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NECESSITY FOR REVISION WALTER S. VOSBURGK SUGGESTS CHANGE IN EASTERN SCALE OF WEIGHTS. Twenty Years Have Elapsed Without Alterations Advantage with Younger Horses Under Present Scale Three -Year-Olds Profit Most. Now York, December 21. In the opinion of "Walter S. Vosburgh, otlicial handicapper of the Jockey Club, it is time the scale of weights in the east be revised. Mr. Vosburgh calls attention to the fact that there has been no revision in scale of weights in twenty years. "Twenty years have elapsed," says Mr. Vosburgh. "since there has been a revision of the eastern scale of weights. In all human affairs revision has been found constantly necessary in order to adapt them to present conditions. States hold constitutional conventions at stated periods to revise their constitutions and render them applicable to new conditions constantly arising. The Rules of Racing have, from time to time, been amended, but since ISflO no alteration has been made in the scale of weights for age. "It is certain the Jockey Club would have long since revised the scale, but for the legislation that caused a suspension of racing for a considerable period. "When racing was resumed, the need of revision was not pressing there were no weight-for-age races, the class of the horses loo inferior. Consequently, there were little else than handicaps and selling races. But now conditions are better. Tlie class of horses is better, stakes of value and importance are being offered and it is likely a revision of tin! scale will be considered. "When, in 1S00, the American Jockey Clubs rules became the code of eastern racing, the scale was a very simple one. At weights-for-age, at all distances, two-year-olds carried seventy-five pounds; three-year-olds, ninety pounds after Septemler 1, ninety-five pounds; four-year-olds. 103 pounds: five-year-olds, 114 pounds, and six-year-olds, 118 pounds. This covered all months of the year. In races exclusively for two-year-olds, 100 pounds, and for three-year-olds, 110 pounds were the weights. "The first revision was in 1S7C, when a sliding scale was adopted; the weights changing each mouth except in the case of four-year-olds, which was 118 pounds throughout the season. The weights for two-year-olds were raised to 110 . pounds and three-year-olds to 118 pounds. In18Sl the scale was again revised and in 1S8S a further revision was made. This held until 1S9G, when the present Jockey Club issued the scale which has been in use ever since. "Tiider normal conditions, the present scale would be satisfactory. Rut now horses are raced so frequently that, by the time a horse reaches his third or fourth season of racing, he has begun to lose his speed. The consequence is that under the present ncale the average four, five or six-year-old is at a distinct disadvantage. For the past fifteen years the three-year-olds have won a majority of the weight-for-age races. Even in the handicaps the superiority of the three-year-olds has been apparent. I can remember the time when horsemen said no three-year-old could win the Rrooklyn Handicap. None had. although many had tried; but since then they have. Fourteen renewals of the race had been run before Conroy won it, and since then Irish Lad, Superman, Celt and Friar Rock. "In recent years it has become a common matter to sec a three-year-old with top weight in the important handicaps and winning them. The Manager did; so did Roamer and Stromboli. Fifteen years ago such a thing would not have been believed possible. It is daily more apparent that a good three-year-old has a decided advantage over older horses under the present scale, unless in an exceptional case, or where the older horse has been only moderately raced. "As regards two-year-olds, their advantage over older horses under the present scale is quite pronounced. My attention was lirst directed to this as long ago as the autumn of 1895. Ren Brush, a two-year-old, was entered for an all-aged heavy handicap at Gravesend, three-quarters. I allotted him 10S pounds. There was a good entry, but all scratched but four. Meeting M. F. Dwyer, owner of Ben Brush, I remarked: " Only four starters for the handicap. " Yes; my colt has scared them all out. he replied, laughing. "They think you have led him in too lightly. " I thought he had all he deserved, I answered. " He has yes; of course hes giving them all I weight and age. " Hes conceding Lncania eleven pounds and she ! is one of the best three-year-old fillies of the year, I observed. " Well, responded Mr. Dwyer, I expect him to win, but for all that I think as a two-year-old 1 against old horses and in the mud, too, he has all I the weight he can carry. "I was wrong, for Ben Brush won easily. That t autumn I believe he could have given away his s year and a beating to any three-year-old in training. "At the Morris rark meeting, which followed, , I wis furnished additional evidence if the ability r of the two-year-olds to defeat older horses under r the scale. Mr. Belmonts Refugee, two years old, , with eighty-seven pounds, won