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Here and There on the Turf Keeneland Opening Is Pleasing Inaugural Meet Headed for Success Myrtlewood Races Smartly Again Smart Fillies Aim for Selima ...... . - Keenelands sponsors did not expect a Derby Day crowd, nor a Narragansett handle for its opening Thursday, so they were overjoyed when nearly 8,000 persons paid their way into the property that a year ago contained a breeding farm, and sent 4,639 of their money into the totalizator. Under the Keeneland setup that sort of patronage meant a profit of several thousand dollars for the first day and it gave Hal Price Head-ley and his associates assurance that the inaugural meeting of nine days very easily could be a neat winner and at the worst it would not be much of a loser. Keeneland is not operated for profit in that the stockholders want dividends, but they want profits to put back into the plant and into the racing. The meeting opened on schedule and the first days program went off very smoothly, even though the management did not have all the money necessary to bring the plant to full completion. Now that the meeting promises to go over in satisfactory fashion, the sponsors do not feel so badly about not having had enough money to do everything they had planned because they realize the time is not far distant when they can go ahead with their program. Keeneland is not striving for a tremendous mutuel handle, but it wants patronage sufficient to warrant racing of the very highest caliber. To realize this ambition the directors offered large stakes and purses and a good meeting now will mean an increase for the spring program. At that time when there will not be much competition for the better horses the new Blue Grass course should be in a position to carry out its ideas in better fashion. Furthermore the several minor shortcomings noticeable at the inaugural will have been given proper attention. Small fields were the order during the first two days of the meeting because all the horses that had been registered with the racing secretary had not arrived. However this condition should be remedied as the sport moves into a full week. This comparatively small number included many good horses and the first two programs brought out several fields of considerable distinction. They carried the familiar colors of several of the nations leading stables and their owners them run. This sort were on hand to see of sport is sure to go a long way in making the new track the success sought by its sponsors, who wish to make Keeneland a Snaftrack rather than on In other woras, re local populace. to the meetings are held, ,t ,s the gardless of when Continued on thirty-seventh page. HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. hoped that many horses will come from afar to attend Keeneland. In fitting fashion, the inaugural program was featured by the Keen Handicap, and to make the occasion even more auspicious the winner of this event was Myrtlewood, crack four-year-old filly owned by Brownell Combs. The daughter of Blue Larkspur and Frizeur was a bit tardy in settling into her stride, but before long she forgot all about that laggardness and the load of 128 pounds on her back and darted to the front to win with something in reserve, .even though she defeated Marica by slightly less than a length. She ran the six furlongs in 1:10, ; which is fast enough on any race track, whether it has been in operation for one year or one day, so her performance is even more noteworthy. Keenelands course was in excellent shape, however, and has been used for training for several months. When muddy, however, the track promises to offer difficulties, which, it is hoped, will be overcome with the addition sometime in the future of another thousand tons of sand. Apogee was not named for any of the Keeneland stakes because on next Saturday she Is due to run in the Selima Stakes at Laurel, victory in which would insure her position as queen of the two-year-old fillies. The daughter of Pharamond II. and Summit In Hal Price Headleys stable was unable to carry top weight in the Matron Stakes and finish in the money, but she had not been out for some time and may not have been quite at tops. She has been going smoothly since and should be in excellent condition for next Saturdays event, which is at one mile. The Selima may give Apogee the opportunity to reverse the decision gained over her in the Matron by Wand, the speedy daughter of Man o War and Baton, owned by Walter M. Jeffords. Wand gave a scintillating performance in the Matron to nose out Dawn Play, which may be one of the stronger contenders in the Selima because of the manner in which she closed in the Matron, Dawn Play has a mate In the King Ranch stable in Split Second, last year victress in the Laurel race, which may have the richest purse of the year for fillies for its winner.
