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Record Gross Purse for Derby Likely To Total 6,875 If Sixteen Compete Winner Would Earn 4,850 With That Many Competing, Bettering Last Years Mark LOUISVILLE. Ky., June 8.— If tomorrows seventy-first Kentucky Derby attracts as many as 16 starters, and there is good reason to believe the field will embrace that many, then the gross purse of 6,875 will be an all-time high, surpassing by 75 last years entire Derby pot. In addition, the monetary reward of 4,675 which Calumet Farms Pensive earned last year will be eclipsed, the winner shading that mark by 75. To illustrate, lets break down the figures and discover just why a new all-time reward awaits this years Derby victor, provided, of course, there are 16 starters in the field. To begin with, the Churchill Downs management, since 1940. has endowed the famous fixture with a purse of 5,000 in added money. Each nominator to the race must pay a 5 fee and with 155 nominations this year, ,875 is added to the pool In addition to the nominating fee. it cost 00 to actually start a horse and if 16 accept the issue, the original 5,000 is thus increased another ,000. Deductions From Entire Purse From the entire purse, which now has been swelled to 6,875. the following deductions are made: 25 entailing nominating and starting fees. ,000 to the owner of the horse to finish second. ,000 to the owner of the horse finishing third. ,000 to the owner of the horse finishing fourth. ,000 to the trainer of the winner, ,000 to the trainer of the horse finishing second, ,000 to the trainer of the horse finishing third and an additional ,500 in awards to breeders of the one. two. three finishers. Thus, whoever steps home in front of the Derby field tomorrow may enrich his owner to the extent of 4,850. the most liberal award to date. Chance of Wright Stable If Pot o Luck, Calumet Farms Derbv hope, can duplicate Whirlaways 1,275 victory in 1941 and Pensives 4,675 triumph last year, then the extensive racing establishment of Warren Wright will have garnered first money in three of the four richest Derbies to date, the total value of which will be 90,800. Col. E. R. Bradley will be shooting for his fifth Derby victory with Burning Dream tomorrow, and if that colt should happen to lead home the parade, the Colonel will have realized 44,640 in Derby first prizes. Already Bradleys horses have garnered 79,790. Behave Yourself having won 8,450 in 1921. Bubbling Over 0,075 in 1926. Burgoo King 2,350 in 1932 and Brokers Tip 8,925 in 1933. The smallest purse for the annual classic was ,850 which Aristides won in 1875. the inaugural running of the race. Since then, the purses in the historic race have served as a fair barometer in recording the trend of the times. From Aristides in 1875 to Worth in 1912. no Derby purse surpassed ,460. the amount won by Riley in 1890. With the advent of the roaring twenties, the purses have consistently hovered at or above the 0,000 mark, even in the depression years of the early thirties. A notable exception occurred in 1934 when Brookmeade Stables Cavalcade earned only 8,175 in turning back 13 rivals. The following year the trend once again was forward, climaxed by Pensives 4,675 victory last year.
