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assaaspsss«sss«»B»»»»wss»ss»sMii ■ — —— — — — DERBY AND PREAKNESS Regret Expressed That Both Great Races Are to Be Run on Same Day. LEXINGTON. Ky.. March 24. — Expressing regret that the Maryland lackey Ctah has seen fit to fix the dale for the running af Ihe ITeakness on the same dale the Kci.tin ky Deraj is to be run May 13 — the Lexiaataa Herald this morning says: *-It is. of eaarae, of advantage from eveiy standpoint to have the monetary value of tile Preakness increased and the benefit of example of the Ken tacky lackey Clak in making the Kentucky Derby so valuable is shown in the increase iu the value of the Preakness. "Rut it is unwise, because unsportsmanlike, for the Maryland lackey Club to have the Preakness run on the same day on which the Derby is to be run. and all lovers of racing regret the circumstances. The Kentucky Derby has tor ■ generation been the premier three-year-old event of the American turf; for nearly half a century it lias been run on the apeak*! day of the meeting at Churchill Downs and for a longer period than the present generation can remember l.as been run on the Saturday in May neaiest the tenth of May. It. therefore, by every right of precedence and tradition and by over dictate of sportsmanship, is entitled to a free date. "The Preakness is a notable stake. It has since iis foundation ranked among the great stakes and in the last few yeais has been gicn a greatly in-ereaaed monetary value. In the opinion of the Herald it should be run before the Derby. It is at a mile and an eighth and the Derby is at a mile am a aaaitei and, therefore, it would be more in accord with the training of the three-year-olds to have the Preakness run first, but it has been for years run the week after the Derby — run on different dates of the week — and there seems to be on the surface no justification for its being run on the same day as the Derby this year, except the desire of the Maryland Jockey Club to divide national interest with the Derby. "There should be thorough accord between the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Maryland Jockey Club. The only justification for their existence is that they are trustees for the great breeding and racing interests and there is no excuse for a policy on the part of either that prevents the highest test of the three-year-olds by contesting in each race and is antoginistie to the principles of sport smauship. "The Herald still hopes that the Maryland Jot key Club will see its way clear to have the Preakness ran either the week before or the week after the Derby." • •
