Evening star., 1949-10-06

COL. MATT WINN.
-AP Wirephoto.
period in Juarez, Mexico: opera
ton of the Empire City track In
New York and purchase Of the
Laurel oval In Maryland.
Col. Winn and Mr.. Butler bucked
New York competition in 1907 by
converting Empire City from
trotting to a running track and
operating concurrently with Sara
toga. The upstairs stuck it out
and Jared so we'll the New York
tracks moved over" the next year
to give them regular racing dates.
In 1909, just a year after pari-
mutuel machines were installed
at Churchill Downs, wave OF re-
form knocked out horse racing
everywhere but in Kentucky,
Maryland and New York.
With winter racing almost ex-
tinct. Col. Winn and Mr.. ButlerI
cast their eyes south Of the border
and opened a track at Juarez.
They operated there seven years
and made no money. But they
had some touch-and-go expert
ences with revolutionists such as
Pancho Villa.
They purchased Laurel in 1918
for 100000 and staged famous
match races between Hourless and
Omar Khayyam and between
Eternal and Bill Kelly.
At another time Col. Winn bat
tied the old Western Turf Associ-
alton. which controlled racing in
the West and South, by organiz-
ing the American Turf Associa-
ton. Thus he was able to obtain
dates for some of the tracks which
we're getting squeezed out.
Gave Up Betting.
During his early days. when ne
was a wholesale grocer and later
co-owner of a tailoring firm. Col.
Winn enjoyed playing the horses,
as we'll as breeding and racing
them.
But the day he stepped into the
management end of the business
he never placed a bet on a horse.
never discussed good thing
with his friends or never permitted
his official family to make bets or
give tips. Thus he earned what
he wanted, a title of responsibility.
free of any shade Of criticisms
I. He never owned another horse
after taking over the Downs. be-
lieving that even with honest man
agement, a track manager has an
advantage when his horses run.
On his S4th birthday, when he
looked more like so, Col. Winn
gave this formula for a happy,
long life:
Never worry. Always keep liv-
ing in the future; never in the
past. AS each day dies it should
be buried with the dead"
Needed Wisdom Teeth.
"The dentist fellers tell me I
am one of the few living who, at
my age, have their wisdom teeth,
he added. "A man certainly needs
his wisdom teeth around race
track"
Col. Winn met the challenge OF
two world wars, and continued to
operate his track. During World
War I he raised potatoes in
Churchill Downs infield, auc-
toned them to the fans and gave
the receipts to the Red Cross.
The Government was ready to
shut down all tracks if World War
II was still running in November,
1945. The Winn luck held out,
with the War ending May 9, and
the colonel put on a belated Ken
lucky Derby in June.
Col. Winn was born in Louis
vile, June 80, 1861, son of Pat
rick and Julian Flaherty Winn.
He attended st. Xavier College
in Louisville and later a business
school.
In 1885 the commonwealth of
Kentucky, the city of Louisville
and Louisville businessmen gave
an elaborate banquet for Col.
Winn-the title was of the Ken
lucky variety-and honored him
as "the States most effective ad-
vertiser in his labors for the
Derby"
Pinup Campaign
CHAMPAIGN. Ill. P). - The
Junior Chamber of Commerce of
Champaign Urbana has its safety
campaign all pinned up. Clerks
in local stores are wearing safety
pins to encourage residents to
take care.
Japan will survey potential oil
basins in its Nigata and Akita
prefectures.