view raw text
TWENTY-SEVENTH AMERICAN DERBY , m W a m W a , i Chicago Prepared to Turn Out En Masse to Witness Its Most Famous Horse Race—Roman Soldier Prospective Favorite of Thirteen Scheduled to Measure Strides for the 5,000 Added Prize and Honor of Enrolling Among Winners of Historical and Much Cherished Racing Fixture— Size of Crowd Depends on Weather • HOMEWOOD, 111., June 21. — The American Derby, steeped high in glamorous traditions, the most famous . of Chicago racing fixtures and the race that annually arouses the greatest local enthusiasm, will be renewed i i at Washington Park here tomorrow with a fine field of three-year-olds competing over a trying mile and one-j quarter route for approximately 2,000 in prize money. 5 Thirteen, headed by the crack Roman Soldier, which may go to the post one of the shortest-priced favorites 1 in the ten runnings since the stake was revived in 1926, are named for tomorrows race, the twenty-seventh since Edward Corrigans Modesty took the first American Derby at old Washington Park in 1884. j A capacity, if not overflow, crowd is expected to witness the race and this, irrespective of weather for the " occasion, so eager to view the battle of three-year-olds is Chicagos racing populace. Barring rain, the contest will be decided over a slow, or aHre very best, good course. The forecast of the weather man is for showers tonight and possibly Saturday morning. Of the twelve others entered, nine are considered as certain to dispute the issue with the ranking Roman Soldier. They are Black Helen, Bloodroot, Cold Shoulder, Tearout, Nellie Flag, Firethorn, Judy OGrady, Blackbirder and Count Arthur. The trio completing the field but not expected to start, consists of Whopper, Ann ORuley and Joseph J. G. It is the strongest and one of the largest fields secured for the race during its modern record and with ten starters the stake money will gross 1,800, of which the winner will receive 6,550 and a valuable gold trophy. NO EASY CONTEST. Though the swing to Roman Soldier, which started following his smashing triumph in the Detroit Derby a week ago, had assumed landslide proportions as prospects for an off or dull track became brighter and brighter, promises to send him into the fray a pronounced choice, a hard fought contest ia seen under any conditions. In the first place the Sachsenmaier and Reuter colt, whose three-year-old record also includes, besides the triumph at Detroit, a victory in the Texas Derby and seconds in the Kentucky and Illinois Derbys, will shoulder top weight of 123 pounds. Most of the other candidates get in at 118 pounds, Black Helen, Firethorn, Cold Shoulder, Count Arthur, Blackbirder and Whopper; the Latonia Derby winner, Tearout, receiving only two pounds from the Sachsenmaier and Reuter horse. Bloodroot, Nellie Flag, Ann ORuley and Judy OGrady completing the remarkably large entry of five fillies, will compete under imposts of 113 pounds for each of the former three, while Judy OGrady will have up but 109 pounds. With a fairly firm track prevailing, E. R, Bradleys Florida Derby winner. Black Helen, and her stable companion, Bloodroot, are expected to give Roman Soldier the most i trouble, with Mrs. J. D. Hertz Count Arthur j and W. M. Jeffords entry of Firethorn and , Judy OGrady, the generally accepted mors dangerous threats if the course is muddy oi heavy. CHANCE FOR OUTSIDER. However, the greater popularity of th« I candidates mentioned does not mean that j I the winner cannot come from the group of I lesser lights, consisting of Tearout, Nellie Flag, Blackbirder, Cold Shoulder and any others that may start. Several in this group j I have at times exhibited quality enough to race successfully in any company and who knows but what tomorrow may see one of them adding to the many surprises already crowded into the history of this coveted old prize. According to trainer Phil Reuter, Roman Soldier is not only going to be a very hard horse to beat, but his effort tomorrow may be the most sparkling of his career. He ran his top race in the Detroit Derby last Saturday and since has given his handlers cause Continued on twtnty-ninth page. i- " : DO 90 ! 117 17 1 j 103 03 112 12 103 03 107 O7 112 114 14 14 115 15 110 !? 110 109 09 109 09 ; 109 5J | 115 jj 112 ■"— 116 .*? 111 j 113 3 109 09 . TWENTY-SEVENTH AEMRICAN DERBY Continued from first page. to believe that he may come through with an even more brilliant performance to-2i morrow. No three-year-old has come to the front more rapidly than Bloodroot and her defeat of Black Helen, the first of the season for the latter, daughter of Black Toney, Count Arthur, Nellie Flag and others in the Pros-12 pect Purse here Saturday, clearly established her as a racer of superlative quality. In the Prospect Purse, which the Bradley stable had hoped to win with Black Helen, Blood-root was forced to go on and win after her stablemate had failed to conquer Count Ar-09 thur. In that race Bloodroot was within a fifth of a second of the track record for one mile and seventy yards. Count Arthur, a consistent winner, is be-*2 lieved to be one of the best muddy track performers of his age and his several fast track efforts during the season, give him something better than an outside chance to prove a sharp contender without his favored footing. Trainers of Tearout, Cold Shoulder, Nellie Flag and others of the candidates, with the exception of Firethorn, today reported their hopefuls fit and ready for the fray. An in- jury, self-inflicted in his last workout, may prevent Firethorn from going to the post. He is reported to have rapped himself and when considerable filling developed today, his handlers saw a chance for the mishap to keep him out of the race.
