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Derby Day at Churchill Downs i t Annual Trek to Louisville Brings Thousands Upon Thousands From Near and Far by Rail, Motor and Air to Witness Fifty-Seventh Running of Americas Outstanding Horse Race — Large and Select Field to Measure Strides for Coveted Fame and Monetary Reward Conferred on the Winner 1 . I i LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 15. — Fifteen are named to start in the Kentucky Derby, with three listed as i doubtful. The latter include Don Leon, Up and The Mongol. The field, including weights, riders, owners, j trainers and breeders, follows: j Horse. Wt. Rider. Owner. Trainer. Breeder. i Mate 126 G.Ellis A. C. Bostwick J. W. Healy A. C. Bostwick J Twenty Grand 126 C. Kurtsinger . .Greentree Stable J. Rowe Greentree Stable Surf Board 126 E. Watte rs Greentree Stable J. Rowe J. W. Parrish i Anchors Aweigh. . . .126 E. Steffen Greentree Stable J. Rowe Greentree Stable ! Ladder 126 L. Schaefer. .. .W. J. Salmon R. Pryce Mereworth Stud j Equipoise 126 R. Workman . . . C. V. Whitney F. Hopkins H. P. Whitney ♦ Sweep All 126 F. Coltiletti Dixiana C. Van Dusen Stone and Rucker Pittsburgher 126 C. Corbett Shady Brook Farm Stable. J. H. Moody J.H.Gaines Insco 126 S. ODonnell. ..Griffin Watkins B. J. Durnell C. T. Grayson * Spanish Play 126 C.E.Allen Knekelkamp and Morris G. Land Audley Farm Boys Howdy 126 G.Riley H. C. Hatch L.Gentry Idle Hour Stock Farm j Don Leon 126 H. Fisher R. W. Collins R. W. Collins R. W. Collins • Up 126 C. McHugh Mrs. James M. Crofton M. W. Buck C.T.Grayson i Prince DAmour. . . .126 E. James ~seph Leiter N. K. Beal K. N. Gilpin j The Mongol 126 J. McCoy Hamburg Place W. Reed j. E. Madden LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 15. — Americas outstanding horse race will be decided at beautiful Churchill Downs tomorrow. This will be the fifty-seventh running of the turf classic, which was established in 1875, and a crowd of well over the 50,000 mark is certain to witness the contest between the superb creatures of the thoroughbred world named to strive for the rich prize and the glory that belong to the winner of this coveted event. There is every prospect for more favorable weather than graced recent runnings of the race, predictions being for clear skies and a fast track. From all parts of the country special trains have been bringing the immense concourse of people that come here annually for the Derby, with the usual number of first time visitors. More special trains are due tonight and the late arrivals will reach here tomorrow morning. Everything is in readiness for their reception, and nothing remains but to await for the bugle that will summon Twenty Grand, Mate, Equipoise, Pittsburgher and other stars to battle for the blue ribband of the turf. While it was not expected there would be eleven seen under silks, the overnight entries gave promise of fifteen, with three of these, Twenty Grand, Anchors Aweigh and Surf Board, all to carry the silks of the Greentree Stable. Mate, winner of the Preakness; Ladder, the Walter J. Salmon colt, third in that running, and C. V. Whitneys Equipoise comprise the invaders. The nine that oppose these are Dixianas Swep All, Mrs. James N. Croftons Up, Madden Bros. The Mongol, which will race for Hamburg Place, R. W. Collins Don Leon, Kne-belkamp and Morris Spanish Play, winner of the Louisiana Derby, H. C. Hatchs Boys Howdy, a winter performer in Cuba, T. E. Muellers Pittsburgher, Joseph Leiters Prince DAmour and Griff Watkins Insco. In the draw for post positions, Sweep All has the rail, with Equipoise second and Anchors Aweigh third. Ladder is out in No. 7 and then comes Twenty Grand in No. 8 and this fellow will assuredly be the favorite at post time. The post position is a desired one, for in the Preakness Twenty Grand left from the inside position, and his inability to leave the post running resulted in his meeting with serious interference on the first turn. Of course, in the Derby there is a much longer run before the turn is reached, and every runner will have ample opportunity to find his position before the turn is reached. Mate Is one of the outside positions when he is assigned No. 13, and Pittsburgher is just inside of him, while Prince DAmour and Insco are the two outside horses. As a matter of fact, the chances of these are not seriously considered, and the post position is of no moment. Surf Board is No. 11, and he is such a fast breaker and is under way Continued on second page. DERBY DAY AT CHURCHILL Continued from first page. so quickly that he will be in the first flight when the stands are reached. But the important thing in this matter of post position is the fact that Twenty Grand is far enough away from the rail to run small chance of meeting with the earlier interference he suffered in the running of the