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ONE SMASHING RACE " ♦ Made Enchantment Favorite for 1923 Kentucky Derby. ♦ Sallys Alley and Other Crack Fil- i lies Not Overlooked — Great ■ East and West Rivalry. i • ■ i LOUISVILLE, Ky.. April 3.— While but ] few of the 145 nominations for the Kentucky Derby have shown enough form to furnish a line as to their being of Derby caliber and that few, possibly barring Blanc Seing, win- ner of the Tijuana Derby, and Prince Tii Tii, . which finished third la the same event, have ] fallen far short of the kind of three-year-olds ] which would have a chance in such a race as the Kentucky feature, they can at once be eliminated from consideration. This refers to three-year-olds nominated for the Derby i which have been racing at winter race tracks. Included among these are such racers as All American, Blue Nose, Calcutta, Edward | Gray. Lady Inez, Lady Hose, Marionette, Wida, Prince of Umbria and others. Past performances of the numerous Derby eligibles had to do with fixing the favorite for the Derby. Punters and handicappers all agreed that Knchantment, the big gelding owned by Hairy Payne Whitney, was entitle" to be opened choice in the future books. Of course, Knchantment had no such record as did Morvich in 1921 or Tryster the year be- i fore. But lie had shown himself a stayer in winning the Kentucky Championship Stakes at Churchill Downs early last fall, running I the mile in 1 :38*£, beating a good band of two-year-olds easily. Again Knchantment was not eligible for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, to be run a week prior to the , Derby, on account of not being an entire horse. The public guessed the right favorite, for it was not but a few days after the "bookies" opened their future books until the money came pouring in on Enchantment from sources known to the price makers, that the son of Chicle was doing well and that his handlers considered his chances well enough to take 12, then 10. later 8 and some 6 to 1 for their money, "play or pay." MAY HE FILLY YEAR. Enchantment, however, was not the only one whicli the horse-backing public gave a chance for Derby honors — a filly soon loomed up in the shape of Sallys Alley, which became the medium of heavy backing. This filly had won the Futurity and the Pimlico Futurity, the latter over a mile route. Reports that she was doing well in winter quarters sent her odds down almcst as quickly as Kncliantmenfs. bacKing her from an opening of 25 to 15 to 1 in a fortnight. The fact that but one filly had ever won the Kentucky Derby Keg ret in 1915 did not slow up the backers of the Kilmer filly in the least. Other fillies nominated for the Derby also received some attention from the punters in Sun Fey, % stable companion of Sallys Alley ; Blossom Time and Betty Beall, E. EL Bradleys pair: Anna M. Humphrey and Dust Flower, owned by J. C Milam, and Alice Blue down, the oddly colored filly belonging to the Keene brothers. Naturally there is a deep sentiment among turfmen about winning the Kentucky Derby aside from the money interest involved. Therefore the owner who possesses a great colt begins early to see if his charge is of Derby caliber. That there are more colts of good class being trained for the Derby this year than ever before in the long history of the race is admitted. The colts most highly considered by experts as having a good chance to win the Derby might be divided into two divisions — East and West. In the East the nominations of Harry Sinclair should be first considered. Three of the Sinclair colts are Zev, a veritable bear-cat in the mud; Bud Lcrner and Rigel. This trio has already had support, especially Zev. now quoted at only 20 to 1. Next would come the colts of .1. S. Cosden. which won many of the rich two-year-old stakes la.st year. These include such good ones as Dunlin and Martingale. CHEKUY TO NOT HELD CHEAPLY. Mrs. Payne Whitneys Rialto. Rarbary Bush and Moonrakcr are well considered and the gelding. Cherry Pie, is not held cheaply. Harry Payne Whitney, in addition to furnishing the favorite in Enchantment, has two gocd ones in 1icketer and Chiekvale. Gifford A. Cochran has Goshawk, considered about the top of the two-year-olds which showed last year. It. T. Wilson should not be overlooked with his two crack Campfire colts. Wilderness and Tall Timber. General Thatcher, classed as an easterner, although he is owned by George Wingfield, of .Nevada, is another colt which will do to conjure with. Nassau, owned by Frederick Johnson, is another which some say figures at the top. This colt is being trained at Lexington and is doing finely. The West will attempt to furnish the winner this year and it has a good chance, as the Derby is an open one. Donges. being trained by John S. Ward. Louisville, has already been dubbed the "western hope." He is going along well and his odds are but 20 to 1. Cartoonist, owned by the great caricaturist. "Bud" Fisher, is classed among the western division, because he is being trained at Douglas Park. Louisville. This colt is probably the handsomest thoroughbred of all the Derby eligibles. He is a big. golden chestnut, over sixteen hands high and his forward condition gives him a good hance. In Memoriam. owned by Carl Weidernann. Newport, Ky.. and trained at Douglas Park, is another big colt, being even taller than Cartoonist. He is a son of IfcGee, the sire of Exterminator, and looks as if he will be a starter sure, barring accident. Aspiration, recently bought for 7,000 by Benjamin Block, owner of Morvich. last years Derby winner, is also classed In the western division, for the colt is being trained at Lexington. Aspiration bears the. distinction of having run the fastest mile of any of th Derby candidates. He covered the Latonia track last fall in 1 :3S%. Bo McMillan. Chittagong. Prince K. and Skeezix. all being trained for the Derby at Churchill Downs, are doing everything their trainer! have asked them. There are many others which have not been mentioned because no money has shown for them to any extent in the future books. Of course, as Derby day approaches a "dark horse" may appear which will knock all the calculations of wise backers into a cocked hat.
