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RUSHAWAY IN ILLINOIS DERBY Tarn Horse First Eligible for 2,- 000 Aurora Stake. Holl Image Also Eligible With Many Other Crack Three-Year-Old Prospective Starters. AURORA, 111., April 11. Since its inauguration in 1933, Aurora racing officials have endeavored to make the Illinois Derby final stake feature of the spring meeting at the Fox Valley course a "Derby of Derby Winners" by attempting to bring together in the mile and a furlong fixture the winners of as many winter and early spring three-year-old specials as possible. When the field goes to the post for the fourth running of the 2,000 added Illinois Derby on Friday, May 22, there is a strong possibility that this hope will be realized. For among the early nominations for the stake two Derby winners of the winter season have already turned up. First horse named, and a possible favorite for the stake, was A. G. Tarns black gelding, Rushaway, which two weeks ago led a smart field home in the fifteenth running of the Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, and in doing so set a new track record of 1:50 for the mile and a furlong distance. Only recently acquired by Tarn, Rushaway is not widely entered in the three-year-old specials of 1936, and in consequence he is regarded as a certain Illinois Derby starter. The second Derby winner is Holl Image, which recently carried the silks of William Schmidt of Chicago to victory in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park at Hot Springs. During the weeks which remain, every effort will be made to secure the nominations of other winners of three-year-old stakes for the Illinois Derby. And as there is no conflict with other stakes Aurora officials are confident of assembling the best field which has yet faced the starter for the stake. To date nine Illinois Derby nominations have been received by racing secretary Dick Leigh, and he expects to have more than fifty before the list closes. Those now nominated are E. K. Brysons Carvola, Bennet Creechs Reaping, the Hernandez pair of Lolschen and Flag Cadet, Tom Devereauxs Just Frank, Louis Erbs Lovely Spy, and Mrs. James Chesneys Professor Paul. With the purse increased to 2,000 in added money the Illinois Derby moves into the "big five" of Chicago stakes, as far as added value is concerned. Only the Arlington Classic and Futurity, the Chicago Derby, and an undecided stake which Washington Park is expected to stage will surpass it in added money. The race has been increased gradually from the ,000 purse which was offered for its first running in 1933, and if the coming meeting is as successful as is expected, it is likely that another increase will be in order for the 1937 running.
