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I I REFLECTIONS I . By Nelson Dunstan J 5 43 Yearling Sales at Keeneland Six Selling Sessions — 400 Babes Hancock Night Tuesday, Aug. 10 Eastern Breeders to Sell in Sept. t c i a f « Now that the yearling sales schedule has been released, horsemen are discussing the sales that will take place at Keeneland on August 9, 10 and 11. Eastern breeders, will stage a sale in New York during September, but for the time being attention is 1 ! 1 centering on the Blue Grass vendues that will feature Kentucky babes, along with few from Tennessee. There will be none of the leisure of Saratoga, nor the color, c for these sales will be confined to three days, afternoon and evening, thus six selling j : j sessions in all. This arrangement was sensible, however, for it will give owners and o I i I i ] | , , , trainers an opportunity to inspect the babes, bid for what they want, and still not be away from the tracks more than five days, including traveling. In our travels around, it has been surprising how many have told us they plan to attend. Somewhat dubious a week ago, we now feel much more optimistic. For important trainers leaving their horses are not going to Kentucky just to take a look at the babes to be offered. There will be some newcomers and that is also a healthy sign. Wherever we go we are asked: How will the market be?" — and we only wish we could give a sensible answer. But we do not know, nor can we guess, with any degree of certainty. Starting the Sunday before the sales,, which open on Monday, August 9, meals will be served at j j | ■ i j ! j i J I ! ! j j i I I . 9 i the track by the regular caterers. This will enable .. . _. Nelson Uunstan those present to stay at the track for inspections rather than go to downtown Lexington, thus losing time. Some 400 yearlings I will be offered by approximately 40 consignors, and in that number are many of the finest babes from the great breeding establishments of the Blue Grass. ] Six catalogues will be issued to cover the six selling sessions. Thomas C. Piatt, ; who was in Chicago on the week-end, told us hotel reservations are being | made daily and urged those planning to attend to make Pullman reservations i early, as the railroads will have difficulty in giving adequate accommoda- tions at the last minute. As Keeneland is within the 10-mile zone, taxicabs I will be allowed to go to and from the track. Buses will also be used after ] the nightly sales. Everything has been done to meet the war-time require- ments and it will be interesting to see if Kentuckians will find the results ! sufficiently satisfactory to continue the sales there or switch back to Saratoga after the war. It is our guess they will return to the Spa, for there never has been a sales center to compare with it. For years the sales program at Saratoga was the same. There is naturally a j radical departure in the order this season. On Monday afternoon, August 9, the , first of the six sessions, the vendue will be given over to 13 breeders, including Del i j . Holeman and Mrs. John M. Branham of Gallatin, Tenn. Holeman is the veteran who managed the late Mrs. Regans thoroughbred interests for many years. On Monday ] evening, the schedule includes consignments from Almahurst Farm Henry H. | Knight i, Greenwich Stud W. B. Miller,1, Leslie Combs II.. Lucas B. Combs, Dr.,] ■■ Charles E. Hagyard, W. Lee Nutter, Horatio Mason and Hartland Farm. All of these j i consignments will be fully covered in these papers as a service to the breeding industry | and prospective buyers. We reach, many times over, more persons interested in . ; I racing and breeding than all other publications combined. These listings of yearlings reach from coast to coast and border to border. Paper conservation has become a ] problem for daily newspapers, but despite it, the editors will do all within their power , to give complete coverage to the sales. Our own representatives and reporters will ; ! [ be in Lexington 10 days before the sales and we are the only papers, with national coverage, who will give a full report on the day following each session. On Tuesday afternoon, many of the quality consignments will go under the hammer, including those of R. A. Fairbairn, Marshall Field, Charlton Clay, Warner L. Jones and others. "Hancock Night" has been the highlight of the Spa sales for many years. Its counterpart at Lexington will be found on Tuesday night, August 10, which will be devoted entirely to the sale of babes from the Claiborne and Ellerslie studs of A. B. Hancock. The offerings will be fully listed in later issues, so suffice it to say here that the quality is strictly up to the standards of former years. In all, the noted breeder will sell approximately 70 youngsters by Blenheim II., Sir Gallahad III., Foray II., Fighting Fox, Boswell, Johnstown, Omaha, Pompey, Rhodes Scholar and Tintagel. Blenheim II. s babes will naturally come in for their share of attention and just two of the many with special appeal are a chestnut colt by Blenheim II. — Risk, by Sir Gallahad III., and a chestnut filly by Blenheim II. — Black Wave, by Sir Gallahad III. Blenheim II. s daughters make fine racers, as evidenced by Mar-Kell, Nellie L. and Miss Keeneland this season. The Hancock consignment contains more Blenheim II. babes than in any previous season. Fighting Foxs first crop are included and, as usual, Sir Gallahad III., the best stallion ever imported, will be represented. His daughters become more eagerly sought with each passing year. Wednesday, August 11, the third and last day of the sales, the entire afternoon will be given over to the Mereworth Farm of the New York realtor, Walter J. Salmon. I His list, too, is a long one, and we must await the catalogue before making comment. The last session on Wednesday evening will feature the consignments of Thomas ; Piatt, T. C. Piatt, Military Stock Farm John S. Wiggins , Dr. Leslie Asbury and j Charles A. Asbury. Thomas Piatt, who has been a breeder for many years, raises ! solid, sturdy stock that wins races, and Alsab is an outstanding example. His son, T. C. Piatt, is the co-breeder of Occupation and, in partnership with John Marsch, will offer a full sister to that colt. Comment on Military Stock Farm, too, must be delayed until we receive catalogues. There must be improvement over the ruinous prices the breeders had to take last year. They could not have been worse. In our years of covering sales, we cannot recall when such beautifully-bred youngsters were j taken from the ring for the proverbial song. Many of those babes have already made j j returns on the investment. Those who have the courage to buy, despite war, will help everyone concerned, for the yearling markt is one of the most important phases of the racing industry. _ _ _ _ . ,
