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AN EARLY KENTUCKY DERBY STORY OF THE RACE IN WHICH THE FAMOUS PAROLE RAN UNPLACED. William B. Astors Great Gelding, Vagrant, the Victor — Only One Owner Now Living Who Had a Starter in the Race. To the tin f lover there always is interc-t in the recounting of ■ steal race Now, following I lie .losing of tlic entries to the forty-secend running of the Kentucky Derby, it is acting to tell of the second running of the event, a contest marked by the ti i--1 meeting of eastern and western three year-olds in this stake. The race of 1918 again will ace the best of both sections meet as last rear, bat in 1876 for the tirst time tli east made ■ bid for the Kentucky Derby. This was an era when the stable of 1*. Lorillard was iii Hi,, ascendant and he sent to Louisville that spring the mighty gelding Parole to be his standard-bearer. Parole as s two-year-old of 1 1 « « • year previous in the east add the rank of a great winner, and when it became known that his owner intended to run Bin in the Derby owners of western erai ks lamented their hard luck in baring to be asked to pit their favorites against sack a star. In the west, however, was one owner, who. while i oat dint Parole mach, had abounding faith in a member of hi- own stable. This annual, like Lortl-lards crack, was s gelding. The owner was the Bourbon Country tartmaa P. .1. Nichols, and his entry in the Derbj was Vagrant, which, in the west as a two-year-old, had been as successful as Parole was that year on the eastern turf. Parole made iiis tirst start as a three-yearold in the Derby, while Vagrant had a race prevl ma to the running of the event, he having run in and wen the Phoenix Hotel Stakes at Lexington. Tin Kentucky Derby of 1876 was run on Monday. May ;." . The event that year had thirty-four cn-tries and eleven starter- went to the pant. In spite of ParolcN prestige, the fact thai Vagrant had won live of his six starts as .i two-year-old ami was a stake winner as ;, three-year-old, which rictory had been Impressive enough for William B. .stor to pay oa il re of the race 87.080 lor the priding, resulted in Vagrant going to the post favorite, he selling in the auction pools for 525, while Parole went far *HNt. reeiUiKi r bringing s_7."i. Bed Coat 8150 and the field 8133. Col. William lohnson officiated as starter, and Parole got the beat of the start, but quickly gave way to vagrant, which was never afterward headed and won an Impressive victory. In the early part of the race Bullion was closest to Vagrant of any of the other ten driers, luil before a mile was ■ covered he was Jumped on by some horse from behind and cut down so badly that he became a hopeless cripple and never raced again. Vagrant stood 13.3 hands, with four white legs ; and a blaze face, which was the markings also of the two noted horses, the immortal Lexington and 1 the bidder of the American mile record. Barrator. The Louisville spring meeting the year Vagrant won the Kcntu. k Derby was of six days dura-ti hi. The estimated attendance on Derby Hay was 1 0,000 and the distinguished guests that afternoon included Gov. Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana, and United Stales Senator James 15. Deck. It was ; the year thai Gov, Hendricks became a rlce-preai-deiitial candidate on the ticket with Samuel .1. Tilden. The transportation to the track then was by railroad and horse cars, the latter running on a 1 v five-minute schedule. John Morrlssey ft Co. had 1 the betting privileges and only auction pools were ■ -■Il at that time en the Downs races. There Were • only two other races run linn in addition to the Derby fur the da* - card. The opening race was a mile and a quarter, parse 8308, and .1. I., fords 1 chestnut horse. Brakesman, by .lack Mahaie. carrying 110 pounds, with CantreU in the saddle, won 1 ■j in 2:11, with Wetherhv second an 1 Whisper third. . the unplaced horses bring Fair Play, Ceylon Kil-burn. - 1. in-more. Bffie Moore, Kuss Duller and 1 Katie Pearce. In the i I- at the Gall House the night before the race Ceylon v.a- a warm favorite. ■ Brakesman, the winner. srUing for only S2~ in a 1 250 card, though he bad just previous to this race won the Nashville Cup. The Derbj was the second race, and then came a 1 puree of 00, mile beats. This took three beats t. decide, and alter The Nipper had won tie first beat the chestnut mare. Emma C, by Planet, owned by Dw.ilt A: Swine:, ami ridden by William Walker, won the nexl two beats and the race, wiin Camargu running second in the second heat and third in the first heat. IJdiehl was the only other starter. Time, 1:45, 1:45%, 1:46. In the po, I- Camargo sold for 00 to 95 for The Nipper, 45 for Emma C. and 40 for Enfield. The Derby in Vagrants year was worth 2.950 net to the winner, which is iniite a contrast to the 11,480 Begrel wen in the big race last spring: and the sum tee winner of the -lake will again take down tin- year with it- 1. lino in added money. A lull summary of the Kentucky Derby won by Vagrant i- given belon William D. Asters b. g. Vagrant, by Virgil— Laay, by Scythian, 97 pounds Swim 1 William- A Owing* cdi. e. Crcdcin. or. by Aster- old — Target. 1C0 pound- I Williams i 2 John funk s i r. . Harry Hill, by Virgil Lark 100 pounds i Miller, 3 ; P. Lortllards br. g. Parole, by Leamiagt i Maiden. nT pounds Sparling I -1 1 1". B. Harper- eh. c, liermantown, by Plant Natur i, 100 • nd Urahami 3 -, 1 . B. Harpers blk. c, by Bnqu rer, bj Albion, loo |i ■miit- i James i 6 , c. r. Vhuimans b. c, Leaniingtonlan. b. Leamlna ton — M llie. In Lexington, I1" pounds Colston 7 - .1. K. t;rinstea i*s l». f. Marie Miction, by Melbourne Jr. Nellie Gray, 97 pounds Comrisini. 8 D. Swbxcrts o. c. Bombay, by Planet— Nora, 100 pounds I Walker I 9 1 Green Clays ch. c, Bed Coat, bj Aurtrallan Sallle. mi pounds Hughes i 1" I A. Keene Richards ch. c. Bullion, by War Dance Ringgold, 100 |i nnds Kelso 11 I Time 2:38*4. The fractional time of the Derby that year was: lir-i quarter. 28; half mile. :. I : three-quarters, 1:17%; mile, 1:45, and mile and a J quarter, 2:11 . Vagrant, i i i inner, won 3.800 as ■ two-year- eld. and after he Derby, though Creed I r beat 1 l i in in the Clark stake.-., went east and proved ■ stake winner sgaln as a three-year old. He also raced in wiuninc form as an older horse in another • yea:. It must lie admitted, however, that be was a larky perl rmer to win the Derby in Panic-year, • a- the latter eit ii from year i" year and be i me one ei the greatest American-bred gelding* ■ ■! ill time. Evan when finally taken to England and not I raced there until Ue was a six-year-old, Parole won 1 stake after lake and hi- record ha- never been 1 equalled by anj American horse, and few English bred horses have tied the mark he made ill the ■ oh] world. IP defeat .f the mighty Isonomy i-an Incident that ill never lie forgotten In the • English land. During Ills raelns careei in England and thi-conutn - Par le won fifty-nine races and earned S2.M1S. But lour other geldings in the history ot I American racing have won more money than thl* - srt-at son of Leamington, aud Lexingtons food 1 f daughter Mai.hu. which herself made a record |ry winning Hie Travels Stakes in 1885. .1. T. Williams is the only living turfman who owned an interest in a starter in the Kentucky Derby of D 70. His partner in the ownership of Oreedu r big ago died, and all Hie other turfmen who had starters in the biu race that Ma afternoon have crossed the great divide. Porty-one years is a long time, and the only surprise is that changes are not even more marked in gnch a loag period.
