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1951 Kentucky Futurity Worth Estimated 0,000 LEXINGTON, Ky.— October 4 is the date this year for the Kentucky Futurity, the oldest and one of the most important futurities for three-year-old trotters. To be raced at the "red oval" at Lexington Trots, I it promises to have the top three-year-old trotters of the country battling for the estimated purse of 0,000. J. A. Goldsmith won the inaugural Futurity in 1893 with Oro Wilkes, a mile in 2:14%, getting the big end of the 1,850 stake. The Futurity has been raced annually since that date, except for the war years of 1942 through 1945 with varying purses. Not until 1946 did it begin a steady climb when it was worth 5,781. The 1950 version, worth 4,665, was won by Stars Pride, the Arden Homestead star who placed second in the famed Hamble-tonian. The fastest heat ever trotted in the Kentucky classic was in 1931 when Will Caton drove Protector to win in 1:59% as against 2:02 last year. It is not known yet the number of eligible three-year-olds are still nominated for the big purse, but according to past history, they will be the top of the nation. Following the Goshen Hambletonian by two months, those youngsters going to the post at Lexington have, as a rule, started in the Hambletonian. So far, 11 Hambletonian winners have repeated their performance in the Kentucky Futurity.