Preakness. With the promised fifteen starters, the Derby will have a gross value of 0,750. with a net value to the winner of 0,225. The owner of the second horse will receive ,000. third ,000, and the fourth has ,000. Derby eve, with all of its hopes and fears and Louisville in its holiday attire, crowded streets and more crowded hotel lobbies and the big race the one topic on all sides. Riotous gaiety and each train bringing in new crowds coming from near and far to be on hand for the one race of the year that will never lose its tremendous appeal. That is the Louisville of tonight. It has been the Louisville year after year, and no business depression can dim the brilliance of the wonderful classic. It is the date from which all other events are reckoned and the race that is taken as the standard of spring thoroughbred worth. The race that produces more of a sporting rivalry among the different sections than any other, and the most coveted prize of them all. This year more than ever before in years of renewal, the invaders from the East have a wonderful band, but Kentucky is never whipped until the "red board is up and on all sides can be heard local defenders of the quality of the home product. On other occasions it has been pointed out that Kentucky has upset the best laid plans of those from the East, and there is still that abiding loyalty to the colts that will be raced. There is every indication that the renewal will be under sunny skies and that the track will be fast. For the first time in five years there will come opportunity for display of the Derby Day finery that has so often been prohibited by reason of rain or thoroughly drenched by the braver souls that defied the elements. In 1927 Whiskery won for the late Harry Payne Whitney through muddy going. Reigh Count brought fame to the silks of Mrs. John Hertz in 1928 on a rainy day. The track was flooded several feet out from the inner rail when Clyde Van Dusen was steered to victory by "Pony" McAtee in 1929, and the victory of William Woodwards Gallant Fox last year was earned in a rainstorm. After the son of Sir Gallahad III. was home the winner, Lord Derby stood out in a teeming rain to present the cup and congratulate Earl Sande, who had the winning ride. On the. eve of the running of the Derby there is a promise that the track will be at its best. Churchill Downs is probably not as fast a racing strip as it was when Old Rosebud hung out the record of 2:03% for its running in 1914, and it is not as fast a surface as it was when Bubbling Over was winner for Edward R. Bradley in 1926, running the mile and a quarter in 2:03%, but it is a surface that is more to the liking of trainers generally than it was in those years. During the winter considerable new soil was added to the top dressing and the cushion made more grateful to the galloping horses. This, naturally, slowed up the track to some extent and lessened the chance for the breaking of records, but it remains both a fast and a safe course. The addition of the new soil to the cushioi. has resulted in the course taking a bit longer to dry out thoroughly after it has been drenched by continuous rains and it was such a condition that confronted trainers for the final week of preparation for the Derby. Fortunately, every one of the candidates for the classic had completed training before this handicap to training operations and the condition of the footing was of small moment. It became only a question of keeping the eligibles on edge and this seems to have been done magnificently. Fast early pace will be of great benefit to Twenty Grand, but it will also help the chances of Mate, the two that were first and second in the running of the Preakness. Equipoise will also be helped by the fast pace, but the C. V. Whitney colt has gone back steadily in public estimation since his arrival at the Downs until he is no longer considered as a real menace to such as Twenty Grand and Mate. Ladder, the Walter Salmon hope, which raced third to Mate and Twenty Grand in the Preakness, will surely find the distance too far for comfort, but he is one of the company well qualified to keep step with Surf Board in the early racing. Up will only have a chance should there come unexpected rain and consequent muddy going. Insco has not impressed in his recent trials and, as a matter of fact, looking over all of those named for the Kentucky contingent, Pittsburgher must be rated as the most formidable. In the running of the Preakness it was Ladder that went along with Clock Tower to make pace, while Surf Board, thoughly plainly able to go to them at any time, was under a stiff restraint in third place. Then it was Ladder that stuck it out to be third after both Clock Tower and Surf Board were through and for that reason it is expected that he will last longer than the son of Pennant tomorrow.
