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BLACK GOLD — The Golden Jubilee winner of the Kentucky Derby added much ■ . I reflections! I By Nelson Dunstan J Old Rosebud Did Share for Derby Add Regret, Old Bones, Sir Barton Odd Case of Undefeated Morvich As for Romance, Color — Black Gold! NEW YORK, N. Y„ April 30. Col. Lewis Clark, Charles C. Grainger and Col. Matt Winn are the three men who helped make the Kentucky Derby rise from an ordinary horse race to what is now often referred to as Americas "most sporting spectacle." But race horses must make horse races and, while Colonel Winns management came around the year 1902, It was actually in 1914 that the build-up of the Derby really began, and that Old Rosebud must be credited with a part of that build-up. Old Rosebud had been romance and color to the Run for the Roses at the historic Louisville track. bred by John E. Madden, and had been sold for a song, due to the fact that astute 1 breeder thought he would be a mite of a horse when he had grown to full size. It was in 1914 that easterners went to the Downs confident they could beat this western champion, Old Rosebud, who was a curious little fellow with a head that was too big for his body and a neck that was too long for his head. He had short legs and other faults, but he had two things that stayed with him, and one was the depth of his chest and the other, an amazing brand of speed in those short legs. Running in the colors of H. C. Applegate, he simply galloped to beat Hodge and Bronzewing. There is no telling what value Old Rosebud had in building up the Kentucky Derby. It may seem strange, but it has been the Old Rosebuds and other horses which could almost be called freakish, as much as the Hindoos and the Reigh Counts and the Twenty Grands, which had a prominent part in the building up of the Derby. In the year following Old Rosebud, or in 1915, the Whitney Stable had a big strapping filly named Regret, by Broomstick, that they took on to Louisville for the Derby. No filly had ever won this Classic of Churchill Downs, and when Whitney, Rowe, jockey Notter and the filly Regret arrived at the railroad station, the whole entourage was the butt of good-natured raillery. AH eyes were on this member of the so-called weaker sex as she came out on the track, but while it cannot be said that she had an unusual brand of speed, she did have a muscular development that had been denied the male competitors she faced. She won by two lengths from Pebbles, after leading from end to end and, needless to say, there was great rejoicing in the Whitney box after she had been decorated with a wreath of roses. No filly has been able to win since that year, even though Viva America, Nellie Flag and Mata Harl have endeavored to emulate her feat. A trio of odd horses were shortly to follow Regret. In 1917, Omar Khayyam won from Ticket and Midway and, in the doing, became the one and only foreign-bred horse ever to win the Kentucky Derby. In the following year, Sun Briar was an outstanding choice, but as is so often the case, he did not train as his owner, the late Willis Sharpe Kilmer, -and his trainer, Uncle Henry McDaniel would have liked. So, when the trainer bought a big strapping gelding called Exterminator, there was much amusement when he announced that the new acquisition — who was anything but impressive as a two-year-old — was to replace the juvenile champion of the year before. Exterminator was a gelding, by McGee, out of Fair Empress and, as like Old Rosebud, Exterminator was something of a freak, it was decided to unsex him as a two-year-old. There was many a sly glance of amusement at the Kilmer group before the Derby field lined up and, during the running, there was little in the early stages to warrant the thought that the big horse was to be anywhere near the front at the finish line. But, as the throng was to find out that day. Exterminator was the kind of a horse who never won with much margin. At the finish he was one length in front and merely jogging. He was to go on to become the greatest cup horse in the history of this country, if not any country. Prior to the 1919 renewal, Sir Barton was even more of an unknown than Regret or Exterminator. When he went to the post he was second choice in the betting only for the reason that his running partner was Billy Kelly, who was ridden by Earl Sande. When the field broke he was a maiden. But, leading from end to end and winning by five lengths, he had won the first rung of the "Triple Crown" ladder, and with his victories in the Preakness and Belmont, he became the first horse in America ever to win those three coveted events, and is still the only horse in American history to win those three, plus the Withers in the same year. Three years after Sir Barton, Morvich was to come along, and here again we go back to the "freak" angle. He was said to have the appearance of part thoroughbred and part standard-bred trotter. He also had a very bad knee, but even these things did not stop him from winning eleven races in a row as a two-year-old. The Derby was his first start as a three-year-old, and when he won by one and one -half lengths from Bet Mosie, it was predicted he would be one one of the greatest three-year-olds of all times, but, ironically enough, he never won a race after that. The history of the Kentucky Derby Is but a composite of the peculiar histories of many horses who now adorn its winning roster. Yet, for color, for sheer romance, we might say that Black Gold stands out above Extermintor, Regret, Omar Khayyam, Morvich and others who have a peculiar history. Black Gold was a breeding jigsaw, and yet one of the toughest pieces of horseflesh that ever trod the American turf. His dam, Useeit. was one of the most remarkable race mares of all time, having won some thirty races at small western meetings before she was ruled off the turf because her owner would not give her up when she was claimed out of a race. The colts trainer, named Webb, was of Indian blood, and there is no doubt he had a terror on his hands in this horse that was the pride of Oklahoma. At the head of the stretch, he was in third position, but as Mooney, his rider, lashed him with a tube of leather that was said to be filled with small bucks shot, he came through the stretch to pass Chilhowee and Bracadale as if they were standing still. The end of Black Gold was not a pretty one, for, in a cheap claiming race at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, he broke a leg and is buried on the center field of that track today. We could go on and tell the story of little Clyde Van Dusen, who is now a saddle horse, and of others who sprang into prominence as a result of the Derby. But they, ini turn, helped make the Derby the great race it is today. ■
