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iJiii Kentucky By Joe Thomas Keeneland Yearling Sales Catalogues Out List 363 Head Selected From 832 Total Olympia Has Eight Winning Two-Year-Olds LEXINGTON, Ky., June 24. The catalogue for the 1955 Keeneland summer sales came off the presses late this week and are being distributed by the Breeders Sales Company. Included are the pedigrees and family particulars on 363 yearlings, which were selected from a record-shattering total of 832 entered by over 200 breeders. Honored as the "cover horse" for the catalogue is the ill-fated White Skies, 1954s champion sprinter, who was sold at the 1950 summer sales for ,500 by Hurstland Farm to W. M. Wickham. The vendue will be held July 25-27, with five selling sessions during the three days. There will be afternoon and evening selling on Monday and Tuesday, a single afternoon session on Wednesday. In many respects the caliber of horses to be offered this year is the best in " BSC history. Nearly every important American sire is y represented and a list of close relations to the yearlings entered would read like an equine "Whos Who." Earlier this week, the local sales group distributed the catalogues for the yearling dispersal of Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Daniel, which will be conducted immediately following the regular salesi Wednesday afternoon. Eight youngsters are included in this consignment. Heliopolis Son Becoming Successful Sire A horse who is making an impressive showing with his two-year-olds this season is Olympia. The son of Heliopolis had three new winners during the past week to bring his total for 1955 to eight. Among them are the unbeaten Bay State Kindergarten Stakes winner, Decathlon, and Flight History, who was beaten narrowly by Doc Eggers in the Primer Stakes. Although hes been breeding and raising horses for more than a half century, Thomas Piatt follows the progress of his horses with as much or more enthusiasm than any other thoroughbred breeder. In many respects a win for a Piatt-bred is "old hat," for each year the name of Thomas .Piatt is high on the list of leading breeders in the number of races won. But not to kindly, old "Mistah Tom," for to him when one of his horses wins its a "friend" making good. Mr. Piatt keeps a close watch on the daily entries and results and seldom does a win by one of his horses get by him. He was justly proud during the past few days, for on Saturady, Piatt-bred Tile King won the Livonia Stakes at Detroit; and on Tuesday, he had two winners at Arlington Park Camping Out, a three-year-old by Es-cadru, won the fourth by six lengths, and the Alorter Colt, Lianal, took the seventh. The vet- . eran breeder places great importance on the way a horse is raised and its enviroment while growing up. The way his horses go out and race season after season the emphasis may be well placed. How Some Breeding Farms are Named Many Blue Grass farms have come by the names in odd and interesting ways. Ex-rider Johnny Fernandez found an old, yellowed clipping among his souvenirs the other day which told how the late Col. E. R. Bradley named his farm, Idle Hour. It stated that Bradley, one day before the place was given a title, was asked by a friend how, with his many other interests, he found time to attend to the farm. "Its this way," the Colonel replied, "I just devote my idle hours to my farm." "Thats a good name for it; Idle Hour," suggested the friend. And so it was named. It was also a conversation which resulted in Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Combs n. naming their farm Spendthrift. When they acquired the farm in 1937, naming it became a problem. Since it was part of the farm where. Combs greatgrandfather, Col. Dan Swigert, had raised the great racers, Hindoo and Spendthrift, he suggested that they name it for one of these two. The question was quickly settled when Mrs. Combs replied, "It isnt going to be Hindoo!" Blades of Blue Grass: When Maharajah won the recent mile and one-half John R. Macomber Memorial at Suffolk Downs, he "became the first American-bred son of Mahmoud to win a stakes beyond a mile and a quarter. Yet two of the great sires daughters showed brilliant staying power Adile won an Empire City Gold Cup at a mile and five -eighths, and Snow Goose won a Ladies Handicap at a mile and one-half. ... Of the 20 leading American sires of 1954, 18 are represented by yearlings in the Keeneland summer sales. ... The Thoroughbred Club of America meets for lunch Saturday at 12:15 p. m. in the Lafayette Hotel. Dr. Fritz Haag will be the speaker.
