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REVIVAL OF LONG-DISTANCE RACING AROUSES KEEN INTEREST IN KENTUCKY FALL MEETINGS A A Louisville, K3., August 20. It is remarkable that, marking the revival of long-distance racing in Kentucky, after a lapse of more than thirty years, the Kentucky Endurance Stakes, at four miles, to be decided over the Churchill Downs course of the Louisville Racing Association, on Saturday, Octolier 7, will be the richest event of the American turf in 1011. It will be worth more to the winner than any Derby run this season. It will also exceed in value the Breeders Futurity last spring at Lexington. The money added to it by the Louisville Racing Association and Kentucky Racing Commission exceeds that of any other stake decided in many vears in the commonwealth. The Kentucky Endurance Stakes will bu wortli over ,000. it is figured. The nominators to this race embrace the leading American turfmen from all sections. New York is represented by August Belmont, chairman of the Jockey Club, and Samuel C. Hildreth, tiie latter being the leading winning owner in this country in 1!0!I and 1110 and so far during 1011. Pennsylvania is represented by Capt. E. B. Cassatt. the foremost turfman of that state, and son of tho late A. J. Cassatt. who was president of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Virginia is represented by Mrs. N. I!. Davis, one of the few women owners of thoroughbreds in America. California is represented by H. !. Bcdwell; New Jersey by Thomas Monahan; Texas by George M. Odom; Tennessee by John W. Schorr and J. G. Greener; Ohio hy W. E. Nuun; Kentucky bv J. X. Camden. Henderson and Hogan. George J. Long. Mrs. May Lutz, R. N. Smith and Co.. J. I. Weaver and Co. and Wayne O. Joplin. Even Canada is represented by John Dyment, whose family has ligured prominently in Canadian racing annals. Another entry from New York is that of Richard F. Carman, who lias one of the most powerful stables in training, and is one of the largest money-winning owners of the present season. From the stables of these turfmen will come the contenders for the Kentucky Endurance Stakes. Tiiev include nearlv all the stars of the turf now in training, among them being the .0,000 Fitz Herbert, winner of many notable stakes up to two miles, which is as far as lie has ever been asked to run; Bonnie Kelso, a proven long-distance racer; Governor Gray, winner of the Jacksonville and Latonia Derbys: Markie M., winner .of the Waterhouse Cup; Cintrella. winner of lite Latonia Endurance Stakes; Chester Krum, one of the best horses raced in the far west this season and last: Watervale, Flint Rock, Trap Rock, August Belmonts great trio of three-year-olds; Cherryola, John Furlong, Bad News II.. Sehoolmarin, Water Lake. Chief Kee, John Louis, Cisko, Ben Uncas, Zeus, Montgomery, Exemplar. Messenger Boy, Textile. Paton. Rock-field, Roval Report, Fireman, Nimbus, Aylnier. Star Charter, John Reardon, Nadzu and the brilliant Countless. With from ten io twelve starters picked from tiiis array of eligiblcs to the Kentucky Endurance Stakes, it is plainly to be seen that no race lias been tun for years in America that will duplicate in the number of starters and class this four-mile contest. These stars represent the cream of the running turf of the present time. The date of tho running of this race insures that the contenders will be trained to the hour. Long preparation is necessary to get a horse ready for a four-mile race. He must have, in addition to ills private work, an actual race or two at some fairly long distance to put him right on edge; This lias been carefully looked after by the Kentucky racing secretaries, the outcome of which is the giving of tlje Autumn Cup during the fall meeting in Lexington. This nice is at two miles and a quater. It is anticipated that the entries in the Kentucky Endurance Stakes will practically he duplicated in the Lexington Autumn Cup. The cup event, will, therefore, serve as a preliminary to the long-distance race at the Downs on October 7. In all the history of the American turf no contest has proved as great a drawiug card as lias a four-mile race. The public glories in such a contest regardless of the speculative feature. The average American likes to see a racer pass the grandstand. In such a contest as the Kentucky Endurance Stakes the starters will pass the Judges stand four times. Turfmen truly admire a horse that can win a four-mile race. The records of racing show that winners of endurance races have never failed to become notable in the stud. Kentucky has not been favored with a four-mile contest since 1SS0. Previous to that date such a race was an annual fixture at Churchill Downs. Continuous racing at other tracks throughout the country tended to shorter contests. As a result long-distance races were abandoned. Breeders finally awakened to the fact that the American race horse appeared to be deteriorating to the sprinter type. Gradually a number of tracks increased the distance of many of their races. None of them, however, either in the east or in