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WHEN APOLLO WON THE KENTUCKY DERBY. Story of the Race, as Described by the Former Jo.kry Who Rode Him to Victory. By C. A. Bergia. LoafarriUe, Ky.. April . -"My boy. you shall never want for a dollar as long as y,,u live" With these words Croon It. Morris, owner of Apollo, winner of the Kentucky Derby of lssj. welcomed his colored jockey "Babe" Hard aa he helped him dis mount after the race, in which Kaaayssede, the i verv helming favorite finished second. The winning if the Derby m ant a fill I line to Mori is. It nieai.t In- paying off of tin obligations of a man who was "iieise poor." It should have meant life-long ■ .-• and comfort, f-r Mm ris had backed his colt in the winter I - ..ks. ;,t the longest of odds, and stood to win heavily. Although it is thirty five years ago. the pi incipals In thi rue owner and jockey- are both living. one of them, "Babe" Hurd, who was but fifteen years of age at the time, has hang since retired from the saddle, and is now engaged in training a small stable at Churchill Downs, lie remembers every incident of tic famous race that BUUTked the first r.al big surprise in th.- Derby from the year f if. tii-i running in lsT.Y The story of the •" s related l.y Hard, i- as foUows: "Ail during the winter of 1881-1882, Rnnnjrmede, owi -I I.- the Dwyer Brothers of New York, was the strong choice tor the Kentackj Derby. He had. . ■ into winter quarters with the prestige of ■ I •-■ i" rial -t.ir among the two-yenr-olda of 1881. [lis owners had p. id Brown .V Clay 5,000 for him. with the coavKtloa that he could isilj win the Derby. Good reports had cease from his sinter traraiag qra rter and a fortune was wagered in tin- v later books aa his chances. Had he won be .■■..a! I hat • bankrupted many of the bookmaki rs who were bxyiag the shortest at" odds ever offered ■gainst a winter favorite for the race. The fact tla t James McLaughlin, at thai time regarded - tl ■■ premier whiti jockej in this country, was to ride Rimnymede, also served ta redaee his odds. Green Morrio Cheap Derby Winner. "Down ia New Orleans Green Morris was preparing the unkn wn Apollo for the Derby. Tie had imiight tie .ol, the ,in. .si., spring from Dan Swi-gert, paying ,280 cash and the piomlsc of ne re should la win tic- Kentucky Derby the following spring: "Apollo ::.n faUea lame in a work-out during his .ui. two-year-old stage, ami therefore did nai •tart in a r.u-r until the following winter at New Orleans. la his first race there Pete Brattea was up. bin he gave th colt a poor ride and ■t time he starti ! Rich was in the Cottrell 1 up. I v:s given th • BKWBl and Apollo won. lie race waa at one mil,, and a half and he won mi easily that Mr. Morris decided to start him in the Derby. lb- received his full preparation for the race at New Orleans, and when he arrived at the Downs, all Morris did was to gallop him around the inside tr.n k. "Prior to the race McLaughlin, who had come from New fork for the purpose of riding Bunny -. lr. riled th colored riders by boasting that be vouid show them bow to ride. They concluded to ihow him a thing or two on their siih of the nc-. onnt. "A he helped me to ntoant ApoOe, Mr. Morris toid me what, the race meant to him. If I won he would be able to meet all his triturations, sad begged me to do say lies:. "Jadge M. Lewis Clark was the starter, and he gave the signal t.i go by beating a kettle drum. Vpollo was the first one to take the lead, but after the first quarter Babcock aad Bengal both passed him At tin first five eighths, Kuanymede, which ],.:■. no! gotten oil any too well, was securely in a pocket. Cause who were responsible bring BtovaU, Henderson and Gibbs, all colored riders. ApoUo hail escaped the jam and waa running dose up with the two h-adevs. At the bead of the homestretch .Vp Uo forged lata the lead, and was under restraint. How ApoUo "Wen the Kentucky Derby. "M- luv.hiio Banaymede had secured clear aafliag, and glancing .".round. 1 noticed him making Im Apollo, lie had fully ten lengths to make up when straightened oat, and 1 knew that the effort would be too much for tie favorite. So I permitted him to draw up lo my mount and 1 If fined over anil shouted to McLaughlin: Mimmie youre gone." With ilia: I clacked to Apollo, and hi" drew away and won easily from tiring Kuunyur-ile. After my return lo the stand. Mr. Morris covered me with flowers, and. made the promise that I should never .van I for money. "I was under contract to Mr. Morris at the time aad he paid me 9 for arinniag, which was the regalar fee lor a wtaaing mount. for losing mounts I was paiil by him 0, but did not receive any regular salary." Raaaymede waa undoubtedly the best, hors" in tin race. Hi- turned the tables on Apollo a week liter when he beat him easily in tin- Chunk Stakes." Incidentally it might be mentioned that the D.vyer colors carried by Kuanymede, red jacket and blue sash, are now the colors of Corrigaa A McKinaey, to whom they were given by Phil Dwyer. The kettle drum used by the starter in foimir days is -till in a good state of preservation, being the property of tol. Matt J. Winn. llunl. who brought joy to his employer and woe to the favorite backers on that memorable afternoon, was born in Qalvestaa, Texas, in lsi 7. He Stat ted riding at the age of 13, his first employer being Governor Howie, of Maryland. His first mount was at the eld track near Washington. D. .. and his first winner was a mare named Cinderella, which hi longed to Jetty Dana. In. the fall of 1SS1 his contract was bought by Green II. Morris, with whom hi- remained several years. Morris owned some good horses in those days, including Knight Templar. Creosote, Gold Dug. Wedding Day and others. In his belief the best horse that Hurd ev«t rode was trickmorc. by Catesby — Belle Meade, which was one of the few horses that ever beat the mighty Hindoo. Crickmores best race was in a stake at ane mile and five-eighths, at Saratoga. Getting too heavy to ride on the flat, Hurd followed the cross-country sport up to 1*85. when ho became a trainer. He has handled the horses belonging to M. H. Tichcnor. Frank Shaw and others and trained Kimberley at the time that horse tied the record for stven and one-half furlongs.
