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RECORD DERBY GATHERING Gossip of th2 Day Before the Race in Town and at the Track BY J L DEMPSEY DEMPSEYLOUISVILLE LOUISVILLE Ky May 12 Crowds crowds and more crowds was again the order today The stream seemed never ending and each train unloaded additional throngs to swell the growing mob and more are yet to come The bulk of the visitors who will view the fortyeighth running of the Ken ¬ tucky Derby are still en route those from faroff points like California and points in between being due to arrive tonight or in the morning The eastern contingent is also tardy and will make its presence felt tomorrow tomorrowPredictions Predictions that this year will mark a local record in attendance promises verifica ¬ tion judging by the big advance guard The opening of Churchill Downs tomorrow will probably find every nook and cranny of the spacious and parklike plant filled to the crowding point pointNotables Notables from every state including cab ¬ inet officials and pillars in the financial in ¬ terests of the country captains of industry stars of the stage and screen ordinary folk and some who are not ordinary who make Louisville their llecca on one day of each year are either already here or speeding in this direction by train boat motor and even in airplanes According to reports there will be scores of flying machines hovering over the Downs in the afternoon and one joker remarked that air traffic men ought to be employed to prevent possible colli ¬ sions Interest in tomorrows race has never been exceeded in the fortyseven pre ¬ vious decisions of the Derby To what ex ¬ tent Morvich has contributed to this cannot be determined offhand One thing is cer ¬ tain in this respect he is carrying more backing than any one horse that ever started in the event His name has been heralded from Maine to California and his victory or defeat will be awaited with eagerness in remote hamlets hamletsAll All was bustle and confusion again today at the different hotels Dejection was writ ¬ ten on the faces of many who had neglected making reservations Thousands traversed the residential sections in quest of accommo ¬ dations Those who failed to secure quar ¬ ters for themselves through various bureaus went to hotels in Jeffersonville or New Al ¬ bany Ind both across the Ohio river and adjacent to Louisville Many who came by special train and there were seventeen of these trains from Chicago alone arranged for sleeping accommodations in the Pullman cars they came in inWith With all the bustle confusion disappoint ¬ ment at not securing accommodations at the more pretentious hotels good nature prevails and most of the visitors are looking upon their advent here in the nature of a lark so worry and fretfulness is instantly forgotten forgottenEven Even the two hours steady rain that began after the midday hour has not dampened their enthusiasm No concern was felt for the state of weather that will be present to ¬ morrow The weather man in this respect Continued on sixteenth puge RECORD DERBY GATHERING Continued from third page sounded a note of optimism and gave out a prediction for bright skies The track at present is muddy but if no more rain falls track superintendent Young promises a fast racing strip for the Derby running The slues are still overcast and a shower or two is still imminent imminentAt At the Downs everything is in thorough readiness for a successful opening and with a view to the comfort of the big throng of visitors general Manager Matt J Winn resi ¬ dent manager Charles F Grainger and his able staff have worked untiringly to bring about desired results and have given atten ¬ tion to every detail Unless something un forsecn occurs not a hitch will mar the occasion or the success of the opening openingThe The weather for the last few days has been abominably hot for this section at this season of the year but the rain brought cooling zephyrs and relief The respective owners of the different starters in the big race are supremely confident Benjamin Block particularly voices his confidence that Morvich will triumph decisively Trainer Fred Burlew is just as sanguine but is worrying himself as he always does before each start of the colt and plainly portrays his desire that it was over Of course you cant tell what may happen in a horse race said Burlew but barring a mishap I hope to see Morvich beat his opponents home handily On a handicap basis taking his performances and that of the others into consideration Morvich should be conceding any of the other starters at least fifteen pounds and it is hard to think that any of them will beat him at even weights weightsEqually Equally sanguine is Mr E R Bradley who achieved the distinction last year of not alone winning the Derby but also finishing in second place with another representative This year Mr Bradley has four in the race and expects to send three to the post Bet Mosie and By Gosh are positive starters and the condition of Busy American will deter ¬ mine if he or Banker Brown is to be the third one to carry the Idle Hour Stock Farm colors Busy Americas ailment tcday did not show to any appreciable extent The bow is there however and the leg will have to be encased in an electric bandage bandageIf If he dont grow worse said Mr Bradley we will send him to the post He is in danger of a breakdown or a letup for a year at the farm so it is just as reasonable as long as he dont favor the leg to start him and take a chance on his breaking down He might not show any ill effects at all from the bow and many bowed tendon horses have raced successfully and won wonBob Bob Shannon felt additional elation when the rain came for he regards his Dead ¬ lock as a wonder horse in the mud Dead ¬ lock has developed a considable amount of support in the last fortyeight hours and will be a strong second choice in the betting bettingSome Some anxiety is expressed over Startle she having picked up a nail in her canter this morning but the injury has been at ¬ tended to and the promptness by which it was done may result in her ability to start without showing traces of the mishap There are many in these parts who would be over ¬ joyed if her race met with success Her owner is popular and races his horses for the pure love of the sport He also maintains a small but select breeding establishment Startle is one of his homebreds and her success has afforded him much pleasure pleasureLittle Little interest attaches to My Play or Let terman in spite of the latters good trial yesterday Surf Rider is being started in the hope that the unexpected may happen and John Finn which was regarded with great favor early in the season has lost caste entirely entirelyPost Post time for tomorrow will be 2 p m and scratch time 8 30 a m
