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S I R E S AND DAMS *y nelson dunstan LEXINGTON, Ky., June 25.— The race track and breeding farm worlds are entirely different, but then so closely linked that one could hardly carry on- without the other. The breeders in different ways annually supply the racing world with new material and there are also occasions when the breeders look to racing for well-bred fillies to join their broodmare groups. Arriving at Idle Hour Farm the. other morning, we found Allen T. Simmons, owner, and Mrs. Helen Stewart, manager, diligently studying the past performance pages of the Daily Racing Form. "Looking for a winner?" we inquired. "No, indeed," was the answer. "But we are looking for well-bred fillies that we might buy and then add to our producing forces here at Idle Hour. But even after you find them it is a very difficult thing to buy them. It seems nobody wants to.part with a good filly. Mereworth Farm advertised for qiute some time that they were always in the market for stakes-winning fillies, but we will take a bet they were not successful in getting many of them." Some breeders retain some of their own yearling fillies to race and then return them to* the farm for broodmare service and we believe that they are not only justified in doing so, even if they are market breeders, but they are fldsefn this procedure. Purchasing any filly who is well brecand has been a winner is a difficult thing. J aaa mm? Speaking of- Mereworth Farm, the Salmons were pleased to read Oscar Otis recent comment on Perfection, the yearling filly they sold to C. H. Jones and Son at Keeneland two years ago. Some two weeks ago, Perfection won her first stake, the seven-furlong Plaza Del Ray. "We feel pretty good about Perfection now." Clifton Jones told Otis: "She has earned almost 5,000 to date and has a lot more to run. for in the not too distant future. I figure B rood ma re Prospects Are Hard to Find Perfection at 0,000 Pleases Everyone Selling High-Priced Babes Jittery Henry H. Knight Writes Breeding History no matter what happens from now on, she was worth the 0,000 we paid for her at Keeneland." Needless to say, the Salmon family closely follow the progress of the yearlings they sell and especially so since they have adopted the plan of contracting with an owner on a partnership basis in the earnings of the colts and fillies involved. They started this plan a year ago and frankly said they were not certain how it would, eventually work out. After some deliberation they have "repeated the same plan this year and although there are some left, high-class stables throughout the country have entered into an agreement to take the yearlings on the Mereworth Plan. At the end of this year they will have a fairly good idea of the efficacy of- the plan. This year, Arthur B. Hancock sold his yearlings privately and just a day or two back, he told us that he had sold all that he planned too and had retained a few for his own "racing string. He appears well satisfied although this is the first time in many years that the Claiborne group will not be sent to the sales market. AAA Most of the breeders we have talked with closely follow the progress of their yearlings, just as they do at Mereworth Farm. This is especially true in regards to the colts and fillies who bring a high price at the salesring. Recently, Howard Reineman, of Crown Crest Farm, said to us: "Selling a yearling for 5,000 or more can be a thrill, I admit, but the breeder is somewhat on the spot as most of the youngsters who sell in the high brackets are given too much publicity before they get to the races." The truth of that statement can be seen in the youngster, Cumma Sum, who was sold by the Spendthrift Farm of Leslie Combs n. to James O. McCue for 8,000, the highest jprice of the 1952 season. This colt by Alibhia, out of Miss Dogwood, is naturally singled out due to the price. Combs, like every other breeder, follows the progress of the yearlings he sells at Keeneland and, needless to say, he is anxously waiting the debut of this two-year-old. "They tell me he acts like a real good colt," Combs said, "but I know I will breathe easier when he gets to the races." The latest information we have, however, is that Tom Waller does not plan to start Cumma Sum until the Saratoga meeting. We know many trainers who would prefer to have yearlings that sold at lower prices as they sometimes feel it is a reflection on them if the youngster does not start winning races soon after the debut. AAA Henry H. Knight, who is often called, "the outstanding salesman of our time," is writing, an amazing page of breeding history this year. We doubt if since the days of Ben Ali Haggin whether any breeder has sold more than 200 yearlings in two seasons. Last year, Knight sold over 100 at Saratoga and Meadowbrook, and he will sell at least 100 more this season. He has selected 48 29 colts, 19 fillies to be sold at Saratoga in August, and it is very obvious that he has placed a great deal of faith in the future of Nirgal, who is already making good, and also Djeddah, the young sire who will be sending his first crop to the market this year. He fully realizes that any young sire must be "made" and he is certainly doing his utmost to help Djeddah, for he has sent some of the finest mares to this young horse for his first crop. Last year, Knight sold a bay filly by Roman, out of Miss Brief, at Saratoga and she was bought by Chester Gates, who was acting as Continued on Page Forty-Three SIRES AND DAMS By NELSON DUN STAN Continued from Page Fifty-Two agent for the Darby Dan Farm of John W-Galbreath. Named Ladybreath, she was one of the finest looking fillies this writer had ever seen. This year, Miss Brief has a chestnut colt who was sired by Djeddah and here again Knight has a standout yearling. Djeddah was also mated with Miss Drummond and a colt that will hold the onlookers eye is another destined for the salesring. AAA The good old American line of Fair Play is still a highly popular one in this country and most of it stems through Man a-War and his sons, War Admiral and War Relic. We have just been glancing through the list of yearlings that will be sold by the estate of Samuel D. Riddle at Keene-land this year and it mainly centers around the blood of "Big Red," who is still regarded as Americas greatest race horse, and whose contribution to our breeding will carry on for many generations. There are three yearlings by War Admiral and three by War Relic to be sold and then there are quite a few of the 18 who are out of daughters* of the super horse. Besides those in the Glen Riddle consignment, Leslie Combs n. has a bay colt by War Admiral, out of Distaff, by Beau Pere, and the Stoner Creek Farm of Mrs. John D. Hertz, has a bay filly by the same sire, out of Risque Blue,-* while the Woodvale Farm of Royce Martin will offer a bay colt by War Admiral, out of Our Page, a brother to Navy Page. ThesTey youngsters will have their share of bidders when they are sent into the salesring. Until War Admiral came along and then War Relic, there was some question as to whether the male line of Man o War would con-tiue to flourish. It appears to be up to the colts by these two sires to continue it in the years to come.
