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— — — — — — — — — — »— — ■ THIS IS EPSOM DERBY DAY. Peculiarities of Course Over Which Worlds Greatest Race Is Contested. Whether Sir Martin wins the F.psom Derby today or not. it. Is quite certain that be has made a healthy stir in racing circles in England as well as in this country. When so experienced a man as Joseph Cannon Is moved to pronounce him the best race horse he has ever trained, it is evident there is substantial reason for the fear he has excited in Lngllsli minds and the lavish snpnsrt recently awarded him by hcn.elui Ainu leans. The Derby is run over a coins.- very much like a horseshoe in shape, the horses starting in one bee cud of the shoe and finishing in the other. This mile anil a half and twenty-six yards is unquestionably the greatest test of three-year old form In the world. Fiist. there is an upgrade, then there is a level piece, anil then comes the dip toward Tatten ham Corner -a sharp turn to the straight race home. Part Of this stretch is level, but it is the deadest, sort of going, and toward the finish then is a gradual upgrade again. All the way it is a grass covered turf, except the roadways, which are covered with tan bark. The race of today will he witnessed by a vast concourse of people, yi t a still greater number will be present who will not see the race or make an effort to do so. It is ,i fact that a great part of the people who go to ■psoas pawns annually on Derby day simply make a picnic of it, take their people, • 1 tables and drinks and pass the day in inerry-niak lag without intending to view the races. What a Derby day crowd amounts to numerically is not possible to state accurately and estimates run from a quarter of a million to a halt million of people. It is simply that about every man ill F.nglatul who can goes to Kpsom that day and no small number of women also. Today the vast niajoiity will go hoping urdentlv to lie- able to cheer King Kdward because his colt. Milium, has won the race of races. It is something in the way of a curious thing that the conviction that the Derby is to be fought out exclusively by Mjnoru and Sir Martin suddenly became all pervading .ind. except in the betting, the other candidates gain hardly a mention. Yet It seems that twenty or more will go to the past and some good Ones. too. Rayurdo has never been beaten but once and not badly beaten then. Evidently not quite fit. he was only beaten two lengths in the fastest Two Thousand ever run. He has Wen work ing lustily since and if he should in the Derby turn the tables on Miin.ru. it would only be a repetition of what has been done before. Then, in .1. B. Joels stable is a gigantic colt called The Story, that has been quietly bached to win a great sum. In this stable ouch cracks as Your Majesty and Dean Swift serve as raaety good trial horses and The Story, if started, may prove a dangerous element. He is oyer seventeen hands high, but well proportioned and of cat-like quickness in movement. He was not raced as a two year-old because of his great size. And there are others, as perchance may be discovered this afternoon. London. Eng.. May 25.--Sir Martin, the American horse, and King Edwards Mim.ru. the favorite for the Derby, which will be run tomorrow, both arrived at Lpsom this morning. It is apparent that both have been trained to the- hour for the contest. The American crack is regarded by the best judges at Newmarket, where both the horses have been trained, as the onlv danger to the kings candidate. Today the betting odds against Minora shortened slightly, 11 to 4 Wing the best offered, while the Odds on Sir Martin increased fractionally to 4 to 1. SS against 7 to 2 prevailing for the past week.
