Quote:
Originally Posted by golfer
Was $1000 the bottom level for claimers in 1933? That seems like a lot of money back then.
|
At Churchill Downs during that meet - yes.
Here's a better idea of how slow that Derby was ... in all 3 cases .. only two routes were run on each card...
1914 winner Old Rosebud +41 over 8.5 furlong 1.5K claiming race
'33 winner Broker's Tip +8 points over nine furlong 1k-to-1.25K claiming race.
'41 winner Whirlaway +50 points over nine furlong 1k-to-1.25k claiming race.
In 1933 - the 1K-to-1.25K claimer went 1:53.80 - in 1941 it went 1:53.60 ... the '33 Derby went 2:06.80 and Whirlaway went 2:01.40 in his 8 length win over a very strong and deep Derby field.
Old Rosebud also won by 8 lengths over a strong field. It's hard to say if his race was better than Whirlaway's ... because of inflation - one would think $1,500 claimers in 1914 might be 9 points or more better than 1K-to-1.25K some 27 years later.