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IN THE BLUE GRASS By Hugh J. McGuirel LEXINGTON, Ky., June 2. The deci- sion of the executors and trustees of the 7 estate of Royce G. Martin appears to have I been wen tasen xo dispose of the racing stock of the Woodvale Farm at Belmont and send the breeding stock through the sales ring at Keeneland. The Fasig-Tipton Company will handle the New York sale before the large- Belmont racing fraternity and visitors from near-by racing points. The Breeders Sales Company will sell the breeding stock on Thursday, July 29, the day following the completion of the sale of selected yearlings at Keeneland, before the yearling buyers leave this area. Slated to follow the Woodvale horses through the ring are the thoroughbreds of J. L. Cleveland. Including four stallions, yearlings and broodmares with their foals of this year, the Woodvale consignment will total 97 head, while the Cleveland group numbers 58. This total of 155 head will make it necessary for the sale to be started in the morning, and the Woodvale group will be sent into the ring first. Foals will be sold at the side of their dams. A A A It is our understanding that the Woodvale Farm property is also on the market. It is only at such dispersals that breeders are able to secure mares of prominence and buyers of breeding stock can be expected to be present in numbers at Keeneland for a chance at the Woodvale matrons. This sale will recall others of recent years when the eagerness of buyers knew no bounds. From the standpoint of the greatest amount of money realized at a dispersal, that of the Coldstream Stud of E; E. Dale Shaffer topped such sales in this sector. Hal Price Headleys dispersal last year was another record breaker in that a new American high price was realized when the barren mare, Lithe, fetched 5,000. Other recent dispersals here included those of Crispin Ogleby, Elmendorf Tarm, Josept A. Goodwin, Duntreath Farm, Phil T. Chinn and Villa Farms of Henry Lustig, and all were well patronized. AAA On the stud fee controversy, opinions continue to be offered, and one we found rather interesting was that of a mare Martin Sale Setup Appears Ideal Dispersal at Belmont, Keeneland Further Clouding Stud Fee Issue owner who, along with many of his confreres, resents the practice of stallion owners demanding stallion fees far in advance of foaling time and thus taking the. breeders funds out of circulation. Breeders expressing their opinions on this and other subjects often ask that their names be withheld because they do not wish to expose themselves to retaliatory action or create ill-feeling with the stallion owner. This is quite understandable, although we believe that most stallion owners, as businessmen, would not resent such expressions of opinion. Be also believe that if any changes are to be accomplished, they will have to be done eventually through united requests for them. AAA It was this breeders opinion that the current practices of withholding stud fees have. been carried down through custom from the past when, the stallion owner might never have been quite sure that the mare owner would not sell or take his mare out of the state and leave him holding the bag. It is a rarity now for a breeder to evade payment: It was pointed out that the whole question revolves around one of credit and that the breeder . is either a good risk or he is not. Our breeder would simply have the man whose credit was doubtful pay for the stallion service at the time of service, whereas the breeder with good credit should pay when the foal arrives. As conditions now stand, a mare owners funds are held up for as long as seven months for no apparent reason unless the stallion owner is getting interest on it. Our- breeder would not change the rule, established through practice, of payment if the mare was sold or taken from the state. AAA Replying to this opinion, one stallion owner told us, with some justification we think, that these and other propositions to alter the present practice of collecting stud fees tend to cloud the original issue which was consideration of abolishing the live foal clause from the breeding contract. Most stallion owners maintain that when a stallion -has served a mare it can accurately be determined in most cases by September 1 whether the mare is in foal, I Eruiij n:i wvl ni hwohm iiw i,t wa nsoia and if she is, the stallion has done with his part and the service should be paid for at that time. It was restated that mare owners lost sight of the substantial saving they would enjoy in the cost of stud fees and add strongly that it is the capable breeder who is carrying much of the .load for the marginal breeder under the live foal clause. AAA It is our opinion that there are so many different plans offered, that are obviously slanted by the conditions in which the individual breeder finds himself, that little will come of the suggested changes. Rugged individualists as breeders are, and living in a country with free economy, there appears to be too much difference of opinion to permit agreement to any one plan. It also cameras a surprise to us that, -although several breeders have said that they were encountering difficulty in getting mares in foal this season, no less an authority on broodmares than Dr. Charles E. Hagyard was of the opinion that when the end of the season comes around there would be no noticeable change in the number of pregnant mares. Unless something of additional interest develops, we will drop the controversy before we are accused of reporting a senate hearing. AAA Blades of Blue Grass: A recent visitor was Harry Isaacs of Brookfield Farms. Isaacs was elated over the tally , in-the Ramona Handicap at Hollywood Park of Circle M. Farms Is Proud whom he bred and sold to Mrs. Edward S. Moore. The filly had not been doing too well and Isaacs arranged for her shipment to trainer Buddy Hirsch on the coast. Is Proud set a track record as a birthday present to Isaacs. . . Newest member of the Thoroughbred Club is Frank Glass. . .With the deadline passed for withdrawals from the summer sales at Keeneland, the office staff of the Breeders Sales Company is beginning to look upon general manager William S. Evans as a Simon Legree. The addition of the Woodvale dispersal to the scheduled cataloging did not ease matters any. . .Charles Kenney is very enthused over the arrival of a colt foal by Johns Joy Gradation, by Gallant Fox. The mare is the dam of Yellmantown and she delayed delivery two weeks. It is not that the colt foal is the last of Kenneys foals for the season, but his splendid appearance that pleases his owner so mUch . , .Mrs. E. S. Moore is utilizing her yacht, Big Pebble, in the Chesapeake Bay of the Delaware Park meeting: -jxoc?c srScc ri mod vfirf iH a-cC?
