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WORTH WINS KENTUCKY DERBY BY NARROW MARGIN MARGINHistoric Historic Race Decided Over a Muddy Track with The Manager an Absentee Because of Unfavorable Conditions Louisville Ky May II Over a muddy track and under lowering skies that a moment afterward let down a drenching rain accompanied by thunder and lightning the thirtyeighth Kentucky Derhy was run and won at Churchill Downs this afternoon by II C Hallenbccks splendid tlireeyearold Wortli son of Knight of the Thistle and Miss Hanover trained liy Frank M Taylor alid ridden by C H Shilling Worth was a pronounced favorite and his victory was iiopiilar but it was not as clear cut and well defined as his supporters and tltose who have all winter and spring bespoken his prowess would have preferred preferredGaliahcr Galiahcr Bros Lissak colt Duval masterfully handled by Oscar Fain was right with the winner at the end had him driving to the limit and might have won in another half dozen strides E F Condraas Flamma daughter of Hastings aud Fill termouse a product of the Nursery Stud and the only filly among the seven starters was third live lengths back Free Lance Guarauola and SonirJn were done at the far turn and the sulking Wheel ¬ wright refusing to try In response to Byrnes fre iiueut and urgent calls was a disgraced last The time was 20 and the winner paid 4 to 5 The race was worth 0000 of which 700 went to ths second aud 300 to the third thirdThe The track was made muddy by the heavy rain that fell shortly after midnight and it was this that caused the withdrawal of The Manager and Latruclii from the Derby lield lightened the attendance by fully ten thousand according to the estimate of General Manager Matt J Wlnn for the rain of tin night was general over the blue grass sections of the state The attendance in spite of all this was at least fifteen thousand thousandThe The Derby picture in its general composition was before the downpour or perhaps twould bet ¬ ter describe it to employ the word deluge similar to that of last year and tlio year before when the field was as today free to all who cared to accept ttio New Louisville Jockey Clubs invitation to see the sport from the level of its acres of green railed in with woodeir lribl ons of white The eeowd in the infield was not so dense sis last year and that on the stand side of the rails was lighter by five thousand than on the day that Meridian led his field homo with Governor Gray struggling at his M MThe heels The racing opened with a sprint at sis furlongs in which tlie locally owned Winning Widow well backed led all the way and won easily The Widow Moon considered a good thing by all who saw her debut at Lexington romped home at the head of a company of twoyearolds in the second race The third race was easy for the 1911 Kentucky Derby winner Meridian and as the sterling son of Broomstick took the lead soon after the rise of the barrier and increased it to four lengths round ¬ ing the far turn there was a chorus of Oil you Meridian that broke into a roar for the well re ¬ membered and popular racer racerAnd And now it was four oclock and time for betting to begin on the Derby race With The Manager and Patrnche withdrawn because of the state of the track Worth Wheelwright Sonada Duval Guara nola Free Lance and Flnuuua remained to make the race In the letting there was such a crush as is never experienced here except on Derby day The betting was not as heavy as it has been in some other Derby races nor was it as voluminous as it would have been had the track been fast and The Manager one of the starters but it was sufficient to keep the thirtytwo machines reasonably busy for a full half hour hourThe The clouds were lowering and at 425 there came a sprinkle that caused umbrellas to IMS hoisted by the scores in the infield and sent those on the steps of the grandstand the lawns and walks and the roofs of tin betting ring and the paddock offices scurrying to cover The parade to the post began at 430 the horses leaving the paddock In the following order Flamma Wheelwright Free Lance Guara nola Worth Sonada and Duval Nearing the stand there was a photographer on the track and Flamma shied at him aud turned back She was perceptibly nervous aud made trouble at the post She was rather more than any of the others responsible for the poor aspect of the start They went away wlth Worth in the lead and like Meridian last year he held it throughout but his race was no such per ¬ formance as was that of Meridian lie had two lengths the best of Duval at the start and it took nil he had to beat him out Free Lance ran well for the first threequarters but weakened when Flanuna last to leave the post challenged him himDuring During the running of the Derby Gov James B McCreary occupied the judges stand with Presiding Judge Charles F Price President Charles F Graing ¬ er General Manager Matt J Winii and Associate Judge William H Shelley The governor saw the race through his glasses and expressed himself as highly pleased with the contest I as much as any other man enjoy clean honest racing such ns you have had here today said the governor It is a great and wholesome sport when not overdone overdoneBefore Before the horses were off the track the sluice gates were opened and the crowd In the infield scurried away out of the gates through which they had entered and they vanished with such astonishing rapidity that many under the shelter of the