Evening star., 1951-02-03
Cobb BosebaIrs Greatest Hall of Fame Members Saw II
III Seek Turf's Richest
Prize in Maturity
|Af Santa Anita
By the Assooioted Press

ARCADIA. Calf. Feb. s.
Eleven thoroughbreds, headed by
the favored Alfred v. Vanderbilt
all-f1lly team of Next Move and
Bed o. Roses, awaited the start
at Santa Anita today of the most
extravagant horse race ever staged.
The event was the fourth run
ming Of the Santa Anita Maturity
with a record-breaking, snow
balling gross purse amounting to
s205, 700.
The winner was due to receive
the highest net prize ever award
ed, either $144,325 or s134,700.
The difference was based on con-
ditions of the race.
Fifty thousand or more turf
fans were expected to crowd into
the track. Official forecasts said
the weather would be clear and
bright and the track fast. Post
time: Approximately 7:35 pm.
(EST).
The Maturity was originated
four years ago and is restricted
to 4-year-old horses. The 1851
Jackpot was the largest of all time
in turf history.
Eight Colts in Race.
Racing against the Vanderbilt
hllles was field that listed eight
colts and one other filly. the lat
ter California bred named Spe-
clal Touch, and any one of them
was given a chance of upsetting
the Vanderbilt queens.
Included were the King Ranch's
Beau Max, Clifford Mooers' Sudan.
Mr.. and Mrs. Clement L. Hirsch's
Blue Reading, John Du Bois
Wack's Great Circle, Thomas G.
Benson's Lotowhite, Louis Row.
ans Akimbo, the Owl Stables
Last Round and the La Jolla
Farms Grandfather.
Victory by Next Move, Bed O.
Roses, Special Touch or Last
Round would be worth s134,70o,
They were supplemental entries,
at $4,000 a head, which lowers
their net award.
A winner from the ranks of the
other seven would bring S144.325.
AS foals of 1947, they were nomi-
mated and kept eligible through
payment of annual fees since.
This accumulation of fees, which
started out in 1948 when 544
yearlings were made eligible at
S25 apiece. plus the usual entry
and starting fees and 100000 put
up by the track accounts for the
tremendous wealth of the gross
purse.
~Other Money Awards.
| Other money awards include
sums of $4,000, $4,000 and slO.-
600 to the second, third and
fourth place finishers; $4,000,
$4,000, $4,000 and $4,000 to the
nominators of the first four fin
ishers, and S14,670 award to
the breeder of the winner if it
was bred in California.
The turf's previous largest
purses were the gross of $146.320
handed out for the 1946 Santa
Anita Handicap and the net sum
of sl08,400 won by Azucar in the
initial Santa Anita Handicap in
1885.
Focus of attention was Next
Move. with Eddie Arcaro, top
stakes rider, aboard. Next Move
was acclaimed the "3-year- old
fllly of the year" for 1850 and is
the big money winner in the field,
with 1858 600 to her credit ac-
quired in % starts of her career.
Next Move drew high weight Of
l2l pounds, but was expected to
grab the pace and probably hold
it. Ready to take over, however,
as the prerace experts saw it,
was her stablemate. Bed O. Roses,
which boasted an impressive rec
ord Of l3 wins in 33 starts and
earnings of S248,250.
;, Strongest opposition figured to
come from Beau Max, Lotowhite
and Special Touch, or possibly
Great Circle.