Not Satisfied with Kentucky Purses: Horsemen Think Revenue at the Spring Meeting Justifies Large Distribution for Fall Racing, Daily Racing Form, 1919-08-24

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NOT SATISFIED WITH KENTUCKY PURSES Horsemen Think Rovenuo at the Spring: Meeting Justifies Largo Distribution for Fall Racing. LEXINGTON, Ky., August 23. The announcement from Saratoga credited to Chairman Johnson N. Camden of the State Racing Commission, likewise president of the Kentucky Jockey Club, to the effect that added money to purses in Kentucky this fall will be 00 at Lexington, ,000 at Louisville and ,200 at Latonla, has not been well received by horsemen at the local tracks. It is undisputed that these figures represent an increase over the offerings of last fall, but the horsemen are unable to see any justification for a reduction in .the amounts added to purses last spring. The purses in the spring averaged 00 nt Lexington, ,200 at Louisville and ,500 at La-tonia, and it is recalled by some of the horsemen that general manager Matt J. Winn, at the meeting of the State Racing Commission on April 24, made the statement in the course of his appeal for a reduction from the recommendations of a special committee that if the revenue at the spring meetings would justify it he would voluntarily increase the added money to purses. It is contended here that the Kentucky tracks at the spring meetings made money beyond the expectations of the new management, and that the prospects for patronage at the fall meetings are equally bright, so they are expressing the hope that the State Racing Commission, which, in so far as the horsemen are aware, has not acted upon tlio matter of autumn purses, will require at least the same amounts that were added last spring. They are at loss to understand why, if a cut was merited at Louisville and Latonla, a reduction was not made at Lexington. The State Racing Commission, in the resolution adopted April 21 allowing the reductions from the report of the special committee, said: "While it is true that the committee heretofore appointed by the chairman of this commission has reported that purses of greater value could fairly be given by both these associations Churchill Downs and Latonia, but believing that the gentlemen who now have .charge of the sport in Kentucky will add to these purses such additional sums as they can, consistent with a fair roturn to the stockholders who have Invested in the new organization, we deem it advisable at this, time to fix the average purses at no higher sum than those named herein, although express the hope that the gentlemen in charge of these associations will add to those purses until the sport in Kentucky will be pointed to by race lovers everywhere as the greatest in the world."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1919082401/drf1919082401_2_6
Local Identifier: drf1919082401_2_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800