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HARKING BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY Louisville Ky March 27 To look back from this year of PI15 to 1875 the season the lirst Ken ¬ tucky Derby race was run at Churchill Downs is to cover a period of 41 racing seasons during which time tiio American turf has paused througli many vicissitudes In many states of the union legisla ¬ tion has driven racing to other localities and tracks never even dreamed of in the early seventies have been opened up to turfmen in place of those of long ago agoThe The 41 years covered by tlc If Iftncky tncky Derby has seen the Kining and going of J 1 Haggin who broke all records as a breeder of thoroughbred horses and no doubt sot a murk in this respect that will endure for all time to come It has also seen the passing into history of such fash ¬ ionable racing properties as Jerome Park Ixing Hranch Washington Park and Sheepshead Hay and the beginning and end of James U Keeues phe ¬ nomenal career as a turfman he lielng the one man that the winnings of th horses lit raced would alone have made him a millionaire millionaireIn In this period also came that groat patron of tho sport Pierre Lorillard who expended his wealth freely to secure the best of horses and who is the only man who has ever won tho Knglish Derby with an Americanhied horse Messrs Haggin Ixirillard Keone and the groat race tracks named above have all passed with tho Hooting years but the Kentucky Derby has never yet missed a running in the month of May from 1S75 down to the present time and has always been decided on the track it was lirst run over overIts Its four decades have witnessed tho passing of many big turf events including its onotimc west ¬ ern rival the American Derby This year witli its sixtyeight entries from which the Hold will come it will bo rnu on Saturday May S tho opening day ot the twelveday spring meeting of the New Louis ¬ ville Jockey Club which will come to a close on Friday May 21 on which afternoon the Kentucky Oaks is to he run runIt It was a bright sunny day on May 17 1S75 when the first Kentucky Derby was decided There were fortytwo entries for this race and tho subscribers embraced Gen Abo Hnford Gen W G Harding F H Harper A Koene Richards H P McGrath R H Choatham J W Hunt Reynolds Woodford Stvingtield Green H Clay William Cottrill George R lUce Charles Peive Charles A Lewis John W Miller Withers Hrnco J H Rhodes Shawhan Howen A Hawkins Samuel J Salyers James A Grinstead R Owlngs J T Williams Allen Hash ford Con J F Robinson Jt C Morgan A H Lewis Co Daniel Swigert James and A C Franklin Tamos Davis George W Jnr 1pn W II Gordon J H Morgan and John II Stono StonoOf Of those who constituted a representation of load ¬ ing turfmen of that day the only one now alive is Capt J T Williams who lives near Spring Sta ¬ tion in Woodford county this state and who won the Derby witli Joe Cotton in 1875 He also ran second throe times in the big race in 1870 with Crcedmcor in 1905 with Hanis Horn and in 3911 with Govornor Gray Capt Williams failed in the Derby with two horses that made considerable turf history in later years they being Vera Cruz and Bob Miles which ran unplaced in the event in 1877 and 1SS4 respectively respectivelyThe The only surviving olBcer or director of the Louisville fockey Club the season tho llrst Kentucky Derby was run is Major J M Womack of this city who was then treasurer of the association and who probably is the only Hying man who has never missed seeing this classic event of Kentucky de ¬ cided in its long liistory of twice a score of years yearsCol Col M Lewis Clark the clubs first president and William Murphy the first secretary have now been dead many years and all the directors except Major Woniack have long since passed away these embracing among others of distinction Gov L P Hlackburn John Churchill Gen K II Murphy and Hn Chas I Jacobs one of the most popular mayors the city of Louisville ever had hadThe The first running of the Derby was marked by Hie largest Held that has over gone to the post in this event the starters numbering fifteen There is a chance this season that this record may at last be broken as tho sixtyeight entries for the event this year are from all accounts doing well in training for the big race and in no previous year has the stake been regarded as quite so open as it Is this year with all the noted juvenile winners of 1914 eligible to it itThere There are many jKilnts of difference In the first Kentucky Derby and the rich stake as run today In 1875 the weights carried were 100 pounds for colts and 7 for tillios and geldings The distance was then one mile and a half and the start was effected on tho side of the track where the grand ¬ stand is now located at the Downs The track was then so narrow that it was necessary to divide the Hold of fifteen starters into two sections and the presumedly poorest of the starters were given the advantage of the front position The three placed horses wore Aristides Volcano and Verdigris and all this trio were in the front division at the start Tho gray colt Enlister a son of Enquirer ran a wonderful race in the lirst Kentucky Derby though tho racing guides tell no story of his brilliant per ¬ formance Ho was one of those started in the rear division and after mooting with much bad Inck in the race finished lapped oil the three placed horses Later racing proved that the best horse had won but those who watched the race close that afternoon were fully satisfied that witli an oven break Enllster would have beaten Aristides in the big race that day Tlie gray colt was ridden in the Derby by Cyrus Ilolloway who afterwards became famous in California as a trainer and jockey for K J Haid win Eiilistor was one of the hard luck horses of the turf Later on in his career ho all but heat Ten Hroeck in a wonderfully run race and had lie liossessed tho size of a really well developed horse he would doubtless have boon one of the great win ¬ ners of all time His dwarfed growth was owing to having been raised as a colt in a pen with mules and when sold by his brooder he only fetched 00 When his racing can or ended as a fouryearold he was sold into Texas tiud some of the thoroughbred stock in that state of this day have his cross in their pedigrees He with Hill Bruce and Searcher first brought Enquirer into prominence as a sire ami they too started in the first Kentucky Derby the latter being ridden in tlo race by Raleigh Colston who is still alive and who later was a successful trainer of horses horsesThe The first Kentucky Derby had only flOOO added to the stake in marked contrast to today when the added prize is 810000 When Aristides won the race the event was worth only 2850 net to the winner the subscription to tlie llrst Derby being 50 play or pay Then the second horse received only 200 and no prize went to the third horse This season tho second horse gets 200 and the third horse 1000 while even the fourth horse saves his fees of 225
