The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-03-14

 This. N. Sporting World
Present Day Plugs Can Earn Plenty
By JOHN A. cLUNEY

One of the most interesting items relative to racing, that is horse- racing by the runners" rather than the "trotters" is contained in recent information from the Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA) Including the fact that Hlndoo, one of the greatest of track imnaortals, winner of 3i of 33 races in three seasons and never out of the money earned less than S73, 3,000--a lot less than the winners share of any onC one of a several annual racing fix lures such as the Kentucky Derby Santa Anita Handicap, Preaknes' and Belmont Stakes.
 Would you be surprised to know that Discovery, winner of 27 of & races in recent years never earned as much as $l2,000 for any one race with his total earnings less thar S200,000 when he wa retired to stud
 Here's what Alex Robh, execu- tive secretary of the T, R. A. has to say about the situation from an bIklS Ol SOHlpuElSon'
 "rhree decades and two years ago the combined winners share Of the American Triple Crown The Kentuck Derby, PreakneSs and Belmont Stakes-did not total $20,000, the amount First Fiddle received for running second In the Santa Anita Handicap.
 While today each of the trio of three year old classics has an added value of $l00,00o, In 1916 George Smith earned $9,750 for winning the Derby; Damrosch picked up $l,S90 for winning the PreakneSs and the Belmont net ted Friar Rock $4,l00,
 There is too frequently a ten dency to judge Q horse by the amount he earns. The conditions under which he earns 1t should be considered, Probably few horse-, men today would put First Fiddle in the same class as Discovery, though conceding that he's a mighty good horse, but Mrs. Ed ward Mulrennan's seven year old grey has won close to $200,00O more than Discovery, and, by his second in the Santa Anita Handi- cap last Saturday, he passed Sun Beau to become the worlds third largest money winner,
 It's interesting to note that they might still be shooting at Sun Beau's record had the late Willis Sharpe Kilmer chosen to cam paign the son of Sun Briar fur ther. Alex M. Robh, who became manager of the Kilmer Thorough bred interests, recalls that Sun Beau was sound as @ dollar when at six he was retired with earnings which at that time appeared to be unbeatable. Sun Beau won 8 of 74 starts and the richest of his stakes victories was the Southern Maryland Handicap which netted him $34,000; only eight others of his wins were worth over $20, 900. First Fiddle has now won 9 of 8S starts but four of his important races were worth over $40,000, another worth $SS,O00 and besides the $20,000 earned for placing in the Santa Anita Handicap, he earned $l0,000 each on two other occasions for running second.
 Discovery, on the other hand won 27 of 63 startS in four years of campaigning but never did he collect as much as $l2,000 for win ming a race and his total earnings came to $l95 ,287 when he retired to stud. A large measure of Dis covery'S claim to fame lies in his ability to. pack weight over a dis tance. As five year old in 1886 he never carried less than l26 pounds and on ten occasions car- ried from l30 to l43 pounds at distances of from one mile to a
 mile and three quarters.
 With the rich opportunities of today it is possible for a horse of much less than championship quality to win far more than an immortal such as Hindoo, which in three seasons of racing, 1880 through 1882, at distances of from one half mile to two and a half miles, won 3l of g. starts, was never unplaced and earned $72,340.