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BETWEEN RACES *y 0SCAR 0T,S ARCADIA, Calif., June 2.— Eddie Janss, Jr., the youthful master of Conejo ranch, reports an equine transaction a bit on the unique side. This was the sale of a month old foal, in utero, for a price of ,000. This may not be a record in such sales, but it has attracted widespread attention out this way. The unborn way. foal was purchased by Chicagos Daniel F. Rice. The sire is the Rice stallion, Snow Boots, making his debut at stud in California this season. The dame is Star Image, a daughter of Sickle— Buginarug, a full sister to Bless Me and a half-sister to By Jimminy. Snow Boots, incidentally, filled a full book in his first season in the West despite the fact that he was not retired until the stud season was well under way. Preliminary veterinary reports indicate that 100 per cent of the mares sent to his court conceived. Incidentally it is reported that the Italian sire, Niccolo dArezzo, may leave his Conejo Ranch home within the next month. Niccolo is still owned by Roman interests. His best looking foal to date is a colt from the stakes-winning Chilean-bred mare, Sahi n. Both mare and foal are owned by Lawrence Barker of Los Angeles. AAA Horses and People: William B. "Bill" Finnegan has shipped his "tack" to California and will come, West following the dispersal sale of the Walter P. Chrysler turf » interests. . . . His protege, Graceton Philpot, has sold half of his Nebraska farm, is in process of dispersing of the, Unborn Snow Boots Foal Sells for ,000 Bill Finnegan Plans Return to West Coast Pacific Harness Meet Proving Successful Longacres to Boast a Proscenium Paddock other half, and he, too, will return to the turf. . . . We understand Finnegan and Philpot will team up in the West with horses of their own and a public stable. . . . The return to the West will be in the nature of p. homecoming for Finnegan, who, although born in Brooklyn, rose to national fame as a trainer in the so-called "old school" down at Tijuana and Caliente, a school which produced Tom Smith, Pinkey Grimes, Bob R. Roberts, and if it didnt produce, at least put the finishing touches on Ben Jones, to mention a few. . . . W. A. Julian, the treasurer of the United States who met death last weekend in an automobile accident, was an ardent turf fan, attending the races most everywhere from Caliente to Saratoga. . . . Texas turfman W. C. Stroube has become a California farmer, being interested in large scale operations in the Coachella valley. . . . George Raft, the film star racing fan, leaves next month for an extended vacation in Europe, where he will take in the racing at most major continental tracks. AAA The John D. Hertzes are expected from New York in mid-month and will remain for the major stakes before returning to the Keeneland Sales. . . . Stoner Creek, in cidentally, is proving a mecca for pre-sale visitors inspecting likely yearling stock, because of the fact that just about everything in the Hertz consignment is from dams who have produced one or more stakes winners. ... It can be said without fear of contradiction from even the buyers, that this is a "vintage yearling" year in Kentucky. ... An artistic "war" is raging in southern California. . . . When Hollywood Park was forced to move over to Santa Anita for its meeting, the infield was planted completely to grass, with the sole exception of two small flower beds in front of each "tote" board. . . . Quite a few citizens say they like the green expanses far better than the elaborate infield floral arrangement such as prevailed here last winter. . . . Others are just as vehement in defense of the flowers. . . . "Flowers have no place in the infield," said one noted artist who plays the horses for a hobby. . . . "The proper setting for a race is greensward with perhaps a few green hedges. Belmont Park and Delaware Park are ideal in this respect." . . . The fact that some people dont fancy flowers in the infield came as a surprise to the management. AAA When Santa Reigh won on Memorial Day at 08.20, He became the twelfth winner in the first 14-horse crop of Bull Reigh. . . . Santa Reigh has been something of a hard luck colt from the beginning. . . . His mother disliked nursing him and he grew up a bit on the scrawny side. ... He ran into a fence as a two-year-old, injuring a knee, and encountered the usual run of juvenile trouble Continued on Page Seven BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Thirty-Six such as bucked shins, etc. . . . The Pacific Trotting meeting at Golden Gate Fields is doing better than expected. . . . Its not supercolossal, but satisfactory to both horsemen and management. . . . Johnny Mitchell, the new farm superintendent at Conejo ranch, was the pilot of a Hellcat fighter operating from aircraft carrier Wasp during the war years. . . . Mitchell is a graduate of Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo. . . . Trainer Willie Molter reports that Esprit de France, Neil McCarthys importation from Europe, should be about ready for his American debut in three weeks. A mild attack of the cough delayed his- training for a spell, but he has completely recovered and has resumed his drills. AAA Trainer Burley Parke, who saddled Blue Dart in the Will Rogers Handicap, believes the three-year-old son of Blue Swords will show to much better advantage when he gets a distance of ground ... At the moment, Blue Dart may be considered as one of the prime contenders in the 0,000 Westerner, the "big" race for three-year-olds here this summer. . . . Bymeabond, who ran a brilliant second to Ace Admiral in the Argonaut, did not blow out for the race. Rather trainer George Adams gave him a half hour session at the end of a rope. Adams is one of the few trainers on the ground who relies on the rope treatment almost as much as morning drills on the track. ... He has a spot staked out on the far side of the training track, and he gallops them at the end of the hawser on a wholesale basis. . . . Seattles Pete Peder-son advises that Longacres will have a new paddock this summer, a "proscenium" enclosure according to architect B. Marcus Pretica . . . "Proscenium" meads like a stage, or theater. ... In all the history of modern Washington state breeding, there never has been a gray to get to the races. This situation will be changed when Frosty Valley, a gelded son of Piccolo from the Strathleven mare, English Girl, campaigns at Longacres for owner and breeder E. A. "Sleepy" Armstrong.
