19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

This year's Jug attracted an outstanding field of pacers. None of these horses deserves the derisive term used by your writer, least of all a colt that is a world-record holder. Warm Breeze, a $72,000 yearling, was not raced as a 2-year-old because of vertebrae problems, but he is now beginning to live up to his royal breeding (Bret Hanover-Touch of Spring). On Aug. 19 in the Review Futurity at Springfield, Ill., he won in straight heats, and in the second heat his time of 1:54[4/5] equaled the world record for 3-year-old pacers on a one-mile track. This mark was set by the horse considered by many experts to be the greatest pacer of all time, the immortal Albatross. Interestingly, Albatross' time was again equaled two days later at Syracuse by the one horse that Looney claims could compete with Keystone Ore for 3-year-old pacing honors: Oil Burner.

Warm Breeze won the Horseman Futurity at Indianapolis, with a winning heat of 1:58[2/5], and followed that with a second-place summary finish in the Geers Stake at Du Quoin, winning the first heat in 1:58[4/5]. He finished a good fourth to Keystone Ore in the Brown Jug Trial at Hazel Park prior to his showing in the Jug itself.
WILLIAM J. STOLL
Granite City, Ill.

A CASE FOR AGE
Sir:
The magnificent racehorse Forego is now receiving some attention, but it certainly has been late in coming (At Least He Leaves Losers Proud, Sept. 27). This has been my impression, anyway, and a quick survey of my psychology students bears this out. During the week following Forego's victory in the Woodward Handicap, I asked 86 students if they had heard of Secretariat, Foolish Pleasure and Forego. The results were that 70% said they had heard of Secretariat, and almost as many (69%) had heard of Foolish Pleasure. But only 21% had heard of Forego.

I also asked the students which racehorse currently competing they thought was the greatest. Only 11 of the 86 students ventured an opinion, and nine of the 11 picked Foolish Pleasure. The other two selected Forego.

Although this survey is admittedly very limited, it does suggest that recognition goes mainly to the horses that make their mark in the glamorous 3-year-old races. I think this might have something to do with our culture's general romanticization of youth. We fail to appreciate the strengths and dignity of age—even when, particularly in the case of racehorses, the older ones are generally superior.
WILLIAM C. CRAIN
Assistant Professor of Psychology
City College of New York
New York City