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1 I 1 REVIEW OF KENTUCKY SEASON Kentucky Derby and Success of Keeneland s Fall Meeting Highlights of 1938 Season in Blue Grass 57 Per Cent Winning Favorites Sets New Record Lawrin Leads Money Winners The Kentucky Derby and the success of Keenelands fall meeting were the highlights of this years Kentucky racing season. The Derby is Americas greatest horse race because it brings the cream of the three-year-old crop into competition at a time when their quality and general ability is purely a matter of guesswork. The great Louisville race usually furnishes a close and accurate line on the future champion of the handicap division and answers the question of which colts will be the contenders for the three-year-old crown. It is necessary for a three-year-old to win the Derby if his owner desires to see him annex the triple crown. He must then add the Preakness and the Belmont to his victory list to take the mythical honors, but first of all a Derby victory is necessary. Lawrin was the surprise of the 1938 Kentucky Derby. He beat a majority of the best of his age at Louisville, barring Stagehand. The latter was on hand but rendered hors de combat through illness. He did not go to the post and Lawrin and Stagehand did not meet again during the year. The question of which is the better of the pair has yet to be decided. Through his victory in the Derby Lawrin finished as Kentuckys leading money-winning horse. His total gleanings amounted to 7,625, far above Main Mans total of 2,535. The then Respess horse was second on the list. He is now the property of Louis B. Mayer, movie magnate. Churchill Downs, where the Derby is run, was the leading dispenser of money. Horsemen shared 276,020 between them as a result of the spring and fall sessions at the Derby track. The daily average disbursement for the year at the Downs was ,517.93, which was higher than a year ago. However, the total for all Kentucky tracks was approximately the same as last year. . One of the oddities brought to light in the recapitulation of the financial and statistical review of the Kentucky racing during the current year is the astounding difference between the percentage of winning favorites at Keeneland in the spring and the fall seasons. At the first meeting the public choices could only average 30 per cent. In the fall favorites won 57 per cent of the contests and that percentage is the highest in the remembrance of current racegoers and most of the veterans. For a track where mutuel pools hold sway, it is more than astonishing, and a great credit to the Lexington course. Form was really form at Lexington last fall. With Lawrin winning the Derby, it put the Woolford Farm at the head of the money-winning owners with 7,625. Hal Price Headley, veteran Kentucky owner, fared well when his horses earned 8,845. Mrs. Ed Haughton won almost as much as Headley, her string scoring twenty-eight victories and winning 8,025. Willie Lee Johnson just nosed out George South for riding honors, fifty winners to forty-nine. South had less mounts and a better percentage than Johnson, however. Porter Roberts was third with thirty-six winners. Ed Haughton, with thirty winners to his credit, had the most success among the training brigade. O. Clelland with twenty-one, and L. ODonnell with nineteen, were next in line to Haughton. , Following are the figures showing the total amounts distributed by the individual Kentucky Racing Associations from 1933 up to and including 1938: Organization. 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 Churchill Downs-Latonia, Inc. Churchill Downs.. 68,085 79,235 49,250 24,915 43,360 76,020 Churchill Downs-Latonia, Inc. Latonia 332,750 205,425 248,940 248,420 206,685 157,700 Keeneland Association, Inc 55,805 144,225 146,305 Dade Park Jockey Club, Inc 101,600 102,100 117,700 119,800 117,900 120,200 Kentucky Association Lexington 44,600 Grand Totals 47,035 86,760 15,890 48,940 12,170 00,225 Following are the figures showing the number of racing days at each meeting, number of races-run, amount distributed, percentage of winning favorites, etc.: W H.? H.p sr. g. g3 OS OaOsfP Si Si Sg, 5o o -5. S.E. S-E. 3. g:S-o Track and Meeting. m s 5"w Qn oln 6 n o o.? 02. as. s- s g- j i- o s ?s.?2.s- 5 2 2 s s : : " ? ? " : f : r f : : : : tChurchill Downs spring meeting.. 22 177 156 329 233,820 79 31 69 13 10 .45 tLatonia 27 215 197 383 157.700 90 32 97 9 11 .42 tDade Park 26 192 150 293 120,200 68 44 81 5 10 .35 fKeeneland spring mooting 11 82 110 222 78,305 25 21 37 6 8 .30 Keeneland fall meeting 10 70 98 187 68,000 40 10 20 10 3 .57 Churchill Downs fall meeting 7 52 91 143 42,200 18 9 25 2 3 .35 Totals and Grand Percentage. .. .103" 788 $ 700,225 320 147 329 45 45 .41 fDead heat Note there were two dead heats run at Churchill Downs spring meeting and four dead heats run at Latonia meeting. Following are the figures showing the number of racing days at each track and daily average for the past five years: Racing Races Days Run Daily A v. Daily Av. DailvAv. Daily Av. Daily Av. Daily Av. Track. 1938 1938 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 Churchill Downs 29 229 $ 8,846.57 6,638.33 7,330.88 $ 8,330.19 $ 9,360.00 9,517.93 Keeneland 21 152 6,200.56 7,211.25 6,966.90 Latonia 27 215 6,655.00 5,552.03 6,728.11 6,714.05 6,263.18 5,840.74 Dade Park 26 192 4,064.00 3,926.92 4,526.92 4,607.69 4,534.62 4,638.08 Lexington , 3,430.77 Totals and General Av..l03 788 $ 6,047.06 $ 5,408.44 $ 6,349.38 $ 6,554.95 $ 6,782.57 $ 6,798.30 Following are the leading money-winning horses: Horse. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Amt. Lawrin 1 1 l 7,625 Main Man 4 0 0 12,535 Johnstown 1 0 0 9,335 Arabs Arrow 4 2 1 8,880 T. M. Dorsett 1 0 0 1 8,450 Allegro 4 2 0 7,745 Tunica 5 1 1 6,220 Royal Pam 2 10 6,115 Dauber 0 1 0 6,000 Bull Lea 2 0 0 5,705 Following are the leading money-winning owners: Owner. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Amt. Woolford Farm 15 9 7 0,625 Headley, H. P 13 11 11 18,845 Haughton, Mrs. E 28 16 21 18,025 Tall Trees Stable 19 19 17 17,000 Dixiana 13 15 14 16,130 Respess, J. B 6 2 1 13,885 Murphy, Mrs. R. J. 17 21 14 13,400 Greentree Stable 10 15 9 11,962 Hickman, L. J. 8 6 4 11,540 Ellis, J. C 17 13 18 10,625 Calumet Farm 7 4 2 10,180 Following are the leading jockeys: Jockey. Mts. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Unp. P.C. Johnson, W. L...347 50 58 44 195 .14 South, G . .302 49 43 48 162 .16 Roberts, P 321 36 50 34 201 .11 Swain, C 266 34 32 28 172 .13 Fowler, G 232 29 30 29 144 .12 Perkins, C 94 22 16 15 41 .23 Grill, F. 153 22 14 23 94 .14 Littrell, J. 162 22 29 19 92 .14 Fields, C 106 21 12 19 54 .20 Williams, S 106 20 18 8 60 .19 Dotter, R 126 20 15 18 73 .16 Following are the leading trainers: Trainer, Wins. Trainer. Wins. Haughton, E 30 Jones, B. A 15 Clelland, 0 21 Van Dusen, C 13 ODonnell, L 19 Dngerfield, K., Jr.12 Johnson, 0 16 Tarn, A. G 12 Letellier, F. P 16" Battle, H. H 11 Finch, C. N. 15