Kentucky, provided any races even as long as three miles. Last spring Maj. F. A. Daingerfield, of the Kentucky State Racing Commission, discussed with J. 0. Keene and other turfmen at Lexington the advisability of reestablishing a race that would revive Interest in long-distance contests and, at the same time, would develop Kentuckys interest in all that tends to the betterment of breeding as an industry and racing as a legitimate sport. It is the belief of Major Daingerfield that the American race horse possesses today the same powers of endurance that it did years ago. The opportunity to demonstrate this power will establish his contention, he says, and tills the Kentucky Endurance Slakes renders possible. Fall racing this year in Kentucky will begin on September 14 and embrace fifty-one racing days. No purse or less value than 00 will be given hy the Louisville Racing Association or the Latonia Jockey Club. The Lexington meeting opens lirst and will continue nine days. Here racing will begin Monday. September 25, and last eighteen days. Latonia will open October 30 and run for twenty-four days. The stakes for these three courses will close September 2. All the stakes are of the added money sort and it is estimated that the new conditions will make every stake worth ,000 or more. The total amount to be distributed on the Kentucky courses this fall will exceed 00,000, and horsemen are gratified over the outlook. The racing will be exceptionally good, rendered so because this -state is now the center of the greatest racing on the American continent. Lexington, Ky., August 2C. Though belated through the mysterious disappearance of Secretary Bidwell, the Kentucky State Racing Commissions announcement on Wednesday last of the subscribers and nominations to tho Kentucky Endurance Stakes of four miles, which is to bo run over the Churchill Downs track at Louisville on Saturday, October 7. has brought general satisfaction to Horsemen and devotees of the turf in this state. They are saying that It is going to be a "cracking good race" and that means much when uttered in unison by Ken-tuckians. The Kentucky Endurance Stakes of four miles had its inception during a conversation between Maj. Foxhall A. Daingerfield, John O. Keene. M. Shannon and other turfmen in "Horsemens Headquarters" in this" city last spring. With encouragement from Major Daingerfield as a foundation Messrs. Keene and Shannon visited one turfman after another for expressions of opinion as to how best to promote the race. Out of this movement came the suggestion that the Kentucky State Racing Commission be requested to assume management of the event until the closing of subscriptions and nominations, and then sell it to the track making the highest bid, with the understanding that the money so bid lie added to the stakes. The commission not only gladly accepted tho management of the stakes but readily voted ,000 to be expended for a gold cup to be presented to the owner of the winner. The conditions of the race stipulate that it be at four miles, for three-year-olds and upward, to carry weight for age; subscribers on June 1 to pay 00. each to have tho privilege of naming one, two or throe horses on July 15, only one horse for each subscription to start and starters to pay 50 additional on the day of tho race. When the commission met here on August 10 to fix the dates for the fall meetings in Kentucky, none of the members had access to the locked desk in which tho missing secretary had deposited the subscriptions and nominations and the bidding for the race was "sight unseen." Col. Matt J. Winn for the Louisville Racing Association expressed the opinion that it would be worth ,000 to have the race run at Churchill Downs, whatever the caliber of the horses eligible, and he bid that amount. It was not raised by either the Latonia Jockey Club or the Kentucky Association and the award was forthwith made to tho Louisville Racing Association. It was just two weeks later before Colonel Winn had a line on what lie had bought as an attraction, and now it is safe to say that had the names of the subscribers and horses been known at the hour of bidding he would have paid double or nearly double the amount he gives. With ten starters the race will be worth, in addition to the Kentucky State Racing Commissions ,000 gold cup, ,400, of which the winner will receivo seventy per cent., the second twenty per cent, and the third ten per cent. Colonel Winn lias announced that the stake will be run at Churchill Downs Saturday. October 7, and it goes without saying that every racing devotee in Kentucky who has carfare to Louisville will be thero that day. The throng will he even greater than that which assembled at tho Louisville track on July 4. 1S7S; to see Frank B. Harpers Ten Broeck go a matcli at four-mile heats against Budd Dobles Mollie McCarthy for ,000 a side, and it is equally certain that the contest will be decidedly more interesting than was that fiasco, for Ten Broeck had no trouble distancing his California adversary in the first heat, running the four miles in SO.
