission a recommendation to that end. The completion of the deal for the transfer of tiie Kentucky tracks is one of the niost important things that ever happened in connection with racing in this country. For one tiling, it gives control of ill Kentucky tracks to Kentuckians, a circumstnnce pleasing to state pride, but of no great concern to racing people of other states. In the turf world at large the hope will prevail that the new con-roilers of Kentucky racing will adminster Its affairs with wisdom and liberality, maintain its present attractions unimpaired and provide new lies. Concretely their hope will be that if Douglas Park is to pass into the realm of things that have been he KMituckv Handicap will not be abolished also, but will be "preserved in its present status as the most valuable handicap of the tnited States for Ihree-vear-olds and over. Likewise that John Hach-iiieisters announcement of the doubling of the added money to I lie Latonia Derby will be adhered to, .is a commendable .measure of progress and an ..Hiirement that owners of good three-year-olds Isewhere will find themselves unable to resist. Such events loom large in the public imagination .riid draw more patronage than a hundred one thousand dollar purses would. It is well to lear in mind that in all probability Kentucky racing will have tc compete with Canadian racing next spring, and it v.ill lie found essential to maintain its present a timet ions at least. In the meantime, while turfmen will await the development of the racing policies of the Kentucky Jockey Club witli curiosity, they will not be slow iiboutcongratiilating the gentlemen who have brought a momentous transaction to completion, over the entire success of their endeavors. 0
