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I sHI Jsafkamv «mT*** HARRY L WARNER— Stepfather and W L Sickle carry his silks. %■ - liliiiiiiP_ E. O. STICE— Who, with his two sons, owns On Trust. ► ■ — On Trust, W-L Ranch Pair Hope Of California in Todays Race Morvich, Victor in 1917, 1 Last Representative From Golden State to Triumph CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 2. — Back in 1922, a horse called Morvich won the Kentucky Derby to become the first California-bred ever to win, and thereby light a torch that has been carried to this very day in the West. The saga of Morvich is still rated as the classic tale of the West. Morvich, of course, was bred by the late A. B. Spreckels at the Napa Stock Farm in Northern California, along with another outstanding horse that year, Runstar. Spreckels, a pillar of racing in the West, sold Morvich to Benjamin Block of New York, culling the horse because of a crook in one of his legs. When Morvich won the Derby, the second guessers set up a chorus that Spreckels had sold the best horse, and had, in fact, erred in judgment. The criticism in the press stung the venerable sportsman, and he was somewhat vindicated in his judgment went Runstar later won the Cof- froth Handicap at Tijuana as a five-year-old in 1924. After the victory, the aged sportsman wept for sheer joy, and the race is credited with prolonging his life considerably. The stunning wire-to-wire win of Morvich, the horse with a bent leg, started a vogue for Western owners to try for the Kentucky classic, and tomorrows 73rd running will mark the second time since Morvich that the West has had as many as two representatives, although individuals have tried from time to time since. The very next year, the Nevada Stock Farm of George Wingfield, Reno gold and silver miner, were carried by General Thatcher, who finished sixteenth to Zev. But in proving that a defeat in the Derby does not of necessity indicate a poor race horse, General Thatcher went on to become a top flight handicap horse. In 1925. the colors of the La Brae Stable of Hamilton Cotton of Los Angeles and San Clem-ente, Calif., were carried by Elector, but he was beaten off by Flying Ebony, a horse who later went on to California as a stud. Naishapur Second in 1929 John B. McKee, of Mt. Sterling, Ky., was training in the West in 1929 for Chaffee Earl of Beverly Hills, and developed a good three-year-old prospect at Tijuana. The name of the horse was Naishapur. Shipped to Kentucky, he came out of the clouds to run a smashing second to Clyde Van Dusen. In 1930, Longus made a try for the R. C. Stable of Walter H. Hoffman, Jr., of Ventura. The previous year, Hoffman had been catapulted into the spotlight by picking up Crystal Prince for 0,000, freshening him up and winning the fourth 00,-000 handicap ever run in the world, the Tijuana, then known as the Caliente, originally founded as the Coffroth. It was only natural that in the height of his streak of good fortune that the promising Longus should be given a chance. He came from fifteenth In the 15-horse race to finish a fast-closing sixth to Gallant Fox and others. Later, Hoffman became a leading California breeder, ► and today maintains a Western showplace near Ojai. Norman W. Church, who recently disposed of his famed Northway Stud at San Jose, appeared as the next Westerner to represent that section, sending Gallant Sir to the post in 1932. Gallant Sir, with the immortal George Woolf aboard, came from eighteenth place in the 20 -horse field to finish eighth to Burgoo King. Of course, his later record bore out the wisdom of the try. There was a lapse of another three years until 1936, when Maj. Austin C. Taylor, the British Columbia mining tycoon, thought enough of Indian Broom to take a whirl at it, and this horse finished third to Bold Venture and Brevity in an excellent effort. It might be mentioned that after abandoning racing during the war years, during which he won the most coveted C. B. E. Commander British Empire for his untiring efforts toward victory, Maj. Taylor is re-entering racing on a major scale. In 1937, Raoul Walsh, the film director and producer, made a bid with one of his importations, Sunset Trail II., but that horse failed to rally and finished sixteenth to War Admiral. Myron Selznick, also of the films, gave new life to the quest in 1938 when Cant Wait finished a good third to Lawrin and Dauber. In 1940, Charles S. Howard made his first Derby bid with the Oregon-bred Mioland, but had to be content with a fourth behind Gallahadion. He tried again with Porters Cap the next year, but Whirlaway proved just too much for all rivals. Also in the race was Staretor, beaten eight lengths by Mr. "Longtail." Staretor carried the colors of Hugh Nes-bitt, Los Angeles citrus king. T. D. Grimes of Arcadia, who is now trainer for Mrs. John D. Hertz, supplied With Regards in 1942, and the horse finished fourth in a heart breaker. He came out of the race badly cut up, and all hands agreed he ran on his courage alone. E. C. A. Berger, Palos Verdes near Los Angeles, also tried that year with Boot and Spur, but the horse finished last. William E. Boeing, Seattle sportsman, took up the battle in 1943 with Slide Rule, but Count Fleet ran away with the race, Slide Rule finishing third. Broadcloth finished a bang-up second to Pensive in 1944, racing in the silks of George Poulsen, Los Angeles manufacturer. In the same race, Shut Up, owned by the Erlanger Stable, also of Los Angeles, finished fourth. Both horses turned in good efforts. The following year, C. S. Howard tried again with Sea Swallow, and J. Kel Hous-sels of Las Vegas, with his Kentucky acquisition, Bymeabond. Both were unplaced to Hoop Jr., although Bymeabond went on to win the Santa Anita Derby, defeating the mighty Busher, while Sea Swallow later went wrong and entered the stud, which brings us up to date with no representative last year. Harry M. Warner will be represented by a pair, W L Sickle and Stepfather, and Earl O. Stice, the Eagle Rock plumber, with one, On Trust, who proved himself worthy by winning the 00,000 Santa Anita Handicap earlier In the season.
