view raw text
EYES OF THE TURF WORLD TURNING TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY Louisville Ky April 13 The widespread interest in the Kentucky Derby which is to be decided Sat ¬ urday May 11 at Churchill Downs grows daily Discussion of this event develops a resemblance to the third renewal of the Derby series decided in Louisville in 1877 That season the race brought four starters to the post In their day they com pared to the quartet of stars in the race this spring Worth The Manager Presumption and Sonada In the 1877 event II P McGraths brown colt Leon ¬ ard by Longfellow like Worth in this years race got his Derby favoritism from the fact that he was the largest moneywinning twoyearold the season previous Leonards earnings as a twoyearold amounted to 8450 a large sum in those days Worth won last season 1GC45 1GC45The The second choice in the 1877 Derby was Dan Swigerts chestnut colt BadenBaden This noted imrformer may be compared with Major McDowells The Manager of today He had shown brilliant speed in his twoyearold races but never had met Leonard In actual contest Nor has The Manager met Worth WorthGen Gen Abe Bufords chestnut colt McWhirtcr was the Presumption of the 1877 Derby that is he had met BadenBaden and defeated him but had also lieen beaten by BadenBaden just as Presumption last season beat The Manager and was in turn beaten by him and Worth WorthThe The Sonada of the Derby lu 1877 was Capt J T Williams bay gelding Vera Crnz Like Catesby Woodfords crack of this season he was something of an unknown quantity In the race but was greatly feared by the owners of Leonard BadenBaden and McWhirter McWhirterIn In 1877 the Kentucky Derby was run later than the date set this season for the race It was decided on Tuesday May 22 The meeting that season lasted stiveu days BadenBaden ridden by William Walker who is still to be seen at the Downs won the race thus earning fame for himself and a for ¬ tune for his owner Immediately after the race BadenBaden was sold for 12500 to William Astor the New York multimillionaire Leonard ridden by Bobby Swim finished second Both McWhirter rid ¬ den by H Moore and Vera Cruz piloted by the famous Isaac Murphy were beaten for third place by the Tennessee colt King William ridden by Bailey Other good horses ran in the Derby that spring including Early Light owned 4iy F B Har ¬ per Odd Fellow owned by J J Merril Dan 1C the property of Johnson Millsr Malvern owned by T J Rice Head Light owned hyLr VWField ari Lisbon which ran as the stable companion of Baden Baden Lisbon was ridden that day by Douglas Lisbon attained greater distinction in the stud than any of the other Derby contenders of 1877 Amons the noted performers sired by hlni was the mighty Troubadour winner of the Suburban Handicap of 1SSO Remarkable to relate Troubadour like his sire ran unplaced In the Kentucky Derby but he beat the winner of that race in his year Joe Cotton in the Clark Stakes although be was also defeated In that contest by Bersan known as the horned colt coltBadenBaden BadenBaden Vera Crux and McWhirter all met again at the Downs In 1877 It was then that Mc ¬ Whirter won and ran his famous two miles in 030 which for many years stood as the best time matlu on the American turf This wonderful colt met his death the same spring in a race at St Louis To this day he Is cited as the most remarkable example of courage known in the history of the thoroughbred He finished his race with two broken legs and it was necessary to destroy him Having In mind Mc ¬ Whirter and Enquirer the sire of McWhirter Gen ¬ eral Buford made this statement Thoroughbreds have souls and when they die they go to a horse heaven heavenBadenBaden BadenBaden was taken east by Mr Astor and won the Travcrs Stakes defeating the great Brada mantc St James and other good threeyearolds When BadenBaden quit the turf he was placed in tiie stud at Mr Astors New York breeding farm ami was fairly successful as a sire Vera Cruz lieing a gelding was Triced on for several years but Leonard died young although he sired a few winners in his short stud career careerThe The distance of the Derby in BadenBadens year was one mile and a half His time was 238 That season only three races were run on Derby day The Derby was the second race The first race that day was won by the famous mare Janet with Elemi sec ¬ ond and Bob Woollcy third It was at a mile and a quarter The time was 212X The race following the Derby was a mile in heats It was won by Emma C in 143 141 147 King Faro won the first heat heatThere There is little left in life to recall the Derby of 1877 with the exception of two owners of horses in that race Dan Swigert and Capt J T Williams All other turfmen who had starters in that Derby are dead William Walker the winners jockey is the only one of the riders now alive Col W U Johnson the starter that day Maj B G Bruce who weighed the jockeys in and out for the event and Col SI Lewis Clark the presiding judge arc dead long since sinceBut But when Worth The Manager Sonada Presuinp tini and the other eligiblcs line up in front of starter Cassidy this year the oldtimers will recall the Derby day when BadenBaden Leonard Me Whirter and Vera Cruz finished In the order named The namedThe Managers trial at Douglas Park on Thursday morning hist for the Derby Is regarded by good judges as excellent The colt was always under