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KENTUCKY DERBY HORSES READY. All Candidates Trained to the Hour — Great Crowd Expected to Be Present. Louisville. Kv.. May 1. - The thirty fifth chapter ill the history of the Kentucky Derby will be written Monday afternoon about four oclock, for at th.it time it is expected that at least ten and possibly twelve eligibles iu that event will go to the post in the greatest race kuown to the people of the commonwealth. Derby day is the day when the native born turn hack the roll of honor to recall the winners ol the race, It is the time when the old guard, now almost extinct, tells tin- rising generation of the achieve incuts of horses, the like of which, in their opinion. man will never more beheld. And they do not for get to relate how Price McOrath. owner of Aria tides. the til st Derby winner, tapped a drum as far back as a half century ago. to start the racers. Then. they will siv. the struggle yva~ lor the trophy plate, honor of victory outweighing all financial consideia tiou. In those days 110 bookmakers swayed the price, for men wagered with each other, a nod of the head or the utterance of a word being the equal of posting the money. But this vision of the long ago promises to grow in fascination. The guardians of racing in Ken tuckv. realizing the severity of the reform storm. conceited the idea of retiring to the pari-inutuel cyclone cellar, after having discarded ii years before. This system now prevails so far as the Louis villi- and Lexington tracks an- concerned. Witli the •unite bookatnkers" the sea of npei illation will rise and fall, beginning Derby day and continuing fot seventeen days thereafter. Of course, the displaying of odds and ihe American idea of race course betting are most popalar, but rather thnn not stake ones judgment, backed by dollars, the average Kciiiuckian welcomes the mechanical bookmaker as an old friend, and trusts the rest to fortune. All Kentucky will awaken Monday morning hoping tr see the sun siiining. The weather has everything to do witli the spectacular features of tin- Derby. A fair day and a fast track mean « big field, greater uncertainty in the outcome of the race and a more magnificent outpouring ot people. Vet. it takes a strong combination to work to tin- disadvantage of the days festivities. Rain, col temperature and storms have attended tin- last three Derliys. still tremendous crowds attended. This time, if the sky is cloudless, the air balmy and the track even good. Churchill Downs will be visited by the greatest race crowd in its history. Colonel M. J. Winn, vice-president and lenersl manager, expects, under favorable condition*, to see close to 50.1100 ptoplc in the enclosure and he con liileutly believes that the big race is going to be tin-best in more than a generation. Conditions for preparing the eligibles for this race bare been singularly fortunate. On tin- four tracks where the horses have been trained Kentucky Association, at Lexington: Churchill Downs, at Loii-.s villc: Cnsaberland Park, at Nashville, and Montgoni erv Park, at Memphis, the winter season was as if the trainers had ordered it. Practically all the time the tracks were good, especially the I owns coui-e ami that at Montgomery Park. There was little sick ness among tin- horses. Thus none sustained a setback, save in one case. T. M. Irecn. at Moatxom-cry Park. Fever reduced his weight, but he has come around all right and will, it la almost certain start in the Derby. All through the cold months such horses as Win tergreeti. Rockcastle. Direct and Warfield were worked right along at Montgomery Park. Friend Harry was in the inUIst of a California canipaiLii and occasionally showing Hashes of tin- marvelous speed he displayed as a two-year-old. When Ii.-reeled oft the Derby route of a mile and a quarter in 2:06 flat, one quarter faster than the Derby record, set by Lieutenant Glbaon in 190O. the students of form in this section of the country turned their eves toward the setting suu and figuratively observed the Derby winner. This colt .