Evening star., 1940-01-05
From the
Press Box
III Tag on Horses Name
flinders His Career
BY JOHN LARDNER,
Special Correspondent of The Star

There is tendency among foreign
breeders of race horses to put . III"
after the names of their animals. I
warn them. this is fatal.
The symbol III" is an old Roman
slang expression meaning two" or
deuce" 1t originated in casino
game between the Emperor Caligula
and couple of stooges. At the end
Of hand the emperor jotted down
an extra point on his score.
whats that for?" said one 'stooge
to the other.
Search me-" said the second
stooge to the first.
Il had the II of spades" explained
the emperor, reaching for a fresh
deck.
What Of it?" said the first stooge,
"the II Of spades don't mean any
thing in this game"
THE lis amt wild in this racket"
added the second stooge.
well, boys" said Calgula, giving
the cards nonchalant rifle, II have
just invented a new rule in the game
where the II of spades is little casino
and counts one point.
CoIieuIo Mode Odd Rule
Becouse He Was q Heel
"And since you fellas don't seem to
like the way play, also will take
cards, spades, aces, big casino and
the game, and I will arrange to have
you boys fed to the lions between the
fourth and fifth races at the Coli
scum this afternoon. How do you
like those potatoes?"
should have mentioned to begin
with that the Emperor Caligula was
heel Of the first water. Anyhow,
that is how III" came to have the
meaning of deuce" "two," or just
plain second" and, If you know of
worse name for race horse, wish
you would tell me what it is.
When you name a horse Kayak
II, that's the way he runs-Kayak,
second. It's matter of personal
pride to spirited horse of good
family to live up to his name. I
don't blame Kayak. I blame the
misguided individual who failed to
name him Kayak Wins, or Kayak
by Length, or even Kayak by a
Nose.
Two more foreign horses have just
come to this country for their
health, by the names of Beautiful II
and Ra II. Both are entered for
the $4,000 Widener Handicap in
March. You think they can't both
run second? What's the matter with
dead heat for place? Sure as
shooting, that's how the race will
come out.
Dice Seem to be Loaded
Against Beautiful
hate to be knocker, but it also
strikes me that the members of the
II or Deuce family are stuck with a
lot Of very inferior first names.
Ra-Beautiful-Kayak. If you knew
there was horse named Beautiful
once before, I should think you
would make it your lifework to keep
from repeating. Beautiful II is not
bad-looking skate, mind you, but
imagine the kidding he gets around
the barn with handle like that.
And then there is the old express
sion, He ran beautiful second -
The dice were loaded against this
steed from boyhood up.
AS for Kayak, I don't believe
fhpC'Vn Louolr L.
part Of South America where he
comes from-in IL or IS years. Eski-
mos don't take their canoes that far
south unless it's matter of life or
death.
Even with name like Kayak
however, the horse could get by. It's
the II which is blighting his life.
Last year. before he'd been in this
country long enough to understand
English very well, Kayak took q
shot at the Santa Anita Handicap
worth close to 100000, If a penny
He won it.
Koyok Made to Live Up
To His Quoint Nome
He was not self-conscious in those
days. Down in South America, you
understand, the word II is not used
in the sense of deuce" or two" 1t
means second" in the chronological
sense, as in 80 lis make a minute. ~
1t also takes 60 Kayaks to make a
fleet, but that is beside the point.
The other horses began to rib
Kayak II. They told him he was
making bum out of his ancient
lineage.