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ROMANCE IN SIMMS HISTORY HisLoVeforfHbraU trough Eventful bifc. tost His All an Oifc EDbtsc, Be-cGtiped in Oil and Sniphtrr and Came Back. Would it seem that a person has a natural love for the thoroughbred when it can be stated that within the last feu years a Kentnckiah lias invested approximately ,000,000 in thoroughbred stock and tlic necessary appurtenances that ko with tlie nurture1 of such stock? That man is Edward Fl -Sitnms or New York, Texas? aiid Kentucky. Mr. Simins was" borii anrl reared in an envirorf-meiit which had to do witli riice horses for a i;iituo" or more. The phjee of his nativity i near the village of North MIddletown, Bbuibon County. Kentucky, nine miles from tlie county scat, Paris. This? point is near tlie center of .Kentuckys thor-oughltfed lirbcdiug indlistrj- .and Mr, Sfmhis grew up practically in a thoroughbred htmdsphere... Mr. Siniriis, wlio tins conducted ail extensive racing stable tar several years, irf n6t" a hew man to. racing, for since his youth lie has , been jntcrcstod ill racing in some form. Back in tlic late nineties and until us late njf lJOO, he had a stiiblc .which he c:imiaigiicd With more .or less rsucccss throughout the West aiid East. In this stable was one horse. The Kentuckiaii, by Pirate of Penzance Lizzie Montrose, which :was the apple of his eye. This horse had at divers times been the stibles chfef dppendence and had won, at the crucial moment when money was needed to keep the establishment on its feet. StAKED ALL ON THE KENTUCKIA1T. Days of" adversity, liovever, came for Mr. sjmms in his earlier racing days, for it was that oh July 7, 1000. the second days .meeting at Brighton Beach, that Mr. Siinin$ decided to riski all his worlds imssessions on-The Kenttickian. Tlie total of Mr. Siinms wealth on that day was ,000. which ho wagered on the Kcntucklan in the Brighton Handicap at 30a to 1. The game horse did Jiot win, bnt he finished second to Jack Point, beaten a length and a half, with the great mare Imp, third.1 In the race were tlie best handicap horses then racinc in" America. Behind The Ken-luckian were such notable racers as Admiration. Kinlcy Mack, Ethelbert und others. Mr. Smms tlicri retired from racing and devoted his talents .to .other fields. , . ; . Mr. Siinnis became interested in oil and sulppur developments, wlilch at that , time .were in tlieir infancy. He was grub-staked and: went. Teas way. By perseverance, in a few years, he" got a ffKifliold in Texas. His returns from oil fields and sulphur became -a reality about ten years ago, arid with a Midas touch his fortune grew by bounds and leaps. Tlie old love of the thoroughbred remained. In his youth and through his long connection -with racing Mr.; Simms created a friendship with James W. McClelliind and this friendship grew with years. It was bound, as it were, with hoops of steel. When Mr. Simms returned to raciiig he formed a partnership With Mr. McClelliind una that brought to the turf many notable horses, -the most promir nent being Eternal, wiiiner of tiie Futurity and other rich stakes during the year 1918. The thoroughbreds for racing purposes now in Mr. McClel-lands hands form possibly the largest racing stable in America. 75,000 FOR FOREIGN SIRES. Although Mr. Simms likes to see his horses" under colors his innate, love of tlie.- tiiot-piiglibijd , hns caused him to branch more extensively, into the breeding., line. He has this year purdhns-ecl two of the most prominent foreign :slres in Prince Palatine and Ncgofdl, for a reported price of 70,000. He is now in Europe, where he is at.tendins to shipping his valuable purchases to his. Xalapii Stock Farm, near North Middletpwn, Ky. In addition to tlic imported sires Mr. simms has also Theo. Cook, a native-bred sire, at his court. Theo. CookMs by Ben Briish, by Bramble, by Boririle Scotland, the English horse, which is at tlic Jiead of a family -of tlioroirglibreds distinctive as. being tlie most dependable of any American stock. It is down through Bonnie Scotland that H." P. Whitney has gained the distinction of lending the winning owners on .tlie American turf, for Broomstick and Whisk Broom II. are descendants of that famous son of Qiieen M:iry. Eternal, which Mr. McClelland says will again be sent to the races next year, will be another Amcric-an sire placed at the Xalapa Stock Fiinii after he is; retired. Mr. Simms iias increased the farm on which he was born, and reared from the original 2."i0 -acres to !!,.WJ acres, with extensive improvements of Englisli style. The land is rolling arid interspersed .yith- trees, both foreign and native, and biuegrass pastures. Two creeks run through the farm," the Stoner and Stodes, and these have been stocked with the best .fish, mostly bass. There also are several lakes and. numerous never-failiiig springs distributed throughout the estate. Mr. Simms heart is set on improving the thoroughbred stock, of America and he does not believe lit commercializing the -sport. SEVENTY-FIVE BROOD MARES ON FARM. On tlic Xnlana farm are seventy-live brood mares at .present, most of tlicm jof American stock.. It is likely that Mr. Simms will bring from Europe .several foreign marcs wlien ie comes with, his two notable sires. Prince Palatine and Neg-ofol. Mr. Simms lias recently sold W- H. .Rowe. ef Shreve-port. La., sixteen yearlings, tlie produce of his farm. Mr. Rowe is a wealthy oil .operator of that city and lias recently become Interested in the thoroughbred. Henry Oliver of . Pittsburgh, Pa., is interested with Mr. Simms in quite -a few of .the yearlings. Mr. Oliver also has a fondness for the breeding, of thoroughbreds jmd. is devoting some of his" Spare time, to getting results.; Mr. Simms, in addition to his vast Kentucky estate, has a home at Houston, Texas. Mrs. Simms is a native of the Lone Star State arid often Mr. Simms refers to his home, in Texas. During the Saratoga meeting Mr. Simms -will occupy the old Nolan, home, where he will entertain his numerous friends.