at a mile, beating ; Beldemere, four years old, 110 pounds; Rubicon, , four years old, 117 pounds; Buckrene, four years j old, 100 pounds; Lamplighter, six years old, , 308 pounds, and others. Three days later, , Refugee at three-quarters, with 128 pounds, defeated - a field conceding thirteen pounds actual weight to a three-year-old. A few days later r Refugee, with only ninety-four pounds, was only beaten a neck by Lucania, four years old, with 1 108 pounds. At the same meeting Prince Lief, , two years old, with eighty-nine pounds, won at t one mile and an eighth, easily defeating Lucania, , three years old, 104 pounds; and Lucania won the 2 "Withers Stakes the same meeting. "During the Morris Park Autumn meeting the ; following year 180C Challenger, two years old, , won the Fordham Handicap, with 109 pounds, , beating Arapahoe, five years old, 104 pounds; -l Brandywine, four years old, 130 pounds, and others. . m Oleophus, two years old, with 109 pounds, at five 3 aud one-linlf furlongs, defeated Tremargo, three 2 vears old, 114 pounds; Bonaparte, three-years old, , 115 pounds, and others. Typhoon, two years old, , 118 pounds, at six and one-half furlongs, defeated - Brandywine, four years old, 120 pounds, and 1 others. Divide, two years old, won a mile handicap - with 124 pounds, conceding weight to a field 1 of old horses. "But the Morris Park Autumn meeting of 1899 9 was the occasion of my proving what two-year-olds s could do with older horses; and it was a rout. Pupil, two years old, 107 pounds, won at five furlongs, - beating St, Calatine, four years old, 110 3 pounds, and four others. Herbert, two years old, , 93 pounds, won at a mile from old horses among ! them Charentus, five years old, 109 pounds, Decanter, - four years old, 112 pounds, and others. "Waring, - two years old, with 108 pounds, won the Bronx c Handicap, at six furlongs, beating Muskadinc, four r years old, 113 pounds; Richard J., four years old, 018 pounds; Previous, four years old, 135 pounds, i, aud Trillo, four years old, 110 pounds. Kings s Courier, two years old, 109 pounds, wou a three- - I ! 1 I t s , r r , ; , j , , - r 1 , t , 2 ; , , . 3 2 , , - 1 - 1 9 s - 3 , ! - - c r i, s - quarters of a mile handicap for all ages, defeating Souchon, three years old, 98 pounds; Admiration, three years old, 123 pounds; St. Cloud, five years old, 122 pounds, and Heliobas, three years old, 114 pounds. Kings Courier won by three lengths. Ac-i cording to the scale he conceded Souchon 31 pounds. "Waring in his race conceded constructively 18 pounds to Muskadinc, which defeated Ethelbert at the same meeting, "The race between Plaudit and Ben Brush at Gravesend in 1S97 created u sensation at the time. It was at one and a sixteenth miles. Plaudit, two years old, with 90 pounds, made all the running and defeated Ben Brush, four years, old, 120 pounds. by a head. According to the scale, he conceded Ben Brush one pound, and Ben Brush was the champion racer of that season. The race at Sheepshcad Bay in 1903 between The Minute Man, two years old, 92 pounds, and McChesney, four years old, 122 pounds, at one inile was similar. McChesney was a favorite, 5 to 3 on, but The Minute Man won as he liked, conceding McChesney seven pounds by the scale. At Laurel in 1912 Yan-I kec Notions, two years old, 99 pounds, conceded to such older horses as Sir John Johnson, five pounds; Housemaid, thirteen pounds, and Rose Queen, seven- teen pounds. At Laurel in 1914 Sharpshooter, two vears old conceded fifteen pounds to Hester Prynne, twenty-four pounds to Springboard, twenty-one pounds to Isidora and twenty-eight pounds to Pard- ner. "In recent years the two-year-olds have not started against older horses as frequently, as they did in the years mentioned. And for a good reason the races for two-year-olds exclusively have in-; creased to such an extent that they need not go out of their own class. Racing secretaries find that races exclusively for two-year-olds fill better thnn any others. At Saratoga last season, out of 145 races, 47 were for two-year-olds; at Belmont Park Autumn meeting, 23 out of 72; at Havre de Grace, 42 out of 119; at Laurel, 52 out of 182. Even as recently as the Laurel meeting, in a race at one mile. Koh-i-noor, two years old, 90 pounds, was only beaten a head by Capra, 4 years old, 113 pounds, and then only by the inability of the little boy who rode her to a finish with Shuttinger. "It is needless to cite more instances. I have cited enough to show that, at the present scale, the two and three-year-olds appear to have an advantage over the older horses. I might cite Africanders Suburban, or Sysonbys Great Republic and Annual Champion, and a host of others, all tending to show that the younger horses prevail. but if these are too remote lor the purpose, I need only cite such "modern Instances" as Friar Rocks Brooklyn, Suburban and Saratoga Cup; Dodge win-1, ning with top weight In the all-aged handicaps, and gallant little Spur conceding his year In -weight to the best old horses in training, and fighting it out with them at the winning post."