■iirived here last Sac-day, seemingly iu good condition. Since then he has manifested signs of Ix-ing tucked up. but his trainer. Crover Baker, and owner, Edward Alvey. say they are unable to find sneli to bo the i-ase. Turfinen back fi"m tin- coast say that if Friend Harry is ready ami can stay the distance he ought to win. Alvey s;1~ I,, will, and he Ik a good judge. Away last winter good reports reached here from Lexington about J. N. Camdens Miami. On tiie opening day of the Lexington races this colt defeated VViuttTgreen. and since Chen, on last Tuesday, with lis weight up. he worked the route in 2MN. This settled it so far as the Lexington contingent i i-onccrned. The colt reached Churchill Downs TI1111-nay iu good order. Wheu he- starts he will carry the money of the blue grass contingent. His owner is a wealthy man. who is engaged ill racing for the sports sake and its preservation. Michael Angelo. the property of George Hendrie of Detroit, wnt trained at Cumberland Park. Intil a week ago lie had been regarded as a non-starter. as i-eports were persistent that he was not training • Hi and did not appear fit to saddle ill the Derby. Suddenly the wireless iufianiatiou came and persons with prying eves began to investigate. It was ascertained that the chestnut son of Oram hail worked faster than any other Derby candidate. Realizing that it wis useless to continue under cover John Walters, trainer of the colt and the man who neat the great little mare. Ida Pickwick, to the post in so many uinirng races, unloaded his charge at Churchill Downs and joined the turfmen then- iu a genera] laugh. Walters had l* en overhauled in iiis specialty of ••silence and tun." Hundreds of Ten-nesseeans are coining to sih Michael Angelo run and they, of course, expect to see him win. It was in isv.i 1 1 1 ;t t the Tcaaesseeaaa filed lata Churchill Downs like an invading army the day of the Proctor Knott -Spokane duel. To a man the aorta of the sister state tunned their faith ami acionipaiiving dollars to PractOT Knott. That night one of them, less grief-stricken than his Comrades, wired lionie for funds, adding in explanation: "The army of the Cumberland is sleeping on the cold, cold ground." Campi has been trained at the Downs under tli« ..in- of George J. Longs careful man. Pete Coyne, who has saddled a Derby winner in tin- splendid Sir H11011 lb- ent Sir t leges to the post last year and finished second to Stone Street. Coyne has been naying that Campeon will not do. Maybe he is right, but at Lexington this week the colt worked a mile in 1:411. Out at Douglas Park Tom P. Haves Sir Catesby. 1 maiden, has been working like a streak. He is a sir Dixon colt. big. awkward and well bred. Hayes likes him. Ada Meade, a fillv owned by J. C. Milam, won i w ice this week at Lexington and may start. Milam regards her as one of the l«est lie has owned. Wintergreen, picked by the majority weeks ago to win tin- Derby, appears the typical Derby borse all over. He is well turned ami. like Ben Brush. -lands tilt. -en and one half hands high and is built to run. lie is a bulldog horse with a grand flight •d sp 1 and ever willing to ,1111. It is said bv those who know the horse li.sl that he will lie sent at a pace calculated to run the others into distress in the first quarter. Beapess says this sou of Dick Wellt Winter has courage without limit, an evi i lasting disposition to go a long distance and is in I cried condition. Direct, which will run coupled with W. J. Youngs Wi.rrtchl. is keyed up tight, but he is in a sense an unknown proposition. His trials with Warfield. howcv.r. lave been exceptionally fast. T. M. Green, owned bv •■! nele Daw" Prewitt. wa one of the best two year olds in the west. Should in- show a return of this form he is going to lie a si.11 contender. Prewitt thinks well of tile colt lit spite the horses illness while in training. Dr. B-irkley lias been working last and i- regarded as a colt of more than ordinary merit. Lee Smltha has trained him. Mi-Andrews miit start, lb belong* to w. 11. Fixer. Rumors are living .hat Finer thinks the colt is a probability. Semproniuin. owned bv Colonel W. Ii. A|i|. legate, will not. it b believed, go to the post, although It was tin- intention when he was shipped from California 10 start him iu tic- Derby. Society in all of its splendor is going to grace tin occasion with its kaleidoscopic effect. The grand stand, the lawn and the Clubhouse will be a scene ol animation and beauty. Pretty women from the ol" feminine charm i-eiitei- -Louisville -reinforced by recruits from rltlrs north, south, east and west, will be pi.s,. nt. oiables in all walks of life will In- there, too. and. meanwhile, the nrnyef is for sunshine and a track as dry as a man searching for a mini julep iu a community where loyalty to Ken-lucky- I .iiilm-i lias been tested and louiiil wanting. Then there will be a mighiv straggle from 1 in ii-,.. of, the hairier Ihiuunu uie storm-like tliceiias of, mighty gathering of men and women who see no harm in a horse race. Tie presiding judge will be Charles y. Price. The associate* of Judge Price will be Charles I. Grainger, president of the New Louisville Jockey Club and Judge William II. Shelley. Lying 11. Davis is tie- secretary and handicappcr.
