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PROSPERITY OF RACING IN KENTUCKY. The state of Kentucky may -well be proud of the muiiner Id which racing under the guidance of the State Rucing Commission has prospered and is conducted within her borders, and also by the unhesitating niauner in which the executives of the various racing plants have responded to the mandates of the commission. The spring racing season of Kentucky will open, as usual, here in Lexington and the Kentucky Association has once again put forth a liberal and attractive stake program, and Lexington, on account of her comparatively small population, from which the bulk of her attendance must necessarily be drawn, has exhibited all the liberality which could possibly be asked for, especially as climatic conditions at the early date at which the Lexington meeting is held are all too uncertain and the attendance In the event of inclement weather naturally decreases. The New Louisville Jockey Club offers a most pretentious list of richly endowed stakes, the chief of which is the time-honored Kentucky Derby, to which a sum of no less than 0,000 is added, truly a race , -j, worth any mans winning. Only seven stake races, as Hgalnst ten for last season, have been opened by the New Louisville Jockey Club this year, but in almost every instance the value of the stakes show a big Increase over those of preceding years. The added money for the Derby, for instance, is twice as great: as formerly. The Bashford Manor and De-btitantu Stakes have been jumped ,000 and no purse will be offered of less value than 000 and the value of many of the ordinary handicaps will nearly equal that of the stake races of a few rears ago. Douglas Park is to the fore again with a strong program. The big feature, the Kentucky Handicap, y will be worth close to 0,000 to the lucky winner and, though no announcement-hps yet been made by the Douglas Park people as to the value of thier purses, It goes almost without saying that there will be ho falling off in liberality from last season. Latonias stake program is framed upon practically the same lines as last year, but, here again the value of all purses lias been increased to 00. The Latonia Derby, second only in importance to the big Louisville event, has 1914.sh,000 added. The Harold and Clipsetta Stakes, etc., are rich enough to insure spirited contests and materially increase the bank accounts of those lucky enough to win them. Even in what have come to be known as the palmy days of American racing no stake of such magnitude or purses and handicaps of the present value were thought of by the executives of the various Kentucky racing associations and, if the present plans of those who are responsible for the management of these race courses in Kentucky materialize, we are led to believe that there will lie close to sixty days racing in the Blue Grass state during the spring and early summer, and any owner fortunate enough to find himself possessed of a horse of merit will certainly be enabled to more than make both ends meet. To what then shall we attribute all of this prosperity? Certainly to the good ollices of the Kentucky State Racing Commission, backed by a ready response on the part of the executives of the racing plants, and this we think has been made possible by the adoption of the pari-tnutuel system of betting. To the heavy bettor perhaps the system now in vogue on Kentucky tracks presents some undesirable features, as instanced by the fact that every dollar wagered decreases the odds and increases the amount deducted. However, the rank and file of our racegoers thoroughly appreciate the system and endorse its installment by their increased attendance in no uncertain manner. In fact, racing conducted under the pari-mutuel system is becoming more popular with each succeeding year and, so long as racing is carried on as at present, there seems to be but little danger of hostile Intervention on the part of our legislative bodies, who by this time must surely have been brought to realize what a great asset racing and all that appertains thereto is to the state of Kentucky. Thoroughbred Record.
