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Here and There on the Turf Purchase of Wheaton. Winning of Post Test. New Churchill Downs. Fairbairn New Breeder. The sale of Wheaton to J. McMMcn by J. W. Bean marks the first important transaction of the winter racing season. It has been announced on good authority that the price paid was 7,500, and even in these days of high prices for thoroughbreds it is a goodly figure to pay for even a two-lime winner at a winter track. Wheaton is an up-standing-bay son of Meridian and Sweet Flowers, by Pleasant Day, and was bred by Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean started him in the first race of the year at the Fair Grounds and in that he was beaten by Step Along and Seths Treasure, but it was evident that the son of Meridian was better than the race would suggest and Robinson was easing him up through the final furlong. This was his one defeat. On January 11 he appeared again and turned the tables on Step Along by beating him handily, carrying 118 pounds to the 122 carried by Step Along. Seths Treasure was also well beaten in this same race, so Wheaton atoned for his initial defeat. The third race and second victory for the son of Meridian was last Friday, when under 120 pounds and conceding weight to everj other starter he was an easy winner. It was probably this race more than anything els2 that induced Mr. McMillen to make the purchase. Wheaton has won over both a. heavy track and on fast going, and it may be that he will prove the best development of the winter racing. At this time he surely seems best of those that have raced at the Fair Grounds. It is not likely that he will be hurried along now, but will be reserved for bigger things later in the racing year. This sale of Wheaton is still another argument for the early racing of two-ycar clds. These races offer an excellent opportunity to both buyers and sellers in the chance to show wares. The shrewd buyer likes to see his proposed purchase in actual contest, and a race is of much greater value than any number of private trials. This applies peeulicrly to the two-year-clds. It is in the race that it can be determined just how it will behave in company. It will tell of his education and will bring out any faults, or any merits, in a manner that might never be shown in private. There have been countless cases of "morning glories" that were capable of showing up real horses in -the work hours, but were utterly unable to do the same thing under colors. There always will be these horses that flatter in the morning by their dazzling .speed, but in racing they are worthless. That is why the actual contest in determining the value of the horse is the only absolutely safe test. Some of the best horses of every year, in fact, many of them, have been notoriously "bad work horses," while some of the most brilliant performers in the training hours havcj never raced to that promise. Little is heard j of these "morning glories" outside the stable, but many a case could be cited by almost any trainer. It is the winning post that has ever been the only test of the thoroughbred horse, and it always will be the winning post. When the Kentucky Derby of 1924 is run at Churchill Downs there will be found many changes in that historic old racing ground. The Kentucky Derby some time ago outgrew Chur- chill Downs, and then it outgrew Louisville itself. The commodious course was utterly unable to comfortably take care of the vast throngs that journeyed to Louisville for the Derby, and the hotels of the city were unabb to accommodate the crowds. The Kentucky Derby, more than any other one thing, has induced the erection of several new hotels that will be opened before the spring opening at the old course. From time to time additions and changes have been mad? at the course itself to take care of the growing popularity of the great race, but it was almost impossible to keep pace with the increasing interest and the corresponding increase in attendance each year. The changes that are under way now will make many radical innovations and are all planned for the purpose of more adequately looking after the comfort of the patrons. Colonel Matt Winn has ever considered the comfort and convenience of the public on all j of the various tracks with which he has been connected for many years. No one knows better how to cater to the racing public, and the new Churchill Downs of 1924, with an addition of 4,000 in seating capacity as well as the other various planned changes, is sure to be a revelation to the followers of the turf. New Jersey has another thoroughbred breed-1 ing establishment. The newest nursery is that of Robert Fairbairn of Wcstfield, N. J., and his farm, which is known as Fairholme Farm, is at Newmarket, N. J. Mr. Fairbairn has long been closely associated with the horse, but his activities were long directed to the trotter and the show ring. Later he became a breeder of Clydesdales and now he has come to the best of them all, the thoroughbred. Several important purchases of thoroughbred mares have been made, and it will not be long before Fairhclme will take its place among the other New Jersey thoroughbred nurseries. I j New Jersey has long been famous for its thoroughbred horse production and Mr. Fairbairn made no mistake in adding another farm to the list. Some of the best horses of the American turf first saw the light of day in New Jersey, and it has been demonstrated year after year that it is a fertile state for the production of the best. One of the Fairbairn purchases was that of Star of Runnymede, by Star Shoot. This marc is the dam of Homestretch, winner of thi Jockey Club Gold Cup of last year, and a proved stayer. This purchase was made from R. Lawrence Smith, breeder of Homestretch. He also purchased from Mr. Smith a two-year-old half sister to Homestretch, now in training at New Orleans. This one is Sparkle Star, a chestnut daughter of Star Spangled and Star of Runnymede that has shown a world of promise in all her trials. Mr. Fairbairn is beginning his thoroughbred breeding operations with a band of eleven well-bred mares and he is a more than welcome addition to the ranks of thoroughbred producers. While there has been no definite announcement of the closing date for the nominations to the Kentucky Derby, it is expected that it will be fixed for February 15, and within a few days after that date the entries will be made public. Each year there is great interest in these nominations, but it has come to pass of late years that one cannot go far wrong when he takes a list of all the best two-year-olds of the year before, add to that list the nearly best, and he has not yet the full list of eligible. The Kentucky Derby and its possibilities becomes a discussion with the showing of brilliant two-year-clds of the year before, and it is one of the races that is of constant interest to the racing public.
