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, ! Kentucky Derbys of Past-Charts and Future Books 1924 j The Golden Jubilee of the Kentucky Derby was celebrated in 1924 and, while it was a memorable renewal in so far as the race itself and the public were concerned, it was nothing more or less than a "Black Friday" for the bookmakers of the country. They will never forget Black Gold, the winner. The horse was well named. It was a black day for the layers when the medium-sized son of Black Toney Useeit won the Kentucky Derby, and it cost them most of the gold they possessed. Many were paying off years afterward. Black Gold was a horse of "glamour," as they say in the movies. He was owned by Mrs. R. M. Hoots of Oklahoma, the "black gold" country. His dam, Useeit, had been barred from racing when Hoots refused to turn her over to a man who claimed her in a race. Hoots made a deal with E. R. Bradley to mate the mare to Black Toney, the terms for the mating being known only to them. Black Gold was a "winter" star. He opened at 25 to 1 in the futures and became the "Peoples choice." They backed him from Podunk to Peoria and points west. He went up -to 40 to 1 on March 16, and in the ensuing rush of players to get aboard bookmakers were almost swamped with Black Gold money. There was much class to the probable Derby field of 1924. Among the Derby candidates were Sarazen and Wise Counsellor, which shared favoritism in the early betting at 6 to 1; St. James, a 15 to 1 chance; Beau Butler, a Bradley horse; Chilhowee, Altawood, Mad Play, King Gorin II., Bracadale and Mr. Mutt. Because such horses as Sarazen, Wise Counsellor, St. James and Mad Play remained possible starters right up to the end of April, the layers were not unduly alarmed by the preponderance of Black Gold money. They figured he was just "another winter horse" and felt sure that Sarazen, Wise Counsellor, St. James or any of the others could take him in stride. Unfortunately for the layers, not a single one of the last named trio made the race and on May 2 St. James, which hung on longer than the others, was a 5 to 1 choice, Black Gold becoming second choice at around 12 to 1. The Derby itself was a confusing sort of affair. The judges were slightly bewildered when a stirring finish developed and they failed to distinguish between the green and white colors of the Rancocas Stable and E. R. Bradley, carried by Beau Butler and Bracadale. The places involved were third and fifth. Black Gold beat Chilhowee in a great race, with Beau Butler third, Altawood fourth, Bracadale fifth and Transmute sixth. It was a big field, nineteen horses starting. Black Gold" was a heavy favorite in the mutuel pool and paid only 175 to 100. He went on to numerous other triumphs in Derbys, and his end was a tragic one. As a matter of fact, Black Golds history from beginning to untimely end at the New Orleans Fair Grounds, where he finished a race on three legs, then was destroyed and buried in the infield, reads more like a novel than the everyday life saga of the usual brilliant race horse. It was a life in which confusion, broken hearts and pocket books ended in tragedy. The chart of that race is therefore well worth reading and is here reproduced: 1 I FIFTH RACE 1 1-4 MTJJES. Woodtrap, May 21, 19212:037106. Fiftieth Kunning KENTUCKY DERBY. 50,000 Added and Gold Trophy. 