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— : ; INCREASE TEE LATONIA DERBY TO 1 20,000 ADDED AND ENTRIES OF GELDINGS ARE BARRED j ! i « r f t , j j , ., ■ t x , j | , ] . 5 ; Cincinnati. .. June -L — Spurred on by the wonderful popularity which the Latonia Derby has attained in recent years, so strikingly exemplified by the record-breaking patronage of Saturday. Oneral Manager John !la limeister of the Latonia Jockcv Club today announced some bold innovations in connection with the future of this great race for three -year-olds. To begin with, the value of the race next year will l e doubled, so far as the added money is concerned. For the "919 rtirninu of this race, the Latonia Jockcv CM will add the munificent sum of 0,000. as compared with S10.000 added this year. This will easily make it the most valuable of all American races for three year olds. It was only three years ago tiiat the added money for this race was increased from ,000 to 0,000. Coincident with the increase in the value of the race designed to place it in a class by itself among American races for three-year-olds. Mr. Hachtueis-ter has determined upon some radical changes in the conditions for the race. Entries for the race will be restricted to entire colts and fillies. Celd-ings will be barred, as in some of the most important races of the Fr neh and English turf. And it yill be a race in which all the participants will be required to carry scale weight, without penalties and allowances. In taking the radical steps. Mr. Haclmeister has been actaat"d solely by a desire to provide a race of the highest possible class, in wliich the best three-year old.-- of the American turf may meet under conditions that will permit the best horse to win. There has In-en a demand for such :t r:ep from the breeding interests of the country and it is in recognition of this demand that Manager Hachineister has decided to make the change outlined in the Latonia IH-rby conditions. It is predict! i by those who have given thought and study to the matter, that tne action taken will redound to the welfare of the tarf generally and will certainly make the Latonia Derby the greatest race of its kind in America. Fnder the new conditions of the race, coupled with its enhanced value, no owner of a good three-year-old can in future afford to overlook the La- tonia Derby, And the provision barring geldings may have the effect of enriching the thoroughbred breeding interests of the country by saving from the surgeons knife some young horses of merit, that otherwise might be inopportunely gelded before their merit had bees] established. It was only a few days ago that Capt. A. B. Hancock, one of the most progressive breeders of Kentucky, called attention in the public prints to the loss sustained ill this way as a result of the untimely use of the knife on such smashers of the turf as Roamer. Borrow, Old Uoselmd. Boots. Strom -boli and other geldings that have figured so gloriously in the recent turf history of America. If some other race traek managers in this country would follow the Lad of Mr. . Hachmeister in taking this particular step, which is only following a good example set in connection with the important races of England anil France, there is not the least bit of doubt that there would ix- a great falling off in the practice of gelding young thoroughbreds to cure some trifling fault, which oftentimes fails of the purpose aimed at. It is time enough to think of resorting to the knife when it has been thoroughly demonstrated that the animal under consideration does not jxissess the qualities which it is desirable to i erpetuate, say the advocates of the innovation. And, while no defined announcement to that effect has as yet been made, it is intimated that it is Manager Huehmeistcrs intention to enrich the La tonia stake program for next seasons racing in other ways, in the carrying out of his ambition to make Latonia the turf headquarters of America. The Enquirer Cip is to have a permanent place on the Latonia progiam each spring from now on, with a value commensurate with the importance with which this event is to be. vested in future. And other stakes are to be added to the program too, in all probability. With such events as the enriched Latonia Derby and the 0,000 Latonia Championship Stakes scheduled for decision next year, long strides will have been made in Manager Hachmeisters cherished plan to make Latonia the most popular racing center in America.
