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UNCERTAINTIES OF RACING Wonderful Two-Year-Olds Often Fail a Year Later. Mr. Whitneys Flattering Prospects Which Went Wrong in i916 Recent Cases. : - : . ; . i NEW YORK, N. Y.. January C. Just now it appears that the J. K. L. Ross stable holds a strong hand for the three-year-old stakes of this year. Billy Kelly, AVar Pennant, Sir Barton and Milkmaid are four aces and hard to beat. Seldom indeed have? we seen as many good three-year-olds in one stable, and it is to be hoped they will perform up to expectations, for there is no better sportsman in any country than Commander Ross, nor one deserving of more success. Win or lose, it is all the same with him, and a defeat doesnt mean dissatisfaction, or a change of trainer or jockey. Racing, however, is an uncertain proposition, and some unknown may develop into the three-year-old champion of 1919. A year ago Johren, Trompe La Mort, Exterminator and Sunny Stoie were almost unheard of, and The Porter only attained prominence at the end of . the Maryland meetings. Bosie OGrady, Tippity Witchet and Papp were high-class two-year-olds and three-year-old failures. Years ago Mesmerist was a wonderful two-year-old and a complete failure as a three-year-old; in fact, a 0,000 two-year-old and a 00 three-year-old. The great Tenny only emerged from the maiden class late in the fall at Latonia. Again, some of the best three-year-olds are ant to break down early in the year. Both Colin anil Celt, best of their year, and owned by the late J. R Keene, broke1 down early "in" the season viiiti,a same way. The previohs year Rowe achieved a record for any country by winning for Keene approximately 00,000, and about the only bad luck he had that year was when the brilliant Peter Pan broke down. Peter Pan was the best three-year-old of his time until he went amiss. However. Ballot, a stable companion, soon took his place at the head of the class. DISASTROUS YEAR FOR WHITNEY. For 1916 the Whitney stable appeared to have a corner on all the good three-year-olds. Thunderer had won the Futurity and all his two-year-old races. Dominant had won three out of five starts and was second in the other two, giving away a lot of weight to the winner. Bromo was only beaten a head by his stable mate in the Futurity. Chicle gave promise of being first class over a long distance of ground and was a really good two-year-old. Pennsa won her only start, and the big colt Clapperbill had won the only two races In which he started in England and was highly regarded by Joyner and Rowe. The stable tried for the Kentucky Derby and failed. Returning east they won a purse with Thunderer and Chicle won the Brooklyn Derby, beating Star Hawk, and these two races were all or about all the three-year-old races won by the Whitney stable that year. All of these star three-year-olds broke down or went amiss. It is doubtful if there ever was, in the history of racing, such a strong stable of three-year-olds as Harry Payne Whitney had at the beginning of the 1916 season and yet they won but two races. The late Senator McCarren paid 5,000 for Beau Gallant and Bellario the fall they were two-year-olds, and they were two out of the three best of their year as two-year-olds. Beau Gallant, in fact, beat the great Commando. As three-year-olds both Bellario and Beau Gallant were rank failures. Only one of them won. and that one only one race. So, after all, racing is a little bit uncertain. Mr. Macomber paid 0,000 for North Star III. after he had beaten Molly Desmond for the Middle Park Plate, and never got a race" out of him. Ban Fox and King Fox were both first-class two-year-olds and brothers. The next brother, King Thomas, sold at auction as a yearling for 8,000 and later privately for 0,000. When right at his best King Thomas was a good buggy horse.
