view raw text
LATONIA DERBY NEXT BIG RACE Wealth of Sterling Material in Training for Richest Derby of Season on Jinc 14 Cincinnati May 31 The spring season of rac ¬ ing at Latonia will begin Monday June 9 and coiitiiuring twentyfour days will end on Saturday July 5 The opening feature will be the Inaugural Handicap with 2000 added distance one mile and a sixteenth The Latonia Derby is to be decided on Saturday June 11 11Among Among the familiar faces to be seen this season at Latonia on Derby Day will be that of the veteran turfman Col Jack P Chinn who with Ueorge Mor ¬ gan as a partner won the lirst Latoubi Derby with that great performer Leonatiis Col Chinn is now advanced in years but is still hale and hearty He is unusnallv vigorous for one who in a long life ¬ time has passed through many thrilling episodes In u recent talk Col Chinn who was the lirst chair ¬ man of the Kentucky State Kncing Commission anil one of the originators of the law making that body a possibility said saidLeonatns Leonatns to my mind was the best horse Ken ¬ tucky ever produced We started him only once as a twoyearold in a fall stake at Churchill Downs but being only a green colt he ran second in that event with an extraordinarily large number behind him Cardinal McCIoskey the winner had shown himself to be one of the best twoyearolds of the year That was the only raeo that Leoimtus ever lost His next start was in the Blue Illblioii Stakes at Lexington which he won In a canter Then he scored In the Kentucky Derby the Hindoo Stakes now the Latonia Derby ami seven other stake races We were offered 40000 for Leonatus but I had made up my mind to take him to Saratogu as 1 knew he could defeat such eastern cracks as Ueorge Kiuuey Barnes Pizarro and Miss Woodford I also felt sure that when he did this he would easilv be a 100000 horse My friends have always called me a fool for not selling lxonatus for 10000 and this is the first time I have given an explanation as to why I declined the price offered It has been always my rule when I was charged wltli anything and was not guilty to never do anything to square myself We got Leonatus to Saratoga but before he could race there he ruptured a tendon and his career on the track was at an end We endWe did not own him as a twoyearold although he was in our Stable when he met defeat at that age He was then the property of J Henry Miller who bred him We bought him from Miller the following winter for 15000 When Leonatus broke down he was sent to the Lconatiis Stud at Harrods burg Ky but not long afterward we disposed of him to Clay Woodford of Bourbon County Ky He ended his days In their possession Ixiomitus sired several great horses including the sensational Libertine Tillo a Suburban Handicap winner and Pink Coat winner of the American Derby Pink Coat was the sire of Pink Star a winner of the Kentucky Derby and Pinkola a Latouia Derby win ¬ ner nerLeonatlis Leonatlis had as much speed as any horse I ever saw and never seemed to tire I believe he could have won a race like the Kentucky Endurance Stakes four miles Isaac Murphy rode him in most of his races but William Duuohuc was on him when i he won the Kentucky Derby Leonatus was trained I by John McUinty long ago dead deadHacing Hacing today is vastly different from the days i when I was running a stable It may be of interest to state tliat 1 won the first race ever run in the fall at Latonia with a horse called Markland I sold this horse to Kdward Heffner who Is now rac ¬ ing a stable in the east eastInsofar Insofar as Kentucky is concerned I never had any doubt about racing continuing forever in that com ¬ monwealth My idea In establishing a racing com ¬ mission was to forestall the legislation that periodic ¬ ally arises through the efforts of misguided fanatics That 1 have been right in placing racing under the protection of the law In Kentucky Is proven by the nourishing condition of the various tracks in the state The Kentucky courses are daces of enjoy ¬ able amusement instead of the scene of operations of bookmakers some of whom but not all became a discredit to the sitort Thoroughbreds generally today are worth more than ever before There are horses racing now in Kentucky that no money can buy I am told that in the Latonia Derby there will be horses representing a value of close to 350000 This conclusion is based mxm the offers made for certain horses and upon tho value placed I 1 upon racers by their owners ownersAll All of the prospective starters for the Latonia Derby are at present training in superb condition for that event which will possess a gross value of clos to S000 It Is the richest threeyearold race of L 1913 Those regarded as certain to go are A L Astes Ten Point which has been second in two remarkable races at Louisville the Kentucky Derby and the 15000 Kentucky Handicap P Hayes Douerall winner of the Kentucky Derby in the record time of 201 Ueorge M Ilondrios Ureat f Britain Charles W McKennas Foundation J W Schorrs Leochares J T Weavers Unwell Weber Wards Solar Star and Lew Marions Prince Hemils Other eligibles to thn race Include Haw ¬ thorn Helios and Frederick L all of which at present through sickness and bad training luck are doubtful as starters With the collection first named as a Latonia Derby Hold It is assumed that the Derby will historyThe be the greatest in its history The program as arranged by Manager John Hach meister for the Latonia meeting this season is marked by such other features as the Inaugural Handicap the Clipsetta Slakes the Harold Stakes the Merchants Stakes the Valuation Stakes the Quickstep Stakes the Independence Handicap and the Cincinnati Trophy a twoyearold event which will be the richest stake for juveniles run this year on the Kentucky tracks except the Breeders Fu ¬ turity The Spring Trial Stakes at Douglas Park Louis ¬ ville will bo a forerunner of the Cincinnati Trophy The Spring Trial will be decided next Saturday the closing day of thu Douglas Park season
