Some of this lack of competition may well be as a result of the purse distribution during that era when a third-place finisher collected only a very tiny portion.
This situation often limited the number of entrants if there were one or two dominant entries as owners would switch their horse to run on another day when there was a race where they might have a reasonable chance of winning.
[4] Racetrack operators had no choice but cancel some races and drastically reduce the purse money being paid out which resulted in the Second Special Stakes being placed on hiatus.
These small purses made racing horses highly unprofitable and impossible for even the most successful owners to continue in business.
Thoroughbred Times reported that more than 1,500 American horses were sent overseas between 1908 and 1913 and of them at least 24 were either past, present, or future Champions.