view raw text
MICHIGAN BOYS RECORD Winner of Louisiana Derby Ranks Well Up Among Candidates for Kentucky Derby. MICHIGAN BOY By On "Watch Omnipotent, owned by J. L. Pontius. Juvenile Record Starts 1st. 2nd. 3rd. "Unp. "Won 1G 4 4 2 G ,165 Michigan Boy is the only winner of a winter Derby that is eligible for the Kentucky Derby, and he appears to be a certain starter in the big event, for, up to this writing, he has won five of his eight races as a three-year-old, including the Chesapeake Trial Purse, in which he outran several other Derby candidates. He finished second in the Chesapeake Stake but was disqualified for fouling Crazy Coot. His three-year-old record to date is an improvement over a juvenile record which was not at all bad, as in his first season he won a fourth of his races and was unplaced in more than half that he started, lie is regarded as a superior mud runner, but some of his best races have been won on a fast track, which was the condidtion not long ago when he won by a length and a half from Crazy Coot and outdistanced Ned O., Battleship and others in the Chesapeake Trial at Havre de Grace. A race in which he was beaten by the early Derby favorite High Foot at New Orleans has been made much of as showing the high quality of High Foot, which led Michigan Boy by six lengths. This was on a heavy track, supposed to be much to Michigan Boys liking. It was the Derby Trial Handicap and as Michigan Boy went on, in High Foots absence, to win the Louisiana Derby the result accentuated High Foots title to strong consideration for the larger Derby. It should be borne in mind, however, that in this race Michigan Boy was conceding six pounds to High Foot, car- rying 120 pounds while his rival had up only 114. Prior to that Michigan Boy won the Rex Handicap at New Orleans, with 118 pounds up, and in his Louisiana Derby victory he carried 117. OXLY ONCE UXrLACED. In his racing this year, Michigan Boy has been unplaced only once and this was when he was. crowded to the inner rail and his jockey was slightly hurt, causing him to ease up his mount. Last year Michigan Boy was thrown into company with several that are now Derby candidates, and he held his own pretty well with them. In his very first start at Churchill Downs May 18, he engaged Kilkerry, one of the Three Ds candidates, and several others, the race being won by Kilkerry while Michigan Boy was unplaced. In his second start he was unplaced again and some of those that finished ahead of him were All Upset, Gallant Knight and High Foot. "When he did win he made a good job of It, leading Chariot, another Derby eligible, by six lengths. Just prior to this he had been third in a race won by Dedicate. After a respite of more than a month, Michigan Boy resumed racing on the Chicago tracks, but was not very successful in a series of races here, though in one or two in which he was beaten he appeared to be the best in the group. He was more successful on his return to Churchill Downs, where he finished a fast second to Gallant Knight and then won by four lengths from a field which included Playtime .and Fiddler. In his first race at Latonia he was second to Galaday as a result of running out. Then at three-quarters of a mile on a fast track he beat Gallant Knight a head, the latter conceding him ten pounds. In the Fort Thomas Handicap, on a heavy track, he was fourth to Bellsmith, Try Too and Uncle Luther, after swerving, but he beat Gallant Knight and Fiddler.