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CHANGES IN HOPEFUL STAKES CONDITIONS. Baltimore. Md., November 14. Since the receipt of the entry blanks for the two-year-old stakes at Belmont Park and Saratoga in 1917, horsemen have commented on the change in conditions governing the Hopeful Stakes to be run at Saratoga, and which has a guaranteed value of 5,000. The main change that has been made in conditions for the Hopeful is that there will be no weight allowance for maidens in next years race. Also, there are other slight changes. Whereas this years conditions provided that winners of two races of the value of ,750 each, or one worth ,500 should carry three pounds extra, next years conditions puts the penalty on winners of two races worth ,000 each or one of ,000, and like changes have been for the penalties for winners of still larger purses prior to the running of the Hopeful. In the running of the Hopeful heretofore, maidens have been allowed fifteen pounds, but the only allowances now provided for are for non -winners of ,500, which will be allowed three pounds, with a seven-pound allowance for non-winners of ,000. The change doing away with the big maiden allowance should be looked upon most favorably by all other than possibly some one or two trainers, who may like to keep a star two-year-old under cover for the sole purpose of getting off the fifteen pounds of weight in this rich and important event, and thereby having just that much the best of it over those who had been running to their best form and winning races.
