The New York herald., 1922-08-13
more RICH STAKES
NEED OF THE HOUR
Important Fixed Events at
Present Nearly All for
Three Year-0lds
UNLIKE RUNNING TURF
Private Initiative Pointing
the Way to Track Manag-
ers of Grand Circuit.
UNLIKE RUNNING TURF
ny G. CHAPLIN.

From this time on until the close or
the season futurities and other rich
stakes for young trotters and runners
will have first call on the attention OF
horsemen. 1t is rather singular that
while the two-year-old runers are COM
peting for such luscious plums as the
Hopeful and the futurities at Belmont
Park Pimlico and Laurel. worth in he
aggregate close to $150000, all OF the
more important and valuable fixed
events for colt trotters will be for three
year -olds. In the development of har-
ness racing the two-year-olds have never
been taken seriously enough to come in
for any of the capital prizes, though
$1,000 is now set apart for the juve-
nile division in the Kentucky Futurity,
and this year, for the first time on
record, there is TO be a special sweep
stakes worth $4,000 for two-year -olds
at the Lexington meeting. 1t is not a
fixed event, however, but grew out OF
private sweepstakes arranged by half
dozen breeders and may not be re-
newed.
Followers OF harness racing have
long criticized the managers of the run
ming tracks for making their futurities
for two-year- olds instead of three-year-
ola5s boL Sl6 iS dIt llOl WdLliil9 "
cate that the votaries of trotting may be
following their lead in a measure before
long. 1t Is generally recognized that
the need OF the hour Is a system of har-
ness racing which will stimulate breed
ing more effectually than the present
rlan of filling races for aged horses
with outclassed equine bankrupts that
have been galvanized into winning form
again by the time allowance rule. When
educated campaigners having records of
2 :03L can race all through the season
in the 2:0S class there is not much OF
an incentive for anybody to breed for a
fcur-year-old to start against them.
There might be a strong one, however,
if the breeder could count on three or
four cuturities OF $4,000 each to rice
for when the colts were two years old.
Everybody knows such a system would
shorten the career Of many a promising
young trotter. but in the absence Of
something like it the careers of most of
these promising trotters never begin be-
cause comparatively few horsemen will
reise them and wait until they are three
or four years old to race
The ease with which such private
sweepstakes as the May Day the Rainy
Day, the Breeders Cl.db and other spe-
ciai sporting events for two-year-olds
have been arranged In the last few
years would seem to show that they fill
a real want in harness racing. and there
can he little doubt that a series OF
$4,000 races TO close when the colts were
weaniings or yearlings might readily be
made flnancially successful at some OF
the leading Grand Circuit meetings.
Cleveland, Syracuse, Columbus and
Lexington are strong enough to try out
the scheme, now that the last named
track has blazed the way by making
a success overnight of the day May
Day Sweepstakes, in which the forfeit
is much larger than would be necessary
in a race closing a year earlier than the
one in Kentucky.
Not less strange than the lack Of rich
futurities for two-year-old trotters is
the want of such stakes for three-year-
old runners. The Latonia Champion
ship. which started off bravely few
years ago with n value approaching
$4,000 and a merely nominal entrance
fee. only to be cut down and dwarfed
in Importance when the Latonia track
changed hands, is perhaps the only
event OF the kind in the country. IL the
present futurities at Belmont Park,
Pimlico and Laurel were remodeled on
the lines OF the Kentucky Futurity for
trotters. with a race for a good Dig
prize when the entrants were. two years
old and another for n much larger prize
when they were three. these stakes
might In future make good deal more
important turf history than they have
made in the past. The colt that can
win In a dash OF three-quarters OF a
mile as a two-year-old often turns out
to be a mere sprinter at three. and the
practice OF offering prizes OF $4,000 and
100000 for that kind of thoroughbred Is
one of the weak spots in the present
day system of racing in this country.