200 RACEALONG 



to $28,095, a stallion race which was won by Sim- 

 mocolon and a free-for-all trot being added features. 

 In 1891 the purses jumped to $44,010 while in 1892 

 they dropped to $38,675. The 1893 program called 

 for $41,350, the Stallion Representative Stake which 

 was afterwards known as the Kentucky Futurity 

 appearing in the list of events. It was won by Oro 

 Wilkes. In 1894 there was an advance to $61,080 

 when Buzetta won the Futurity. It was worth $27,- 

 480. The premiums continued to increase annually 

 until in 1928 they amounted to $90,000. 



By opening these events Lexington and other 

 cities tided the light harness racing industry over 

 the lean years in the early nineties when hundreds 

 of breeders learned that a trotter required more than 

 a standard pedigree to maintain his value. During 

 the pinch the stock farms that had been building 

 pedigrees on time records fell by the wayside and 

 the blood lines which they exploited went with them. 

 Performance took the place of pedigree. If the 

 trotters that raced were well bred so much the 

 better but without speed and race horse qualities a 

 standard bred horse had no value except as an in- 

 dividual. 



Under Tipton's management the meeting at Lex- 

 ington passed from a re-union of local breeders to 

 one of national importance. The residents who were 

 not directly interested in racing also knew that some- 

 thing was being done at the ''trots" on the hill, 

 still the rank and file never showed a disposition 

 to wake up and boost one of the best assets of 