3-year-4 JJJJL olds. Weighfc-for-age. May-17-24-C.D Net va!ue t0 winner 2,775; second, ,000; third, ,000; fourth, ,000. Index Horses Eqt A Wt PP St 1 Str Fin Jockeys Owners Equiv. Odds Strt 78975 BLACK GOLD wl26 1 3 5h 6and 3 32 1 MooneyJD Mrs R M Hoots 175-100 78901 CHILHOWEE w 126 13 6 4 3 4 1 2" JohnsonA Gallaher Bros 1525-100 788282BEAU BUTLER wb 126 10 8 15and lllO1 10and 3and LykeL Idle Hour Stock Farm 1025-100 78828 ALTAWOOD wl26 7 19 19 14 7 52 4h McDmtL C B Head 1910-100 78948 BRACADALE wb 126 12 4 1 l3 l2 2 58 SandeE Rancocas Stable 340-100 789482TRANSMUTE wl26 2 1 61 4and 22 43 6and McAteeL H P Whitney fl025-100 78948 REVENUE AGENT w 126 5 9 10 81 8 7 7and HurnD G A Cochran 2675-100 78948 THORNDALE wb126 6 11 V- 7 53 6 82 MarinelliB B Block fl070-100 785932KLONDYKE wl26 3 13 8b Hfe 91 9 9 Parkel H P Whitney fr 789483MAD PLAY wb 126 9 14 11and 9 6 8J 10 FatorL Rancocas Stable 789753KING GORIN n. w 126 4 12 122 172 12 13 11 GarnerM P Coyne 3560-100 78899 CANNON SHOT wb126 8 18 1819 11 121 12 EllisG C A HartweU f 78948 MODEST ws 126 16 15 IV- 182 14and 11 131 WallaceJ E B McLean f 78706 DIOGENES w 126 15 10 16and 15 13 14 142 PonceC Mrs W M Jeffords t 78948 NAUTICAL w 126 19 7 9 16and 15 15and 15 LangC J S Cosden f 788563MR. MUTT w 126 17 17 17 13 17 16 162 MerimeeJ H C Fisher 3500-100 78644 BAFFLING wb126 18 2 2 2 16 17 171 CarrollGW Idle Hour Stock Farm J 789752WILD ASTER w 126 11 5 31 5 181 182 18 ColtilettiF Greentree Stable f 788283BOB TAIL w 126 14 16 141 12 19 19 19 BlindE Idle Hour Stock Farm fMutuel field. JCoupled as Idle Hour Stock Farm Stable entry; Rancocas Stable entry; ttH. P. Whitney entry-Time, 11, -Alt 1:13, 1:39J, 2:05. Track fast. , HUTUELS PAID OFFICIAL ROOKING 0I1T8 . BLACK GOLD 530 $ 5.40 $ 4.40 175100 170100 120100 CHILHOWEE 12.30 7.30 515100 265100 IDLE HOUR STOCK FARM STABLE ENTRY 4.70 135108 Winner BIk. c, by Black Toney Useeit, by Bonnie Joe trained by H. Webb; bred by Mrs. R. M. Hoots. , WENT TO POST 4:43. AT POST 2 minutes. Start good and slow. Won driving; second and third the same. BLACK GOLD, well ridden and prominent in the early racing, moved up resolutely after reaching the stretch and disposed of the others in the last seventy yards. CHILHOWEE ran a good race and headed BRACADALE in the last eighth, but tired slightly near the end. BEAU BUTLER closed a great gap and ran an excellent race. ALTAWOOD closed an immense gap after making a slow beginning. BRACADALE tired after leading to the stretch. TRANSMUTE was done after going the first three-quarters. MAD PLAY was always outrun. BAFFLING ran a good three-quarters. The others were never prominent. Scratched 79089 Glide, 121. The Future Book prices from the" opening quotations until the day of the race follow: March March March April April April May Horse. 13 16 24 5 17 30 2 Odds Odds Odds Odds Odds Odds Odda Black Gold 25 40 20 12 12 12 Chilhowee 50 50 50 ... 40 30 Beau Butler 25 20 20 20 20 25 15 Altawood .. 50 200 50 ... ... 30 Bracadale 40 50 50 40 40 40 Transmute 20 30 30 30 ... 30 Revenue Agent 40 100 100 ... Thorndale 50 40 60 ... ... 20 Klondyke 50 50 40 40 40 40 Mad Play 15 15 15 15 15 10 King Gorin IT. 40 50 40 40 ... 40 Cannon Shot 200 200 200 ... .t.. 50 Modest 100 100 100 ... ... .... 50 Diogenes 30 30 20 20 20 20 Nautical 50 100 40 40 40 25 ... Mr. Mutt 50 60 30 30 30 30 .. Baffling 50 200 200 ... ... .... Wild Aster 50 200 200 Bob Tail 40 50 50 ... ... 56 Sarazen 6 6 5 5 6 5 Wise Counsellor 6 6 6 6 4 4 St. James .15 12 12 12 12 8 5
