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POSSIBILITIES AT LATONIA j Could Become a Grand Scene of Autumn Racing. Magnetic Attractions Besides Those Already Planned Should Be Provided. fj Under .Tolm Hnchineistors sagacious direction, the Latonia track is on its way to bocome the most important scene of autumn racing in the United States. It is certain tliat in 1919 the running of the 50,000 Latonia Championship Stakes will make it such then. But there is no strong reason "why it should not attain that fame in 191S. The single great event of 1919 is of such trans-cendant importance that, when it comes on for decision, it is lwund to overtax the capacity of the Latonia track for that day. Then, unless other events of a character to enlist similar intensity of interest are provided, the multitude of that day from abroad will depart, leaving the track only its normal patronage. That the importance of providing other magnetic attractions is forseen is evidenced in the recent recommendation to Manager Ilachmeister of an increase to 5,000 of the added money to the Jucen City Championship Stakes for two-year-olds. That is all well enough in its way, hut there is a better way in sight. In some cases it is not a bad idea to observe what our neighbors are doing. This is one of the ases. In 1910 the Saratoga Association made the Hopeful Stakes of the guaranteed value of 7,500. It had 109 nominations. AVhen it was run the winner, Canipfire, carried of! 1S,850 and the second and third horses won substantial sums. Encouraged by this outcome, the guaranteed value of the big race for this year was made 25,000 and it drew 1"S entries. It paid 30,000 to Sun Briars owner, 3,500 to the second horse and ,500 to the third. Neither of these races cost the Saratoga Association a red cent. Its value for 1918 has been made 30,000 guaranteed and it received an entry list indicative jof at least 5,000 to the winner, again at no cost to the Saratoga Association. GRAND OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF. Now what is done at one place may be done at another. If John Hachmeister should be moved to make the Queen City Championship of the guaranteed vnlue of 25,000, on exactly tiie conditions of the Hopeful Stakes, there is no reason in the world why he would not receive as many entries as have been rewarded the big Saratoga event and, in the ultimate, without cost. It is to be taken into account that when the Futurity is run at Belmont Park early in September, the leading eastern owners are in the habit of sending their two-year-old stars into retirement, the reason being that the remaining stake races for horses of that age are of minor values. If then. Latonia provided an event of the first magnitude for two-year-olds, these owners simply could not resist the temptation to keep their cracks in training and have a try for its honors, especially since it would give them a line on the form of their youngsters as stayers and come on at a time when all the truly important fixtures of the eastern turf had been decided. As a matter of course, such a race should close early in the year and 191S would be a fine year to give it a trial. Establishing the two-year-old raca on the lines of the highly successful Hopeful Stakes, would have the effect of releasing the money now added and proposed to be added to the Queen City Championship, to enrich the endowment, of what might be made the most important race in North America for three-year-olds and over. That race is the Latonia Cup. Over in England before the war, the winning of the Ascot Gold Cup was held to be a greater honor than even the winning of au Epsom Derby. Annually it was contested by the greatest horses of England and France and its history is replete with glorious struggles between equine giants. Does anyone doubt for a moment that a Latonia Cup contested next October by Hourless, Omar Khayyam, Liberty Loan. AVesty Hognn, Roamer and others of that ilk, would fail to draw a monstrous attendance. Make its value sufficient, make it a weight-for-age race and those great horses and their kind will annually strive in its decision. It would soon become the Ascot Cup of the United States. The real Ascot Cup was endowed witli a 2,500 gold cup and 17,500 in specie, the value to the winner was usually something more than 7,000. SHOULD 3E WEIGHT-FOR-AGE RACE. Moreover it was a weight-for-age race and that is what the Latonia Cup should be if it is desired that the proved great horses should compete. Owners of such horses are averse to entering them in handicaps and properly so, shrinking from the inequalities in weights inherent in such races. But competition on the equal terms of weight for age would be welcomed, provided the inducements offered were adequate. It might be thought that now and then some imperial horse would so stand out in front of his compeers, as to make the result a certainty and thus rob it of interest. But the history of such racing abroad does not justify such a conclusion. It is true favorites have won the Ascot and Goodwood Cups. It is also true that their running was marked by unexpected results, as often as any others of the highly-coveted races. The fact that in this country our best horses are seldom raced at more than a mile and a half, would invest the two and a quarter miles of the Latonia Cup with pleasing doubt and uncertainty. Of the places where racing in the west is conducted untrammelled, Latonia draws on the greatest contiguous population and is easy of access from adjacent states. For this, among other reasons, it is the most susceptible of being made a center of autumn racing without a rival and without a precedent in North American turf history. The trouble with Kentucky racing, good as it undoubtedly is, is that aside from the Kentucky and Latonia Derbys and the Kentucky Handicap, it has no stake races, which by reason of their value, irresistibly induce the competition of the stars of eastern racing. This is si condition which the Latonia Jockey Club can the most easily and appropriately remedy.
