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GOV. CHANDLER . HOME FIRST IN ILLINOIS DERBY - ■ - ■ 4» XAVIER TAKES SECOND Dolly Val Sets Early Pace on Sloppy Aurora Track. Miles and Hawks Colorbearer Earns ,560 — Big Crowd Watches Final Program of Meeting. AURORA, 111., May 28.— Gov. Chandler, named for the chief executive of Kentucky and performing under the joint ownership of J. Fred Miles, Louisville oilman, and Howard Hawks, Hollywood motion picture director, raced through drizzling rain and sloppy footing to a hard-earned and popular victory in the seventh running of the Illinois Derby before a water-soaked crowd of approximately 15,000 persons at the Fox Valley course here this afternoon. The gelded son of Reigh Count, shipped here from Louisville expressly for his engagement in the 2,000 added test of a mile and a furlong, carried jockey Willie Garner over the course in 1:58 to finish first by a little less than a length as Xavier, carrying the hopes of Wesley Sears Farm, finished second and James Emerys Dolly Val, a filly, ran third, three lengths farther away. Fourth .to complete the soggy journey, which netted the winner ,560, was P. L. Kelleys Count Valiant, while in his wake followed five other three-year-olds including the Greentree Stable entry of Birthday and Gangplank, which ruled second choice in I the betting to the winner. GOING TO CALIFORNIA. Gov. Chandler, which is to be shipped to California tomorrow by trainer Kirby Ramsey, paid .40 for in the mutuels and received a rousing acclaim from the throng, which turned out both to witness the Derby and to bid goodbye to the sport at the local track for another year. Todays program brought to a "lose the twenty-four day spring season of the Fox Valley Jockey Club. Gov. Chandler, performing under an impost of 118 pounds, was under strong restraint for about three-quarters as Taxes and then Dolly Val showed the way. The Miles and Hawks racer was called upon on the second turn and he responded gamely. He caught Dolly Val on the stretch turn, but the filly battled on doggedly and it was not until reaching the last eighth that Gov. Chandler was able to get to the front. A short time later he shook off the Emery miss and had enough left to withstand the bid of Xavier, which finished gamely under jockey Paul Ryan. GAINS STEADDLY. Xavier, outrun early, steadily improved his position after going five-eighths, swung wide going into the stretch and finished fast to overtake Dolly Val inside the last sixteenth and to present his challenge to the winner. Dolly Val, though tiring near the end, took third honors two lengths before Count Valiant, which came from a good distance back to be fourth. Birthday, with Eddie Arcaro at the reins, raced wide and floundered badly in the going and never proved a serious threat, while Taxes gave way fast after his early Continued on thirty-eighth page. w — — — _—_ GOV. CHANDLER FIRST HOME IN ILLINOIS DERBY Continued from first page. display of speed. The others — Elooto, My Feng and Gangplank — were out of the running early. With fitting ceremony, the winning horse was honored after his triumph. Propitiously Mr. Miles, one of the owners of the winner, had been commissioned by Governor Chandler of Kentucky to present the victor with a saddle and bridle, while Arthur OBrien, secretary to Governor Henry Horner of Illinois, presented a blanket. SEVENTH RUNNING. The 2,000 added Illinois Derby was run for the seventh time here this afternoon as the headline event on a program bringing to a close the twenty-four day spring season of the Fox Valley Jockey Club. Although clouds hung ominously over this sector just about the time fans were heading for the track, a great crowd, probably the largest of the season, was on hand to view the mile and a furlong fixture for three-year-olds and the Aurora season brought to a close. Rain last night and early this morning removed all chance for a fast track for todays sport, and the change in racing conditions caused numerous withdrawals from the original program. The strip was muddy for the first race. A handicap which was to have brought together a good band of sprinters was declared off entirely and a substitute, on the card for the purpose, was offered in its stead. To provide a large field for the eighth race, on which the "Quinella" is sold, the original third and eighth events were transposed. FIRST RUN IN 1923, The Illinois Derby, which was run for the first time in 1923 at Hawthorne and which has been run here each year since 1933, drew a well-matched field which saw a number of the best locally-quartered three- year-olds against a capable band of invaders. I In Memoriam won the first running of the j stake, while the five which captured its ! renewal at the Aurora track were, in order, I Sweeprush, Mata Hari, Sun Portland, Rush- j away and last year Case Ace. While the horses were at the post for the second race it began to drizzle, but before the riders could weigh out afterwards a veritable deluge hit this sector. Among the withdrawals from the Derby field because of the change in track conditions were Mountain Ridge, John One, Silver Sarah, and Fairflax.
