The New York herald., 1921-02-20
THREE-YEAR-OLD
THOROUGHBREDS
COME INTO OWN
Largest Stakes No Longer
Given for Juvenile
Race Horses.
WORLDS RICHEST PRIZE
Kentucky Derby With $4,000
Added, Will Have This Dis
tinction in 1921.
WORLDS RICHEST PRIZE
BY GURNEY c. CUE.

With $4,000 added to the stakes IN
the Kentucky Derby. $4,000 in the
Preakness and $4,000 promised for fu-
ture closings of the Belmont, not to men
tion numerous other valuable fixed
events like the Latonia Championship
(sS5,Oo0), the Latonia Derby (s20,oO0)
and the Lawrence Realization ($20,000)
II looks as IL the three-year-old race
horse was at last coming into his own
on the American turf. All too long he
has been compelled TO play second fiddle
TO the new hatched. unHedged two-year
o.d as a money winner.
After the first Futurity was run at
Sheepshead Bay in 1888 that event for
juveniles far exceeded in value any race
for three-year-olds. and the winner OF
the Futurity was usually the leading
money winner of the season. This often
gave false distinction to a colt that
never trained on to fulfil the promise of
his nrst seasons feats of sprinting. and
In so doing it belittled the more impor-
tant achievements Of thoroughbreds old
enough to undergo real racing test
When the value of the Hopeful Stakes
was increased to $4,000 and several
other Juvenile races came to be worth
$4,000 or more, after the revival of rae
ing in New York. the two-year-old was
more than ever king of the turf from a
financial point of view, as shown by the
winnings Of Campfire in 1916, Sun Briar
in 1917 and Eternal In 1918. all of these
youngsters having led the list of money
winners in their respective years.
Inauguration Of the Pimlico Futurity,
with $4,000 added to the stakes of
11. nil e4fT
the possibilities of the two-year-olds, but
the present trend is so strong in the
direction of larger stakes for three
year-olds that when Saratoga, Aqueduct
and some other associations fall in line
the older colts will at least have a fair
chance to head the seasons list of
winners.
In England the largest prizes have
always been offered for three-year-olds
and older horses. There are no enorm-
Gus stakes for two-year-olds, the juv-
emile being subordinated to the older
horses in this respect as they are In the
public attention given to their perform
ances The classic races almost monop-
ollze discussion in the newspapers and
among turfmen, and the classics are
all for three-year-olds. Also. they are
races in which all starters carry scale
weights and, with the exception of two
early spring events, races In which the
distance is not less than a mile and a
half In none OF the classic races are
there penalties and allowances. which
81 - of handicapping the starters in so
many three-year-old races here, and
when the last of them has been run the
British turf world is not often left in
doubt as to which is the best colt OF
the year.
England's richest races for three
year-olds are the EPSON Derby and the
Doncaster st. Leger. each of which had
a value of 2.250 last season. reckoning
by the normal rate of exchange. On
the basis of exchange as II is the Ken
lucky Derby will be the richest stake
in the world in 1921. exceeding even the
Grand Prize of Paris. which held the
place of honor last year.
When the Increased value OF the Bel
mont takes effect II will be possible
for a colt good enough to go through
the season unbeaten to start in at
Louisville in May and by winning the
Kentucky Derby. the Preakness, the
Withers, Belmont Dwyer. Latonia Der
by. Latonia Championship. Miller, Trav-
crs. Realization and the rest, earn more
money than any thoroughbred has yet
won In one campaign in fixed events on
the American turf.