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► . . i - * *.*/ * and V; .: ■ - » v j f , *"/ /* " ***** r V?" Keeneland Sales Big Night Next on Agenda tot Breeders Leslie Combs Firm Believer In Publishing Names of All Consignments for Publicity By HUGH J. McGCIRE LEXINGTON, TCy., May 3. — The race meeting at Keeneland -and the running of the Kentucky Derby are in the records and Blue Grass breeders already are firing the long-range guns that open the campaign leading to the annual sale of yearlings at Keeneland in July. To be sure, the staff of the Breeders Sales Company has been busy for some time on this project. General manager William -S. Evans and vice-president George Swinebroad have separated the men from the boys on pedigrees. Swinebroad right .now is in the-middle of an initial company physical inspection to eliminate the obviously unfit. Miss Maerene Waits, Miss Ann Wells and Miss Frances Kane have been poring over proofs that will eventually become the sales catalog. More elimination and inspection by veterinarians is to follow and May 1 marked the deadline for declaring out of the sale without the sanction of a veterinarians certificate. In recent years, breeders have been convinced that sound business practices can be applied to the sale of thoroughbred yearlings and most consignors have an advertising budget for the major auctions. The practice has paid off well. The consignors who have made known the particulars of their offerings have had splendid results. Leslie Combs II. has always conducted a major campaign and his sales yearlings have usually topped the auctions. This year Combs plans to go a step farther. He will place emphasis on all the consignments that will sell on the same night with him in addition to his own group. Other Yearlings to Be Sold The date of this sale has not been al-loted as yet but in addition to the 31 yearlings to be sold by Combs there are to be offered, subject to inspection, 10 from Mrs. Parker B. Poes Shawnee Farm, six from the estate of the late Louis B. Mayer, one offered by Harry B. Scott Jr. and one by H. B. Scott in partnership with Tollie Young. The total is 49. Asked a reason for the publishing of all the consignments on what he calls "The Big Night," Combs said: "T have been real fortunate in that the other consignments of this evening are made up of outstanding yearlings and should make for quite a sale. I will do all I can to get as many buyers on hand that night and I think the presence of other top quality yearlings will increase the attendance. The buyers make the sale. I feel that some buyers stay away if. they think they will be unable to get a yearling at the price they want to pay. No -one sells 0,000 yearlings exclusively and from a group of nearly 50 there should be a price range for all. I would like to make the buyers feel that they could not afford to miss our night." Many of the most popular stallions are represented in the five consignments with more than 20 per cent of the yearlings by Combs Royal Charger, sire of Idun in his first American crop. Combs will sell three colts and a filly by Royal Charger, the Mayer estate four colts and one filly, Shawnee one colt. Other sires with more than a single representative are Polynesian, Alibhai, Spy Song, Citation, Roman, Jet Pilot, Mr. Busher, and Tum-to. Represented by yearlings from their first crops are Hasty Road and Mark-Ye-Well. The mares include the dams of many top horses and a number of young matrons who were exceptional runners. An excellent example of the strategy of consolidating interest on the one night is seen in the presence of the single offering of Harry B. Scott Jr. Breeders have learned that regardless of quality it is difficult to sell one yearling. Scotts offering is a filly by Roman out of the great producer Boat. Scott has sold more than a quarter of a million dollars of yearlings out of this mare. Five of her foals were stakes winners, including Greek Ship, Rampart, Sky Ship, Noble Hero, and Ria Rica. The Mayer estate group is strong. Popularity was the only daughter of the great mare Busher who was ever sold by Mrs. Elizabeth Graham, who repurchased her from the estate dispersal last January for 3,000. Popularity is the dam of a sales colt by Royal Charger. Other mares represented in the Mayer Group include Pageantry, a half-sister to 4ce Admiral and Helioscope: Admirals i . Belle, a half-sitser to Selector and Lurline B; the 00,000 Princess Lygia, and others of top quality. Shawnee manager Al Cofield has no hesitation in naming the farms offerings the best it has produced. Mrs. Pee lias gathered a group of top mares and mated them with the best stallions. A gray colt by Native Dancer is a half-brother to the Futurity winner Nail. A son of Royal Charger is ftom the competent racer Miss Grillo. Other colts are by Tom Fool, Heli-opolis, Polynesian and Sun Again. The Combs group is divided 16 colts 15 fillies with many of the latter sex excellent broodmare material after they finish racing. Five of this lot are by Alibhai. The only yearling in the sale by Swaps sire, Khaled, is in this group. A colt by the nations leading sire, Frincequillo, is out of Dodoma, who is a half-sister to Nas-rullah. This youngster is a half-brother to the stakes-winning mare Diableretta who is now in the broodmare band at Darby Dan Farm. A colt by Never Say Die is a half-brother to nine winners, three stakes winners. A full brother to Idun is in the lot. The Breeders Sales Company itself has been a successful cooperative. It will be interesting to follow the joint operation of some of its consignors. MARION H. VAN BERG-Vored 1957 breeder of the year in Nebraska. Story on following page.
