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y j ] I Blue Grass Happenings 1 By HUGH J. McGUIRE Work on Addition to Keeneland Stand King Ranch Fillies Outnumber Colts Morris. TRA Head, to Address TCA LEXINGTON, Ky., June 13.— You would probably crowd into Keeneland anyway but in case you have been wondering if 3 * * ] ] j you will get a seat during the fall meeting, we can tell you that work on the addition to the grandstand is on schedule. Whether the new section under construction will be looked upon as an addition to the old one, or the present stand will be regarded as an adjunct to the new structure only the ac i : , ; . ! ! r r [ [ r 1 5 [ 2 ceptance by the public of the completed architecture will tell. A section of the present building is on the finish line while the addition will have in its favor an open roof that might prove appealing to those who like to follow closely the running positions of their choices from this vantage point. _ The new concrete foundation pillars are set and the erection of steel is expected to commence in about a week. The new section, which extends to about the mile pole on the mile and a sixteenth track, will add some 1,600 seats and will be of steel and concrete construction. Plans for the exact layout of the open roof have not been definitely determined. Enlarged mutuel facilities are also being provided in the old stand. General manager W. T. Bishop is quite hopeful that the work will be completed about September 15. Track operators everywhere have found that giving consideration to the comforts of patrons is proving to be good business. If a preponderance of filly foals in a crop is sometimes disconcerting to breeders there is usually recompense in the fine quality of some of the fillies. Out at King Ranch Farm on the Old Frankfort Pike, where Howard Rouse manages the Kentucky interests of the Texas Klebergs, the final foal score is 19 fillies and 11 colts. Unbalanced as is this tally we imagine it is much less disappointing because the new arrivals include full sisters to Assault, Mid-t dleground and Better Self which is "boast- ing kin" indeed. Rouse is very well pleased with the robust quality of the entire crop. Of Better Self, whose first foals now are yearlings, Rouse is of the opinion that he has a very promising future in the stud and bases this decision on his failure to find a poor foal in two crops. Curanderos first crop also is quite sat-! isfactory although not large as he was retired late and was bred to only a few mares. His book for this season is full but Rouse reminds that at King Ranch this does not mean he was "bred to 87 mares." The first crop of Prophets Thumb now are yearlings and here again Rouse, who is not adverse to self-criticism if the subject warrants it, is quite content with his progeny in two crops. We found it of more than passing interest that the farms good producer Bee Mac, who has obliged with a foal annually for nine years including Better Self, Prophets Thumb, Beau Max and Black Douglas, has been mated for the first time with Bold Venture. Blades of Blue Grass: In keeping with the policy of the program committee of the Thoroughbred Club to endeavor to get both sides of controversial issues in the industry, arrangements are being made to have John A. Morris, president of the TRA, e address the club members. Morris has agreed tentatively to speak in Lexington e on June 26 and it is understood his dis-5 course will include track managements V version of differences with horsemen. Rob-o ert O. Read, president of the HBPA, re-r cently outlined to the club the attitude of his organization. . .The head of Dark Star e that is to grace the Keeneland summer e sales catalog cover was painted by Allen F. ri Brewer, Jr.. ..Quite a number of breeders h plan to be among those present at River Downs for Kentucky Day, June 18. Because of the 1952 foal crop at Green -~ tree Farm had twice as many fillies as p colts, the farm offered four yearling f il-x lies at private sale. At the time of writ-e ing, two had been sold, an Eight Thirty — / Night Game, by Shut Out, and a Bime-| ! lech— Play Suit, by Hyperion. The two remaining are daughters of War Admiral il — Easy Living, by Heliopolis, and Bime- Continued on Page Thirty-Nine Blue Grass Happenings $ j 5 * j i - j , % $ n j. , s j j x 5 ; i • ; s ; : ; ; : , I I . 1 Continued from Page Two lech— Melodious, by the English stallion, Persian Gulf.. . .The consignment of the Stoner Creek Stud of Mrs. John D. Hertz to the Keeneland summer sales includes a yearling daughter of Chanteur II. — — .Solpax. Chanteur II. is the sire of Pinza, _ this years Epsom Derby winner. Solpax was imported last year by IVIrs. Hertz .... 1 5, The only yearling in the summer sales I f] by the 1949 Horse of the Year, Capot, is Tjr a Jilly Jrom Checkmate in the High Hope Q Farm consignment. A colt by Capot or L, Count Fleet irom the good mare, Jacola Lc is in the group of six quality colts offered j by Dr. Eslie Asburys JForest Retreat £ Farm. Calumets JBreeze By, injured when he lell .during the running of Keenelands Ben x Ali Handicap, has completely recovered at ,J the .farm, irom injuries sustained in that .r mishap but is being nursed .lor :an unre- %. lated minor leg condition. Calumets man- «c ager, Paul Ebelhardt, tells us also that the * son of Bull Xea— War Fan has been altered. Ben Jones sent back to the farm the filly Z Just .Nell, :by Bull Xea— Nellie :L„ and this " miss will be permitted to rest until next v year before being bred. Her mate has not l£ been determined, but may be Ponder, .or an outside stallion. Ebelhardt .has stopped for the season the breeding .of the Calumet mares, *be-; lieving .that a more even operation is obtained, when the foals .are of nearly uniform age. He believes also .that mares •who do not-.conceive readily in the regu-; Jar .breeding season and who are then permitted .to .miss a season, usually bene- . fit a great deal from the rest. The -farms yearlings numbering 14 colts and 13 -f il- lies, will be transferred soon to -the -train-; ing barn, where breaking will begin about July 1. Incidentally, Ebelhardt in- forms us that damage to the farm during a recent storm of near-tornado yelocity, was not too .extensive and was confined io Jailing .trees, fence lines and chimneys. The horses were all_safely in barns at the time and hone were injured.
