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Show THEE TRACKS MAY BEMERGED Douglas Park and Latonia in Deal; Churchill Downs Doubtful. By BOBERT E. DUNDON. LOUISVILLE, Dec. 27. With every likelihood tnat the deal for transfer of the majority interest in the Latonia and Douglas Tark tracks, now held by the Cella estate and Messrs. Adler nnd Tilles, of St. Louis, would be consummated, consum-mated, a conference of leading turfmen ot Kentucky was held at Lexington. Whether Churchill Downs will be in the merger is doubtful, but the prospect pros-pect was that, unless' the syndicate meets the terms offered by the stockholders stock-holders in the New Louisville Jockey club, it will remain In its present ownership, own-ership, but in a close alliance witl the Lexington, Latonia and Douglas Park tracks, v President Charles F. Grainer, of the New Louisville Jockey club, was accompanied accom-panied hy Colonel Andrew Vennie. Hamilton Ham-ilton C. Applegute. P. J. Hanlon and Judge Charles F. Price. Messrs. Grainger. Apple-gate and Vennie represent a majority ma-jority interest in Churchill Downs, and are authorized to make the syndicate an offer. Important Conference. The trio wen into conference with State Senator Thomas A. Combs, of this city, who is negotiating for the new holding hold-ing company, and former United States Senator Johnson N. Camden, of Versailles, who will be largely interested as a stockholder, stock-holder, and other representatives of the Bluegcass turf. It became known that the principal subscriber to stock in the venture and a man who easily could handle the entire proposition himself If required is E. F. Sims, of Bourbon county, tho Texas-Oklahoma Texas-Oklahoma oil mlllioraire. Mr. Sims, while it is not generally known, is extensively Inteiested also in the thoroughbred. He is one of the leading sportsmen of the -.west, and is ll'j If nnmor nf thr. -inlop f v i-.-n-i fnt- j the 19ia Derby, the cold Eternal and The . Wanderer, one of the speediest sprinters ; In the country, and also of -about thirty ; coming 2-year-olds of much promise, in ! addition totthe ;'.-year-old mentioned, j owns last Horses. I Own Fast Horses. In partnership with J. W. McClelland, of Maryland. Mr. Sims has In tho care of the veteran trainer, Kim Patterson, a I stable that is certain to be heard from : next season. , The fact that Messrs. Camden and ; Sims are back Of the venture makes it i an almost certain success, in the view of I those in position to know. J. B. Respess, of Latonia. was here ; early, and John Hachmeister, general ; manager of the two Cella tracks, was ! also in attendance. They have made an I offer of the property, and it seems likely that it will be accepted by the syndicate. ! Tf Churchill Downs becomes a part of ' the proposed merger, the present stock-I stock-I holders probably will be paid principally i in stock of the combined interests, and ' any who elect to sell will be compensated ! fn cat'h. The only absentee of those prlncipally Interested in Churchill Downs was Colonel Matt J. Winn, its manager, who Is now in the east. $300,000 for Red Cross. Ssm J. Nuckols, of Versailles, secretary secre-tary of the State Racing commission, has 120 checks c'rawn, each to the credit of the local Red 'Cross ch3pter of the county concerned, for distribution among The 300,000 contribution of the turf interests of Kentucky to the American Red Cross will be thus apportioned. The turfmen this year pay one-fourth of the total Red Crofs allotment of Kentucky, Ken-tucky, 91.200.000. nnd checks are now being be-ing mailed to the chapters, each for the : amount of its individual assessment. Judge Charles F. Price, presiding steward ste-ward at the four Kentucky tracks, went into conference with Mr. Nuckols and JacK Keene, of the State Racing ccm-mission, ccm-mission, the three being a committee appointed ap-pointed to codify the ruks of raving and submit them to the meeting of the State Racing commission. Servitor Co.nbs, who is managing the details of the purchase, is one of the Democratic whcelhorses of Kentucky, for yearn being a leader in tho slate senate. where he lias ben president pro tern, and op.airman of imncrtant committees. He is engaged in the lumber bu.'.iness litre. |