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i f KENTUCKY DERBY j RECOLLECTIONS Display, one of the greatest money-winners of all time, was a dismal failure as a Derby contender. He finished tenth in 1926, and never was in the running. Remember Pompey? He was the winner of the Futurity Stakes of 1925 and the Easts leading Derby candidate in 1926. Was close second choice to the Bradley entry. Finished unplaced. He is the sire of Ladysman, this years favorite. Just as 1926 was E. R. Bradleys big Derby year — one of his two big ones — so was 1927 H. P. Whitneys great year. Whitneys Bos-tonian won the Preakness Stakes, with Whiskery third. Then his Whiskery won the Derby, with Bostonian just a head away from fourth Derby money. Rolled Stockings, after beating Osmand in the Derby Trial, was second choice to the Whitney entry in the Derby of 1927. He finished far back. The Derby of 1928 brought together a whale of a field, if you consider what all of these contenders accomplished in after years: Reigh Count, Misstep, Toro, Sun Beau, Distraction, Petee-Wrack and Sortie. The Derby of 1924, which Black Gold won, has often been called the "off" field of modern times. But for it, the field of 1930 might have gained this dubious distinction. Morvich was a very strong favorite when he won in 1922, paying only .20 to . The Bradley entry, consisting of Bet Mosie, By Gosh and Busy American, was second choice. Bet Mosie finished second and John Finn, a long shot, was third. Prudery, which died a few years ago, was the last filly to finish in the money in the Derby. This was in 1921, the year Behave Yourself won. Very few fillies have started since, including Startle, in 1921, and Ben Machree, in 1929. Old Rosebud, ridden by J. McCabe in the H. C. Applegate colors, ran the Derby mile and a quarter in the record time of 2:03% and that mark, established over a water soaked track, stood until Twenty Grand lowered it in 1931 to 2:01%. Many of the old-timers are sanguine in the opinion that on the day he accounted for the Derby, Old Rosebud was the greatest horse this country has known. And just look at some of the things accomplished by some of those that were beaten by Clyde Van Dusen in the Derby of 1929: Blue Larkspur won the Belmont, Withers and Classic Stakes; Windy City won the American Derby; Karl Eitel won the Fair-mount Derby; The Nut won the Latonia Championship Stakes; Ben Machree won the Latonia Cup. The highest odds in recent years against the first three in the Derby were in 1923 when Zev, Martingale and Vigil shared the big money. Zev was better than 19 to 1. Martingale, as one of the Cosden entry, was practically 20 to 1 straight, and Vigil, belonging to W. J. Salmon, was better than 15 to 1 straight. The favorite in the race was F. Johnsons Nassau, which finished fourth. Paul Jones, the winner in 1920, was the first to carry the present arbitrary Derby weight of 126 pounds. Cleopatra was the " only filly which ran that year and she was far out of it. The Whitney entry of Upset, Damask and Wildair was the betting choice of that year. Do you remember the favorite in the Derby field of 1925? It was Frederick Johnsons Quatrain, which had won the Louisiana Derby. And do you remember which horses were in the mutuel betting field with G. A. Cochrans Flying Ebony, the winner? They were H. C. Fishers Swope, Lexington-Xalapa entry of Prince of Bourbon and Sweeping Away, W. Ziegler, Jr.s Needle Gun, S. A. Cowans Boon Companion, La Brea Stables Elector, R. W. Collins Lee O. Cotner and A. A. Buschs Chief Uncas. The mutuel field paid only .30 straight, .80 place and .80 show.