re ¬ straint and finished vigorously although it was the first time this season he had been asked to go any such distance at anything like racing speed After the trial Maj T C McDowell patted the colt on tho neck and said Old fellow you will do Major McDowell ought to know what is necessary to win a race like the Kentucky Derby as he has already had such a distinction It was in 1902 that he sad ¬ dled a Derby winner in AlIanaDale Major Mc ¬ Dowell in his racing career trained other crack threeyearolds Those close to Major McDowell say that his confidence in The Manager is stronger thai his faith was In AllanaDale He regards Worth with due consideration but all he asks is a dry track and his colt to encounter no mishaps In training He then expects him to win another Derby for Ash ¬ land Farm FarmThe The Manager is an ideal type of colt He is liot overly large but of the right build He Is a much bigger horse than was Ben Brush and possesses all of the quality which made that Kentucky Derby winner so distinguished So far The Manager has held his flesh well in training It appears now that he will disappoint those who predicted that he will train down too fine to retain his strength to run a gruelling mile and a quarter the Derby route routeLocally Locally so far little Is known of how well Worth is going along The Ilallenbeck string of which Worth is a member is booked for early arrival at Churchill Downs Turfmen who have come here from Charleston report that the great colt is train ¬ ing as well as Frank Taylor could expect These horsemen also say that the Ilallenbeck stable con ¬ nections are sweet on his Derby chances Presump ¬ tion is doing well at the Downs and from what can be learned Sonada is training satisfactorily in South Carolina for the Rice The latter is not expected to arrive here until after the Lexington meeting as Ms owner Catesby Woodford is president of the Kentucky Association track and will ship his racers direct to Lexington from Charleston CharlestonDuring During the last week several likely other Derby candidates have shown promisingly In their prepara ¬ tion George T Long has two likely entries in Free Lance and NIcias Henderson Hogans Guaranola has gone several good miles Patruche and Chief Lindsey have both worked satisfactorily L P Docrhoefcrs entry Jack Ellis and his filly Ursula Emma arrived during the week from Charleston in good condition Tho Louisville turfman thinks he will have a starter In the big race raceCol Col SI J Winn after a short sojourn in New York returned to Louisville to put on the finishing touches for the spring race meeting lie says a big delegation will come fronr New York to see the Derby DerbyThe The Downs course is In fine condition and the trainers are delighted The drainage is so perfect that a hard rain only makes the track slow for a few hours Superintendent Keegan says that on Derby Day he will have the course as fast as it was last fall when Adams Express lowered the track record for one mile to 137 He is confi ¬ dent that on May 11 Meridians Derby time 205 the record for the race will be shaded shadedA A heavy shower that fell last night made the going muddy at Churchill Downs and Douglas Park today still there was considerable work by many horses The time scored was not fast as all the trials were outside the dogs The only Derby candidate to go faster than a twominute clip was George J Longs improved colt Free Lance He cantered tix furlongs in 121 going the first half in 5G This son of Alvcscot appears to have keen speed this spring and is training as well as Pete Coyne could ask of him himThe The fastest work of the morning was done by the Kentucky Oaks candidate Tillles Nightmare three furlongs in 37 Another bit of work that was highly creditable in the going was a quarter in 25 by the unbeaten twoyearold Hawthorn He is ordinarily a poor work horse but this morning he seemed anxious to run While several twoyear olds worked as fast or even faster this morning none of them did the work with the ease exhibited by the son of Hastings HastingsOther Other trials were as follows Bredwell Threeeighths in 40 Blue Jay Quarter mile in 28 easily Casey easilyCasey Jones Threeeighths in 42 cantering George canteringGeorge Karmc Threeeighths in 39 first quar ¬ ter in 23 23Hannis Hannis Half mile in 55 first threeeighths in 41 41Lackrose Lackrose Half mile in 50 50Pass Pass handilyRound Quarter mile in 27 handily Round the World Half mile In 59 cantering canteringSenator Sebago canteringSebago Threeeighths in 42 cantering Senator James Threeeighths In 39 first quar ¬ ter in 25 25Trance Trance Threeeighths In 41 cantering Winning canteringWinning Widow Threequarters in 128 canter ¬ ing ingYankcr Yankcr Half mile in 51 handily handilyCaptain Captain Walker has applied for stable room at Chnrchill Downs and will ship his string here from Norfolk at the close of the Jamestown Jockey Clubs meeting Magazine Is one of the stars of the Walker string stringThe The racing string of H C Ilallenbeck will arrive here from Aiken S C in charge of trainer Frank Taylor on April 15 In the Ilallenbeck string is the noted Kentucky Derby favorite Worth and such other highclass racers as Azyiade Prince Gal Housemaid Adams Express Recompense Sir Marion and Fauntleroy There arc also some highclass twoyearolds in the string which were purchased by Sir Ilallenbeck from J E Madden