stand asked whither they had gone when they came out to view tile fifth race which was won easily by Casey Jones as the storm abated and the rain ceased ceasedAll All of the members of the Kentucky State Racing Commission were present with the exception of Chairman E F Clay for whom the weather was en ¬ tirely too wet He has not been well since his re ¬ turn from Florida and upon the advice of his physi ¬ cian he ventures but only on the sunniest of days daysIt It II McCarler Potter master of the Pequest Stud in New Jersey and breeder of Worth was among the visitors nd at the side of owner II C Hallenbock and Charles II Hughes the stable agont saw the victory of the son of Knight of the Thistle and Miss Hanover Though his breeder is a New Jerseyman Worth is himself a native of Kentucky He was foaled on that portion of the famous Woodbnrn Farm in Wood ford County which In 1000 was under lease to John II Morris He was sold as a yearling at the Kentucky Sales Com ¬ panys auction of yearlings in Lexington September 21 1010 and was knocked down to Charles T Wor thington of Danville for 425 and was turned over lo Gallaher Brothers to be broken and trained by John Gallaher Worth showed himself to be a good colt from the outset and at Jacksonville in the winter of 1010 nnd 1011 he was purchased by the Glllahcr Brothers for 2700 After ho had boon shown np as a twoyearold of high quality he was purchased bv II C Hallenbeck of New York for 10000 10000At At Latonia last fall John Gallahor told Mr Ilallenbeck that if he wished to win the Kentucky Derby with clear sailing he had better buy Duval also If I do not beat you witii Duval Ill make it mighty uncomfortable for you Gallahor told Worths owner at that time and Duval today did give Mr Hallenbeck an uneasy half minute minuteThe The dampened inauguration of the Now Louisville Jockey Clubs thirtyeighth annual spring meeting ended when Tom King wore down the locally owned Sir Catosby and beat him out by half a length in a hard drive There was one trivial accident during the after noon wiien jockey McCabe fell off Miss Edith after the finish of the second race and was shaken up a bit It was a great day but let us hope that wo shall never have another so wet wetTHOMAS THOMAS K CROMWELL CROMWELLLouisville Louisville Ky May 11 John Hachmeister gen ¬ eral manager of the Latonia track arrived today from Cincinnati He verified the reports that Doug ¬ las Park would have a fall meeting this season and that estimates for the improvement of the plant are now being figured It is expected that the long disuse of the plant will entail an expenditure of over 30000 to put it in proper condition Mr Ilachmeister also said that a great handicap for a large sum of added money will likely be featured featuredDuring During the severe rainstorm the crowd sought shelter in the betting ring congesting that place and making it almost imi ossible for those wantin to l et to get within hailing distance of the bettiuj booths An auxiliary betting ring at the entrance of the clubhouse was established before the first race and it afforded the clubhouse patrons a con ¬ venience venienceJockey Jockey Franklin was the only one to draw a sus ¬ pension He got six days from the starter for dis ¬ obedience postThomas at the post Thomas 15 Campbell of New Orleans who has witnessed the Kentucky Derhy running for the last ten years was among the visitors He brought encouraging news relative to the prospects for a resumption of racing in the Crescent city and gave as his opinion that there would be racing agaiu in New Orleans next winter winterFormer Former CongressmanJoseph L Rhlnock came from New York to see the Derby He corroborated the published reports of a proposed new racing plant in Maryland but the plans in detail have not been worked out and it is likely that the course will not be built until fall fallSenator Senator James and LioutenantGovernor McDermott were among the spectators spectatorsA A big Chicago delegation was on hand and in ¬ cluded Smiley Corbett and Murray Kellar KellarThere There was sorrow among the newspaper men when news came today of the death of W W Douglas sporting editor of the Louisville CourierJournal The deceased had been in ill health for some time He had reported the Derby for his paper during the past fifteen seasons seasonsJockey Jockey McCabe escaped serious injury when he fell from Miss Edith after the 1mlsh of the second race but engagementsHalf refrained from filling his other engagements Half a dozen moving picture machines operated by a score of men caught the running of the Derby and scenes and incidents preceding the race The films were rushed at once to Chicago ChicagoCol Col Alex Labold was among the spectators He stated that his filly by Voter Chulita had gone slightly amiss and would not make her racing debut until the latter part of the Latonia meeting He has been offered 1000 for the weanling colt by Star Shoot Chulita ChulitaThe The following were among this mornings work ¬ outs outsBuckhorn Buckhorn Fiveeighths in 1OS 1OSColonel Colonel Brown Mile in 155 Fiel Half mile in 52 52Figola Figola Fiveeighths in 112 112Floral Floral Day Half mile in 54 54High High Private Fiveeighths in 107 107Jack Jack Wall Threequarters in 125 125Jacobite Jacobite Half mile in 5i 5iLetourno Letourno Threequarters in 124 124M M Cambon Mile in 153 153Presumption Presumption Half mile In 52 52Starbottle Starbottle Mile In 158 158Yanker Yanker Mile In 150
