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CRITICIZE WEIGHT SCALE MOVEMENT TO CHANGE ALLOTMENT FOR THE KENTUCKY ENDURANCE STAKES. Judge Price, Representing New Louisvillo Jockey Club, Officially Brings Matter to Attention of Kentucky State Racing Commission. 1 Lexington, Ky., December 1C. Persons prominent ia the New Louisville Jockey Club having proposed to the Kentucky State Raclug Commission that the weights for the Kentucky Endurance Stakes be ten pounds below the scale of weights for four miles, members of the governing body are asking that tha ideas of horsemen in Kentucky and elsewhere on the subject be given in writing to the commission in order that it may have a consensus of opinion upon which to base whatever action may bo taken in the matter. Tho scale of weight for four miles in vogue on the Kentucky tracks is as follows: 0 yrs. and 3 yrs. 4 yrs. 5 yrs. over. - January 94 lis 120 127 February 00 119 127 12S March 97 120 128 120 April 93 121 129 13 1 May 99 122 131 132 June 100 122 130 131 July 102 122 129 130 August 104 122 128 123 September 105 122 127 12S October 100 122 120 127 November 10G 122 120 127 December 100 122 120 127 The Pacific Jockey Club, the Southern Jockey Club and the American Turf Association, the latter two of which are now dormant, arc the only other turf governing organizations ou the North American Continent having scales for four miles. The Jockey Club of New York has none. Neither has the Canadian Racing Associations. For that matter tho Jockey Club of England has no scale for the distance operative at this time. The scales of the Southern Jockey Club and American Turf Association are" identical with that of the Kentucky Racing Commission, but that of the Pacific Jockey Club differs in these instances: Tho three-year-olds are required to carry 107 pounds In November and 10S in December. The four-year-olds carry 114 in January, 115 in February, 110 in March, 117 in April, US in May, 119 in June, 120 in July, and 122 the remainder of the year. The five-year-olds carry 125 In January, 120 in February, 127 in March, 12S in April and 130 in May and June; other months same as in Kentucky. The scale for tho six-year-olds and upward is identically the same. The proposal for the change in the conditions of the four-mile race, which was inspired by Trainer John O. Keene and which had its first running at Churchill Downs October 7, Gene Lutzs three-year-old Messenger Boy being the winner, is embraced in the following letter: December 2, 1911. To The Kentucky State Racing Commission, Lexington, Ky. Gentlemen: In connection with the second running of the Kentucky Endurance Stake, will you per mit me to congratulate the Commission upon its "renewal and to offer a suggestion, based upon conversations with Mr. Winn and Mr. Grainger, of the New Louisville Jockey Club, and expressions from a numler of horsemen? This suggestion is that the conditions permit horse3 to carry ten pounds below the scale. The race would be none the less a weight-for-age. race, in that there would be no penalties, nor any allowances for horses that had not won a certain amount of money or u specified number of races. In other words, all the horses would carry equal weights according to the scale. The only objections I have to the conditions of the race, and they have been expressed preceding and subsequent to the running of the first event, were that the older horses were compelled to carry 120 and 127 pounds, too great a burden in the opinion of many, and that a three-year-old had too great an advantage under the scale. In looking over the turf records for thirty years or more, I have found exceedingly few cases where the winner of a. four-niilu race carried to exceed 110 or 112 pounds. In many of the races they carried much less. There is, apparently at least, a good reason for this. While a good horse has little or no trouble in carrying 120 pounds or even more for a distance of a mile and a quarter, it is, in the opinion of many horsemen of the present day, too great a burden to be carried for a distance of four miles. Every pound above a reasonable amount, apparently increases its burden, possibly several fold, for each additional mile that is covered. With the conditions permitting ten pounds below the scale, the weights would be: For a six-year-old, 117 pounds; a five-year-old, 110; a four-year-old, 112. and a three-year-old, 90. This wouid make the race not too severe a task, and yet in no way lessen the prestige of the event or the prowess of the winner, it would also make it more attractive to horsemen, with the result of increased entries and a greater number of starters. The above suggestion was discussed with Mr. Winn and Mr. Grainger, and they have asked that 1 convey it to the Commission. All of us are desirous, witli the Commission, that the Kentucky Endurance Stake shall become not only the greatest race run in. America, but that it be perpetual. Respectfully submitted, Chas. F. Price. A number of horsemen hereabouts have expressed opinions in which they agreed that the three-year-olds seem to have some advantage under the scale of weights, but they do not agree with the Louisville officials that the remedy lies In decreasing the weights to ten pounds below tho scale. Some are of the opinion that three-year-olds should be asked to carry five pounds more than the scale, while othe.s think that weights for three-year-olds should be 10G and the four-year-olds and upward should carry respectively 117, 121 and 122.
