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GREAT FOUR-YEAR-OLD MONEY-WINNERS I By SALVATOR j ... ; One of the features of Equipoises accomplishments on the turf is a new American record for money winnings by an American four-year-old throuoghbred his credit being 07,375 made in 1932. The pride of the C. V. Whitney stable is the first performer of that age in our turf annals to cross the 00,000 line a distinction that is only one among the many he has gathered during a career in which misfortune has repeatedly beset him, but for which fact he might today be the largest money winner, in total earnings, of all time in all the world. The special achievement noted, however, calls for special mention, and its merit may in no way better be appreciated than by presenting the following list showing the leading four-year-old winners for the past fifteen seasons, or from 1918 to 1932, inclusive. , Here it is: Year. Horse. Races. 1st. 2d. 3d.Unp. Won. 1932 Equipoise, ch. c, by Pennant Swinging, by Broomstick 14 10 2 1 1 07,375 1931 Plucky Play, b. c, by My Play Plucky, by Broomstick 22 4 3 6 9 86,725 1930 Blue Larkspur, b. c, by Black Servant Blossom Time, by North Star III... 3 2 1 0 0 51,650 1 1929 Diavolo, ch. c, by Whisk Broom II. Vexatious, by Peter Pan..... 11 8 2 1 0 87,190 1928 Crystal Pennant, b. c, by Pennant Crystal Isles, by Great Britain 15 3 4 4 4 97,200 1927 Chance Play, ch. c, by Fair Play Quelle Chance, by Ethelbert 12 6 3 0 3 86,800 1926 Peanuts, b. c, by Ambassador IV. Agnes Sard, by Sardanapale. ....... .13 5 5 0 3 41,450 ! 1925 Princess Doreen, b. m, by Spanish Prince II. Lady Doreen, by Ogden....25 11 3 8 3 69,220 1924 Spot Cash, b. c, by Broomstick Payment, by All Gold.... 22 9 4 2 7 46,420 1923 Little Chief, b. c, by Wrack Medora II., by Rabelais 19 6 7 3 3 27,360 1922 Firebrand, ch. c, by McGee Subdue, by Star Ruby ;.19 6 3 2 8 39,110 , 1921 Yellow Hand, b. g, by Rossendale Yellow Sea, by Martagon ...17 10 0 3 4 42,271 I 1920 Cirrus, b. c, by Tracery Morningside, by Meddler 14 6 5 0 3 25,196 1919 Exterminator, ch. g, by McGee Fair Empress, by Jim Gore 21 9 6 3 3 26,402 1918 Cudgel, b. c, by Broomstick Eugenia Burch, by Ben Strome 17 9 4 1 3 33,826 LEADING FOUR-YEAR-OLDS OF OTHER YEARS. - i As a matter of interest, here is a condensed table of the leading four-year-olds from 1918 back to 1902, which carries the record back for thirty years: Year. Horse. Amt. Year. Horse. Amt. 1917 King Gorin 5,575 1909 King James 8,253 1916 Ed. Crump 16,351 1908 Ballot 55,915 1915 Hodge 16,928 1907 Nealon 44,890 1914 Robert Bradley 10,315 1906 Dandelion 30,730 1913 Rudolfo 14,450 1905 Beldame 26,850 , 1912 Star Charter . . 14,655 1904 Irish Lad. . 29,130 1911 Follie Levy 9,324 1903 Waterboy 50,775 1910 Olambala 22,815 1902 Gold Heels 26,120 It will be seen that as far back as 1903 Waterboy established a record of 0,775, he being the first four-year-old on the American turf to reach or pass the 0,000 mark. Five years later Ballot posted new figures of 5,915 in 1908. The memorable debacle was then near at hand and only three years later the bottom figure, for modern times, was hit of but ,324 by Follie Levy, the four-year-old leader of 1911. Then the worst of the storm being over an ascending arc began and when, in 1912, Star Charter, son of Star Shoot, made a credit of 4,655, he not only led the four-year-olds of that season, but all thoroughbreds of all ages, the nearest approach to it being the 2,254 of the two-year-old , 1 Helios. No detailed comment is required concerning the year-by-year record since that date. Sufficient be it to state that Ballots record was not beaten until in 1925, when that iron-sided filly Princess Doreen piled up a total of 9,220 when she won eleven of her twenty-five starts. While a big gain, this sum stood at the top for only two seasons, as in 1927 i Chance Play shunted it into the background by a jump far up the ladder to 6,800. The honors of Fair Plays son were short-lived, for the very next season of 1928 Crystal Pennant, by winning the Coffroth Handicap, which netted him 2,700, raised the record to 7,200, which remained the best until 1932 brought us our first 00,000 four-year-old in Equipoise. It is a notable fact, incidentally, that both Equipoise and Crystal 1 Pennant are sons of Pennant, and of the Domino male line. The world record sum won by a four-year-old thoroughbred, however, still remains to the credit of the great Isinglass, which son of Isonomy at that age made but three starts, winning in succession Englands three richest events at that time for all-aged horses, the Princess of Wales Stakes at Doncaster, worth to him 10,911 pounds; Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, worth 9,285 pounds, and Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket, worth 11,302 pounds. The trio totalized at 31,138 pounds, which, reckoned at the old formal exchange rate of for the pound sterling, was equivalent to 55,690. Figured at the actual exchange value of the pound at the time, the same having been .84, the total, would have been 50,705.02. OTHER GREAT WINNERS IN ENGLAND. This achievement of Isinglass occurred in 1894. As far back as 1889, however, -Ayrshire, as a four-year-old, by winning but two events, the Royal Stakes at Kempton Park and Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, had captured 20,660 pounds, ordinarily quoted as worth 03,300; but, exactly calculated, worth but 9,394.40. In later years Prince Palatine in , 1912 won 20,730 pounds; which, exactly calculated, was equal to 00,333.20. Only one other English four-year-old won a sum approximately as great, this having been Rock , Sand, whose, credit at that age in 1904 was 19,719 pounds, or just 7,439.96. Owing to the many changes in the value of the franc, computed in dollars and cents, it is impossible to calculate satisfactorily the winnings of modern French race horses but it seems improbable that any ever won the equivalent of 00,000 in his or her four-year-old form. There is only one other horse that comes into the picture, this having been the dead Australian champion, Phar Lap. Here again we are involved in uncertainties. Owing to the seasonal differences in climate, horses do not count their ages "down under" from January 1, as with us, but from August 1. He was foaled in 1926, hence was six years old the present season by our standards; but only five, according to those of his own country, when he died. According to current tables of his winnings, in 1929-30, when he was "three-four" he won 34,070; and in 1930-31, when he was "four-five," he won 23,830. These winnings are computed on the "courtesy" principle of rating the Australian pound as worth American money, but as a matter of fact the value of the Australian pound during 1929-30-31 was much less than that, being sharply depreciated from normal times. It would therefore be necessary to have an exact table of the races run by Phar Lap in the year 1930, with the precise values of the Australian pound during the period involved, in order to place Phar Laps winnings on real comparative equality with those of American and English horses. He may have won as much as 00,000 as a four-year-old. But the probability is that he did not.
