view raw text
YEARLING JUDGING CONTEST Keenelands Annual Event to Be Staged From April 14-28. Relatives of Many Famous Horses to Be Entered Contest Open to the General Public. LEXINGTON, Ky., March 31 Brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews, nieces and in-laws of some of the greatest thoroughbreds that ever raced in America, will be seen in the annual yearling judging contest to be held in conjunction with the spring race meeting at Keeneland race course here April 14-28. The contest, inaugurated in 1933 by the Thoroughbred Club of America, will be one of the highlights of the eleven-day program at the Lexington track. Impressed with the interest shown in the contest last spring, the first ever held at the race track, Kentucky breeders are planning to enter many of their finest yearlings in this years contest. Youngsters representing the most successful thoroughbred blood will be seen. Man o War, Americas horse of the century and daddy of the mighty War Admiral, will be represented by at least one son. The Porter, leading stallion in the United States last year, will have several sons and daughters competing. Other sires, which will be represented by sons and daughters, will be Pharamond II., top sire of two-year-old winners last year; St. Germans, sire of such outstanding horses as Twenty Grand, Bold Venture; Equipoise, a mighty horse in racing a few years ago, and numerous other brilliant stallions. DATE NOT ANNOUNCED. Exact date for the judging has not been announced, but the contest will be open to the public. The yearlings will be shown in Keenelands beautiful outdoor paddock and paraded on the race track. Persons participating in the contest will be furnished a program listing each of the youngsters entered and including the yearlings pedigree, his relationship to great horses in racing, his birth date, owner and the horseman who bred him. Also included on the program will be a ballot which those persons participating will use for designating their individual choices for the best yearling in the group. The contest will be determined by money-winnings of the yearlings in their two-year-old racing season. The person selecting the yearling that wins the most money at two will be declared the winner and will receive a beautiful trophy. A similar contest was held a year ago and the winner will be determined by money-winnings of the horses as two-year-olds this year. This spring marks the first time that pedigrees of the youngsters have been given. Heretofore judging has been based solely on individuality of the yearlings. Knowledge of the breeding is expected to bring hundreds of new persons into the contest. Both colts and fillies will be shown. Tentative plans are to show the colts oh one afternoon and the fillies on the following day. Last year horse lovers from throughout America participated in the contest, matching their judgment of horseflesh against Kentucky horsemen who have bred and raised race horses all their lives. Records on the contest reveal that only one breeder ever won the prize.
