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Nine horses are winner this season of fifty thousand dollars and upward in stakes and purses. Last year the number of such horses was but seven. Yet, those seven gathered some fifty grand more than this seasons nine. Zev was the answer; In 1923 he alone earned neariy as much as this years three leaders Sarazen, Master Charlie and Black Gold combined. Zevs winninands in 1921 have put him close to tho 15,000 notch. If the brown fellow can just win one of those Maryland ten thousand dollar races hell be sitting atop the world beyond dispute in the matter of winnings. Roughly calculating, Zev is still about five thousand behind Ksar, the French champion that earned his owner- 20,000, figured on the basis of a full value franc. But that three hundred-odd grand had to be spent in France. For the franc of Ksars timo was a decidedly emanciated one. It would barely have crashed a subway turnstile. On the other hand, Zevs bankroll was printed by our Uncle Samuel. But the jockey Club doesnt recognize in-and-out performances of money.. Stewards decided years ago that franc Aas, is and shall continue to be twenty cents in a racing secretarys eyes, regardless of who won the last war or who tries to start the next one. Rock of Gibraltar is a vacillating, irresolute, oscillating, fluctuating old dear compared to any rules committee of the Jockey Club. t : If horses were: as determined to be consistent as Jockey Club, picking winners would be simpler than a lexicographer solving a cross-word conundrum. But getting back to Zev. He and Man o "War fell heir to their one-two position in the list of American money-winners. Two hundred dockers still aver that if muddy track had not been served up for Papyrus, Zev would have Avon 0,000 less in 1923. And if he hadnt Avon that International Special hed be behind Exterminator in Avinnings. And if somebody else than A. M. Orpen had owned Kenil worth track, Man o War- might haAe missed out on opportunity to corral eighty thousand for showing Sir Barton how easy it is for a good big horse to beat a grand little horse. That omission from the Big Trains Avin-ning column Avould put him Avay down below MorAich, or eishth. Exterminator, however, can tell you just hoAV he earned CAery quarter of the 44,20G he has Avon. He made it traAeling all oer America and Canada and down into Mexico. If memory serA-es he AAon a mile and a quarter handicap at Windsor on a Saturday, over a muddy course, and on "Wednesday Avas at Saratoga ready to tackle Man o "War in the mile and three-quarters of the Cup. But the Big Train A-as being attuned, adjusted and tightened for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, in AA-hich he AA-ould have to meet Damask ! and declined the issue. Yes, Old Slim earned his position third in the great list by traAeling on trains; giving truck-loads of A-eight to other horses ; running through eAery sort of mud ; sprinting out of chutes and staying more than tAvice around Pimlico, "Woodbine and Latonia ; adapting himself successfully eAen gloriously to the methods of eight different trainers ; carrying all sorts of riders, and battling A-eek-in and A-eek-out Avith the likes of. Grey Lag, Sir Barton, Boniface, Mad Hatter, Yellow Hand and The Porter. He AA-on more races than Zev ever started in. On EARNED. Avinnings, Exterminator comes, first. Zev second, then Domino. Latter split ,500 for one of the most sensational feature races eAer run. Forty-eight hours after he and Dobbins had taken part in most exciting finish of all Futurities three eyelashes, with Galilee splitting them they were matched, for a side bet and added money of ,500. They xought it out to a dead heat. The side AA-ager was a draw and they cut the added money. Matt "Winn would add fifty grand to such a race today especially if Richard Croker were alive. Tammany Halls boss owned Dobbins and he had more to say about the decision of the Futurity than all the sporting writers in New j.ork and those working for the Associated Press could get into their papers. Ane outbursts of Foxnall Keene, follow-inging Tod Sloans trimming of Tommy Atkins in the Flatbush of 1900, and of Edward Arlington, after Gladys V. Avas disqualified at, Empire, were, compared to Mr. Crokers thuhderings and declamations, merely interesting little obserA-ations on the fortunes of racing. "When Domino and Dobbins made a dead heat of the match, Mr. Croker aAerred that his opinions were Aindicateu. He was positive that Domino did not beat Doboins in the Futurity enough for Galilee to split them. Colin was the only one of our 00,000 winners that was undefeated. Banquet, with 16G starts, was the busiest. Kingston won the most races S9. He was but four times out. of the money in 13S starts. Miss "Woodford topped the mares, Exterminator the geldings. Thirty-four horses are in tne list This seasons entrants are Sarazen, Black Gold, Wise Counsellor and Chacolet. Master Charlie came close, so did Chil-howee and Mad Play. The latter, with three or four valuable Maryland engagements before him, still has a chance.
