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Here and There on the Turf Keeneland Has Best Wishes of All Success Means Higher Purses Good Stables to Be Represented Tropical May Try New Barrier s. On Thursday of this week, Keeneland becomes a definite part of the American racing scene with the opening of its inaugural meeting of nine days. The new course will have the best wishes of everyone in the sport because its success should mean much to racing in the future, when the alignment of tracks and dates will not be such as it is today. Horsemen and merchants of the Blue Grass aro co-operating to make the first Keeneland meeting a huge success and on at least one afternoon during the nine-day run, the stores of Lexington arc expected to be closed to permit the employes to attend the races. Hal Price Headley and his associates in the operation of the new track are not having any illusions about it being a huge financial success at this time, and they probably will be very happy if expenses are met during the inaugural meeting. Because a large mutuel handle is not expected, the directors will look to the revenue at the gate to play an important part. The Keeneland promoters, a majority of whom are directly identified with racing as breeders and owners, arc anxious for a profit because they have numerous plans for the future, some of them elaborate, and with cash at hand they will be in a position to carry them out. Burses for the inaugural meeting arc only of moderate value, but leading owners are shipping at least small divisions of their stables to the Lexington course to aid in getting the track started in the right manner. They realize that success will mean larger purses at future meetings, as well as giving Keeneland the opportunity of maintaining an attractive stakes program. When this condition comes about, the nations more important stables undoubtedly will send larger divisions there not only during the fall tut in the sprin Kcenelands autumn meeting will be more important than just from a racing stand pointrbecause sales will be held a the same be devoted to th will toe, and one night Club o annual dinner of the Thoroughbred held ir will be America, which this year who re N. Camden honor of Sen. Johnson named chairman of the Ken ccnty was Carnde a"so tucky is State that Racing states Commission. only member of The JOMore Uian COO horses have been cata ngBa "conslderabt greater number thar, Continued on nineteenth page.. I I 1 HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Coiitfnned from second page. was sold at Saratoga. The sales will bo diversified, including stallions, mares and weanlings, as well as yearlings. Persons going to I exington for the sales and the Thoroughbred Club dinner may be expected to attend the racing at Keenland, and vice versa. Other visitors to the track will include owners of large farms in the Blue Grass who make annual visits there during the fall to see their yearlings triad. A few horses of the better grade are being shipped to Keenland, so some very good contests may be expected. The directors had hoped for the presence of some of the champions like Granville but they will have to await another year for that wish to come true. Nevertheless, the presume 0inWSf ,Iik M7ewood should sum- I the TSt in th? inauSral session. In ditlnn? C5!me,- Stakes with futurity con-vii,?P lTlu bc decided and these will have values high enough to make them worth while for the outstanding horses which will Jtoind for tnesc events. One such race is the Blue Grass Stakes, which is on the program for next spring. This affair for three-year-olds at a mile and one furlong may prove just as important as a preliminary race to the Kentucky Derby as the Chesapeake Stakes at Havre de Grace and the Wood Memorial at Jamaica. Its conditions are patterned after tho3e of the Withers, except for the distance. Keeneland comes into being with a fine plant that in time will be as beautiful as any in the country and it has the support and best wishes of everyone in racing to become a permanent Institution. Advocates of the Australian barrier, chief of whom is Joseph E. Widener, will see that device given a thorough trial if present plans are carried out. All two-year-old events at Hialcah Park this winter are to be started with this type of barrier and if successful the method will be introduced in New York next spring. It is Wideners idea that the youngsters should begin their racing with this barrier, which will be used for three-year-olds the following season and for older horses later as they become familiar with it. William V. Dwyer, operator of Tropical Park, is willing to co-operate with the Hia-lleah president by having two-year-old races at The Gables course started with the Australian barrier bcause the Tropical meeting comes before that at the other Miami course. Otherwise some youngsters would have to learn to start under two different methods.
