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SIXTYFIRST KENTUCKY DERBY TODAY N NLarge Large and Imposing Field of Best Three YearOlds Surviving the Rigors of Training Season Named to Contest for Greatly Coveted Prize Late Developments May Send a Filly the Brilliant Nellie Flag to the Post as Public Choice Todays Bruised Heel Will Not Keep Him Out of Race Omaha Plat Eye Psychic Bid Boxthorn and Commonwealth Rate Highly Crowd as High as asBetween Between 80000 and 100000 Expected Despite the Inclement Weather Prevailing LOUISVILLE Ky May 3 Churchill Downs more picturesque and steeped in tradition than ever after sixty runnings of the Kentucky Derby takes its position Saturday as the focal point for millions of racing fans about the 1935 renewal of Americas most popular sporting event Never in the long history of the Derby is the atmosphere so tense and emotions of owners trainers jockeys track officials railbirds and the general public so varied and conflicting as they are over Saturdays renewal of the great feature Tonight this generally quiet Kentucky metropolis was truly the melt ¬ ing pot of the nation seething with visitors from near and far all intent on witnessing the battle royal tomorrow afternoon about 505 oclock Cen ¬ tral Standard Time for the right to receive the major share of a 46000added purse and the worlds plaudits Since the names of the 110 nominees were first announced early in March this years Derby always has been re ¬ garded as a wide open event and more racingfailed so since early spring racing failed to produce a candidate upon which the public could center its attention Further disruption of the Derby picture came with three severe rainstorms yesterday and a steady downpour last night the change in track condition resulting in a new wave of support for Nellie Flag the long striding stoutly mad daughter of American Flag and Nellie Morse in the Calumet Farm Sta ¬ ble of Warren Wright Chicago sportsman and only filly among the twentytwo over ¬ night entries Number of Overnight Entries 22 Probable Favorite Nellie Flag Probable Track Condition Slow SlowAttendance Attendance 80000 to 100 000 So well are the chances of Nellie Flag re ¬ garded in all circles here tonight that it seems she will be the post favorite in thV local classic classicAs As Nellie Flag carries the expectations of the majority to become the second filly to win a Kentucky Derby duplicating the feat attained by Regret in 1915 she is being hailed as the greatest member of her sex to compete in the Blue Grass Special in the twenty years since racing history was made by the daughter of Broomstick Omaha appears likely to be the second choice This son of Gallant Fox himself a Derby winner has come up to his engage ¬ ment in a manner striking the fancy of many persons and with general confidence expressed in his ability to run well over a soft track the representative of William Woodwards Belair Stud Stable may have support FlagWith second only that given Nellie Flag With the Calumet filly a standout among her sex last season as a juvenile and look ¬ ing very impressive in her preparation this spring carrying the hopes of the West so Omaha will be the principal representative of the East especially of New York This fact became apparent today when the re ¬ port became widespread that C V Whit ¬ neys Today winner of the Wood Memorial Continued on eleventh page SIXTYFIRST KENTUCKY DERBY Continued from first page Stakes over the Greentree Stables Plat Eye Omaha Brookmeade Stables Psychic Bid and J H Louchheims Morpluck all of which are expected Derby participants was suffering from an aliment After an exami ¬ nation by a veterinarian John A Healey who was in charge of the colt until the arrival of his father said Today was suf ¬ fering from a bruised heel which apparently was not serious enough to prevent the colt from filling his Derby engagement How ¬ ever the report served to cause many per ¬ sons to switch their allegiance to other candidates principally Omaha OmahaDespite Despite the change in feeling Nellie Flag is not likely to be a short priced favorite and her odds may be very little lower than those of Omaha and Today while the sup ¬ port given Plat Eye E R Bradleys Box thorn and Mrs Walter M Jeffords Com ¬ monwealth may be such as to cause them to be regarded only slightly less than the favorites Boxthorns final workout over the Derby distance in 206 was all the information required by the countless Brad ¬ ley followers to make them believe the ven ¬ erable sportsman would see his silks borne to their fifth triumph in the local classic classicCommonwealth Commonwealth which came here as the main hope of the Marylanders has not impressed Kentucky observers as much as some of the other eastern invaders and even though his chances increase consid ¬ erably in muddy going he may not be among the first three favorites George Woolf who guided Azucar to victory in the 100000 Santa Anita Handicap and who will pilot Commonwealth tomorrow was heard to re ¬ mark after he worked the Bostonian geld ¬ ing the other day that the threeyearold had attempted to bear out practically all the way This statement made a profound impression on Churchill Downs horsemen and railbirds railbirdsStill Still another candidate which has lost support since reaching the Downs is Roman Soldier champion colt of winter racing and the representative of Elwood Sachsenmaier and Phil Reuter Horsemen who saw the black son of Cohort in his Texas Derby triumph declare he has lost much weight since that race and he will not be at his best for tomorrows gruelling mile and a quarter grind grindThe The name of Roman Soldier was the first to appear on an overnight entry blank The instant entry clerk Larry Bogenschutz opened his office this morning George Swain in behalf of trainer Reuter wasthere to hand in Roman Soldiers name Preston Burch trainer of Commonwealth was right behind Reuter with the entry of the Phila ¬ delphiaowned gelding geldingTommy Tommy Driscoll was third with the papers on Omaha followed by John Gaver who is in charge of Plat Eye Bert Williams then strolled into the office to name Nellie Flag and Calumet Dick the latter to carry the Wright colors only if something happens to the fillyWith filly With all twentytwo of the overnight en ¬ tries going to the barrier the Derby will have a grogs value of 51550 of which all but 10425 will represent the net value to the winner Of the latter sum 6000 goes to the second horse 3000 to the third and 1000 to the fourth while the entrance and starting fees total 425 The entire group of overnight candidates must start for the field to equal the record number established in 1928 when Reigh Count won the richest re ¬ newal of the attraction For each of the horses to be scratched up until 45 minutes before post the Derby gross value and net amount to the winner will be decreased by 400 400Each Each of the starters in the mile and a quarter special must take up the exacting burden of 126 pounds with the exception of Nellie Flag which gets a five pound allow ¬ ance by virtue of her sex In the draw for post positions the speedy St Bernard drew the rail with Nellie Flag drawing number ten Omaha eleven Boxthorn thirteen Plat Eye seventeen Today nineteen and Commonwealth twentyone These will be changed at post time by virtue of declara ¬ tions and should the starting field number no more than eighteen all starters can be accommodated in the Bahr gate with its four stall auxiliary auxiliaryOf Of the overnight field those regarded as doubtful starters include Calumet Dick Bluebeard Blackbirder Color Bearer Chanceview and Tutticurio Calumet Dick will only start if something happens to Nel ¬ lie Flag and their names furnish the only coupling in the overnight entries Tutti ¬ curio is almost certain not to accept the is ¬ sue because of the change in track condi ¬ tions while the entry of Color Bearer appar ¬ ently was made solely for the sake of publicity
