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r - f Here and There on the Turf Lexington Draws Interest Keeneland Shy on Top Stables Wants Best Yearling Sales Match Rivals Are Fit Now 1 Attention of race horse folk will be centered during the next two weeks on Lexington, the countrys breeding center, where will be staged Keenelands autumn meeting, the sales of yearlings and breeding stock and the annual testimonial dinner of the Thoroughbred Club of America. Keenelands racing alone is not important enough to excite the interest of racing people everywhere although its sponsors are striving to make it such, but the combination of the racing with the sales and Thoroughbred Club dinner makes Lexington a point where many persons like to be at this time of the year, whether they can or otherwise. In addition to these attractions are the many breeding farms which are seen by tourists throughout the year, but at this time are inspected by their owners or others with a critical eye as to their appointments or the quality of the horseflesh thereon. Keenelands racing wont be as prominent - nationally as its sponsors would like to see because the more prominent owners arent supporting the track as had been expected at first, and it will not be surprising if the Lexington course will do all its racing in the spring hereafter. It is true that the Green-tree Stable, Calumet Farm, Hal Price Head-ley and one or two others of the best known owners in the country, will have divisions at Keeneland, but the track will be fortunate if it can stage more than one good event daily and it with a field of decent size. If Keeneland was in a position to offer larger purses, it could tempt other important stables, but under present conditions they are going where the purses are much higher, although they will not hesitate to send a candidate after the 5,000 Breeders Futurity if possessed of one with a chance. As long as Keeneland has a Fall meeting, the sales probably will be held in conjunction with it, but otherwise the auctions may be scheduled for a later date, when the Conilrved on thlrty-jijth pagej . L : L 5 t ; ; 1 t f - 1 a i- P e - HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. Metropolitan season has closed and racing is Hearing the end in New England and Maryland. The objection is that not enough trainers are able to leave their regular "duties to attend the sales. Under the present arrangement, prospective buyers must overcome the hardship of attending sales morning and night and the races in the afternoon, leaving them little or no time for advance inspection of the offerings. At Saratoga where the horsemen are busy enough as it is, the arrangement is somewhat better because they have a chance to look over the yearlings after concluding their work at the track as j the sales are not held until night. I That Lexington ever will become the sales center in the thoroughbred industry is doubtful unless a sharp change in the trend of things takes place. Saratoga is the very best place to sell yearlings because the buyers are there and while many persons would go to Lexington if all the best offerings were assembled there, it is very doubtful if enough of the outstanding purchasers would be present if their racing interest at the moment was in New York or Maryland. By having an outstanding race meeting and with every breeder and farm owner having his house full of important guests, yearling sales at Lexington may compare favorably with those at Saratoga, but something drastic must happen to the Spa as a racing point before its sales will be moved elsewhere. That it would be better for the yearlings that they be sold at home is only a minor matter in the argument Now that Seabiscuit and War Admiral have been matched again, well have to go through again everything that was said and written about the comparative qualities of the two horses. Plenty of time remains for that, however. Most important fact just now of the new match is the fitness and readiness of both horses. In the spring, both horses were being brought back to condition after having been siven vacations. War Admiral was sound but perhaps tardy in his preparation, while Seabiscuit may have been closer to fitness insofar as his wind was concerned, but he was bordering on lameness. Since that time both horses have done a fair amount of campaigning and Seabiscuit particularly plenty of traveling, but they are ready to race now and their trainers only have to keep them that way. Seabiscuit is due to run next Saturday and War Admiral, too, may see competition before their engagement on November 1.
