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Here and There on the Turf Derby Day Influence. Success of Nursery Sale. Loss of Choice Mares. Stings Real Quality. Such racei as the Kentucky Derby, just like the big sporting events of the turf the world over, are the races that will ever make racing the greatest of all sports. They are the contests that give such a gripping interest that the turf will ever endure. They are the races that have an appeal so wide that there is no room for aught but enthusiasm and admiration for the thoroughbred. They are the races th:.t silence the meddlesome "holier than thou self-appointed reformers. Tbey show the sport in its best dress. In the vast multitude that swarmed over beautiful Churchill Downs Saturday were found hundreds upon hundreds of men and women of the highe-t social, mor".l, financial and political importance, and it is well to stress the moral importance of that monster gathering. Never was there such an outpouring of th- best people of the country and this did not apply to the notables only. It was found in every section of the grandstand and on the spacious lawns. Never was there such a w:il behaved multitude. It will ever be a tremendous problem to properly police a gre-U throng of holiday makers, but it is less of a problem on a race course than anywhere else. Man for man, the racing enthusiast is better behaved than can be found in attendance on any other sport. It is a revelation to those who dont kno v racing as they should to attend a Kentucky Derby. It is a revelation to find a way throu.n that good natured jostling multitude. Just so long as there is a Kentucky Deriy the turf will continue to thrive and grow in. public favor until there need be no extuses offered to any for the greatest of all sports. The result of the Nursery Stud dispersal sale on Friday was a complete vindication of Joseph E. Wideners judgment in paying a huge lump sum. reported to have been 00,000, to the estate of the late Maj. August B-lmont for the breeding stock at the farm. When that deal was closed there were few who thought it pos sible that Mr. Widener would emerge from the transaction with a profit. But all records for a thoroughbred auction were shattered when the breeders, not al:ne of America, but of England as well, began to bid for the choice offerings. Consequently Mr. Widener obtains the stal lion Fair Play, champion sire of 1924, for a part of the profits of the sale and h? has in addition the satisfaction of knowing that he i assisted in distributing the choice blood rep I j resented in the Nursery Stud stock among a large enough number of breeders to assure a marked improvement in blood stock produc tion at a number of farms. Distribution of such choice" stock among a number of breeders in various parts of the country is bound to have an excellent effect upon breeding. It is altogether likely that these choice speci mens scattered will produce even better stock than they would have if kept intact. In any case there will be a greater variety of blood lines represented in the produce of the mares than if they had remained at the Nursery Stud to be mated with the stallions quartered there. It is rather unfortunate that such choice mares as Quelle Chance and Pasta should have been sold fur export, but English breeders were thoroughly alive to the quality of th Belmont stock, and it was almost a foregor conclusion that they would take some of the best offerings at the auction. There are enough good mares in the list of those that were disposed of to furnish the ] | breed rs with some wonderful reinforceme lis | j i I j ] | | j for their breeding farms. These mares wil undoubtedly send many champions to the races from their new homes. The fact that American breeders carried th 1 mare Qudle Chance along until E. E. Coussell, representing an English buyer, was forced to go to 5,000 to obtain her showed thet there was no failure on their part to realize the value of the offering. This is the highest price ever obtained for a brood mare in this country at public sale. The performance of James Butlers Sting at Jamaica Friday, when he established a new American record for a mile and seventy yards, was really remarkable. This son of Spur and Gnat looked aim est like a pony in the pa rade to the post beside the huge bulk of the B?!air Stud Stables Flames. It jeemed hard to believe that h? could carry the crushing inijiost of 124 pounds, as compared with 116 on his rival, and win almost without effort. Ye that is just what he did. Flumes was never able to force Sting out cf a pull and the Butler colt came to the finish tan! "ring with a margin of two lengths in worlds record time. Thre is littl? doubt that he could have gone considerably faster if there had been a horse in the field capable of forcing him to do his best. It is too soon to compare Sting with Sarazen. Th? Butler colt racrd well last year, but gave no indication cf the high class which he has shown in h!s record breaking races at Jamaica this spring. His Excelsior Handicap of last Saturday and his victory of Friday were so meritorious, however, that he and the Fair Stable champion may be considered fairly well match-d until the supremacy of one or the other is definitely established in an actual contest. The accomplishments of the Bu!ler stao!e have occupied considerable space in this column during the last few days, but if comment is to be made on Metropolitan racing this is rcarcely to be avoided. The master of Empire City is at last realizing on his thoroughbred investment and horses of his breeding are earning his colors to victory after victory over the best racr rs that are campaigning on the Metropolitan circuit, products of his Eastview Farm. The skill of Mr. Butl-rs colored trainr, J. Johnson, cannot be disputed. He has every horse that he sends to the i ost in the pink f — ■ __ ■condition, and the eight victories for the Butler colors since Jamaica threw open ;-s gates are ample evidence of his ability. Of course, good riding has much to do with the success of the Butler colors. Even if the horses were at their best and possessed all .f the sped needed to defeat their rivals, bad rides would bring defeat in many cases. But the best riders available have been engaged to guide the Butler starters at Jamaica and the results have been highly satisfactory. The return of the Sanford Stud Farm Stables Serenader to winning form was clearly demonstrated Friday when the imported gelding broke the track record for three quarters at Jamaica. This horse was considered a smasher in his early racing days and much was expected of him. He did not stand training, however, and was kept out of racing except at brief intervals, by one trouble or another for a long period. Now h? appears rather definitely established as a sprinter and his activities will probably be largely confined to short distance racing, but he certair.lv wdl keep the sprinters of the Metropolitan circuit busy if he continues to race in the form which he showed Friday.
