Forecast Clearing Weather for Derby; Kentucky Oaks to Bring Out Thirteen: List Double Jay Doubtful Starter; Trainer Not Satisfied With Recent Efforts; Jett-Jett To Go if Track Is Off, Daily Racing Form, 1947-05-02

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Forecast Forecast Clearing Clearing Weather Weather for for Derby; Derby; Kentucky Kentucky Oaks Oaks to to Bring Bring Out Out Thirteen Thirteen List Double Jay Doubtful Starter Trainer Not Satisfied With Recent Efforts; Jett-Jett To Go if Track Is Off CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 1. — All roads quite definitely led to Louisville today, and a host of incoming visitors found the Kentucky Derby situatfon jelling into a definite pattern that should see at least 11 horses and possibly 13 go postward. Without exception, trainers kept one eye on their charges and the other on the weather. It rained intermittently here today, and one shower this morning took on near-cloudburst proportions, converting the Churchill strip into a sea of mud. The weather will play a definite role in this, the seventy-third running of the Derby, but regardless of track conditions, it would appear that the C. V. Whitney and A. S. Hewitt colt, Phalanx, will go to the post a favorite. The forecast is for continued threat of rain tonight and clearing tomorrow in which event the track would dry before post time, set at 4:45 Central Standard Time. Double Jay was listed today as a doubtful starter by his trainer, W. L. "Duke" McCue, but he would not go so far as to declare him out. Keenly disappointed in his Derby Trial effort, McCue believes that Double Jay is not himself over the Downs track, and that his training and racing here is far below his sensational training form Continued on Page Thirty-One Clearing Weather Seen For Tomorrows Derby Double Jay Listed as Doubtful By Trainer; Eleven to Compete Continued from Page One shown at Oaklawn Park. The decision as to whether Double Jay goes will be left to his owners, James Boines and James Tigani. At the same time, trainer E. C Dodson, acting for owner W. M. Peavey, of Wisconsin, stated that should the track be muddy, Jett-Jett could be listed as a probable starter. In the event the track is drying out or fast, Jett-Jett will remain in the barn. Jett-Jett worked smartly around the dogs this morning, six furlongs in 1:16, handily, with the first half in :48%. Trainer Preston M, Burch sent the Brookmeade pair of Liberty Road and Master Mind out for a flashy drill. Working together for the first six furlongs head and head, Liberty Road continued on for a mile in 1:46%, breezing. The early fractions were quarter in :25, half in :50, five furlongs in 1:03, and six furlongs in 1:16%. At that point, Master Mind was eased up. While the "dogs" were down, both horses kept well beyond the middle of the track. Obviously pleased with the work, Burch said that Liberty Road would be his only Derby starter. Master Mind definitely will not go and was brought to Churchill solely to work with Liberty Road this morning. Whether or not he has the Derby winner, Burch does not know. But he is confident he has a "stayer" and one that will go the distance in the son of Sir Galla-had III., sire of the Derby winners Gallant Fox, Gallahadion and Hoop Jr. Whether he has the speed to couple with that staying power necessary to win such a race as the Derby is a question that can be answered only by the race itself. Riskolater was the only other Derby candidate on the track and he worked when the "dogs" were in place. He breezed an easy six furlongs in 1:21, with the half in :53%. Riskolater gained many friends by his excellent showing in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, in which he forced Faultless to a drive and was "getting to" the Calumet horse at the wire. Trainer Graceton Philpot of the W-L Ranch said that both Stepfather and W L Sickle could both be counted at the moment as definite starters. He intends to confer with Harry L. Warner on the latters arrival from New York, at which time the Derby scene as it effects these two horses will be discussed and any change of plans would have to await this conference. Stepfather continued to walk soundly this morning, apparently rapidly responding to treatment for a "touchy" shoulder. The rider for W L Sickle is still not decided. Late today, Philpot had not heard from Johnny Adams, to whom he has offered the mount. If the track is muddy for the Derby running there will be a definite strengthening of sentiment for Jet Pilot, the Maine Chance Farm contender. Jet Pilot has, perhaps, as much speed as any horse in the race, and trainer Tom Smith holds firm in his belief that the muddier it gets, the longer Jet Pilot can sustain that speed There would seem little doubt but that all attendance records will be shattered on Saturday. The advance avalanche of humans into Louisville is heavier than in any previous year. Special trains from all directions are puffing into the local yards, which have become cities in themselves.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1940s/drf1947050201/drf1947050201_1_3
Local Identifier: drf1947050201_1_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800