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!■■■■ — ™ ■ ■■■■ " •■ BETWEEN RACES * oscm °™ CHURCHILL DOWNS. Louisville. Ky., May 4. — It has been some years since there has been such a widespread divergence of pre -race opinion concerning the outcome of a Kentucky Derby as prevails today near the eve of the diamond jubilee decision. Most everyone with a probable starter seems quite convinced that the race is open and that with any "break" the diamond-studded trophy cup will be within their grasp. The run-• ning of the Blue Grass Stakes, the Derby Trial and intermittent morning trials, did much to heighten this state of affairs. Clifford Mooers, owner of Old Rockport, chatted about the Blue Grass cheerily despite the fact that Old Rockport was fourth in a four-horse race, albeit, far from disgraced in the mile and a furlong dash. "We -succeeded in cooling ourselves out okay, said Mooers, for we needed it more than our horse. The horse hasnt missed an oat since the Blue Grass running, but myself, jockey Glisson and Tommy Taylor felt a bit blue for a spell. We never alibi for a loss, but we can console ourselves with the fact that a lot of incidents happened in the Blue Grass, none of which by itself would have accounted for the defeat, but which added together to make Old Rockport s chances in the Derby look a lot brighter than the Blue Grass result would show. We are holding all plans in abeyance as to future stake engagements until after the Derby running, but I rather imagine we will be on our way to Pimlico for the Preak- Derby Differences of Opinion Remain Acute Old Rockport Camp Once Blue, Now Confident Parke Defends Olympias Routing Abilities Calif. Suspension Costs Garner Derby Chance ness early next week." By the way, you might be interested to know that Phil Re illy will train and saddle the horse for the Derby. "Tommy Taylor trained him at Keeneland," explains Mooers. "But you might say that Reilly was partially responsible for getting me interested in racing many years ago at the old Meadows track in Seattle. Both Taylor and myself felt that the honor of saddling Old Rockport in the Derby was a tribute of which he is well deserving." AAA One of the more lengthy-priced horses in the Derby is the California-bred Duplicator. Yet Duplicator has trained rather well since unloading from a West Coast "horse liner." Owner J. H. Seley says that he travelled exceptionally well, in fact what might be termed "Olympia style," and that he is certain Duplicator will show to better advantage than many expect, wet or dry, come Saturday. "Duplicator has never raced over, a track like Churchill," says Seley, "and the strip frankly has us puzzled. It is not a lightning-fast track like which we are accustomed to on the West Coast, and I think that Duplicator will fancy it. In other words, I look for him to be a factor on a fast track as well as in the slush. Duplicator, cut up on the first turn in the Golden Gate Derby, had no chance in that race, but I dont think it should be held against him too much." AAA Monte Parke holds rather stubbornly to the opinion that Johns Joy has been vastly underrated to date on the part of all hands. Monte was quite pleased with the showing of Johns Joy in the Blue Grass, and Johnny Longden, who rode him in that effort, gave him aid and comfort in that opinion. "Johns Joy should have beaten Olympia at Keeneland last fall," opines Monte. "He certainly is a horse to be rated as prime Derby caliber. As you know, he was in New Orleans last winter but did not start. We are running what amounts to a fresh, fit horse " Johns Joy, you might be interested to know, is named for his owner, John A. Kinard. The man has named several "Johns." among them being a better-than-average five-year-old named Johns Pride. AAA The question has been raised, but by no means around the barn of Fred W. Hooper, as to the ability of Olympia to travel the full mile and a quarter distance. While the stable is fully aware of these theories as to Olympia being "just a sprinter," they will have no truck with them because of a rather exhaustive analysis made of all Olympias races by trainer Ivan Parke. "I suppose the question of Olympias routing ability first gained serious consideration following the Santa Anita Derby, when he Continued on Page Thirty -On* I , ] t f £ t l c s . . 1 r 1 i 1 a 1 £ 1 1 i 1 t 1 ! I 1 i 1 1 * I I i ] ! J J . 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 BETWEEN RACES k By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Forty was beaten at a mile and a furlong by Old Rockport. They said Olympia was tiring and stopping at the end of a mile and a O furlong. He was. But when you consider all the factors in that race, youll have to H like Olympia just that much the better. If the Santa Anita Derby was run over again J 20 different times, I believe Olympia would beat Old Rockport every time. Consider ~ that Olympia lost several lengths swerving J over from the extreme outside to the rail soon after the start of the Santa Anita q Derby. While it is true that some horses 30 suffered in a jam, most notably our own 3E * horse Ocean Drive, I honestly believe that Olympia hurt his own chances more than he did anyone elses, excepting that of c: Ocean Drive. Once Olympia was on the *» rail and in the clear, Willie Garner took £ him in hand and rode him perfectly. He saved ground and was rating him nicely. J* Then for some reason which will forever remain a mystery to me, unless Garner . was overanxious, he sent Olympia out to - five-length lead. In the meantime, Old %Jt Rockport had escaped the jam after the * start, saved all possible ground and, when "J he came to Olympia, found a horse who had two strikes on him. Olympia had nothing left. I would have been the most surprised person in the world had he had anything in reserve. A good horse may overcome one mishap, but I suppose it would take a Citation to overcome two. In any event, the Santa Anita Derby proved to us only that Olympia was a victim of bad luck, and did not reflect one iota on his staying ability. I think he has since vindicated that appraisal." AAA Parke added that while he felt Garner had made an error in judgment with Olympia in the 00,000 Santa Anita Handicap that he still had much confidence in the boy as a "first cabin" pilot. At that, Garner, when his reinstatement is in order from a 90-day suspension by the California authorities, will again be piloting the stables horses. The California suspension was a costly one for Garner. He had been doing the stable riding up until the stewards levied their ruling. This cost him an opportunity in the Flamingo, which Olympia won rather impressively, and a chance in the Derby here Saturday. Incidentally, Parke has the somewhat rare distinction of saddling a winner in the first horse he ever started in the Kentucky Derby, Hoop Jr., although his riding record in the r;.ce was nothing to write home about. He was ninth with Klondike in 1924 to Black Gold, and seventeenth with The Bat to Flying Ebony in 1925. By way of conclusion, Parke remarked that some doubt had been cast upon Olympia s staying status because his dam, Miss Dolphin, was regarded strictly as a sprinter. "Miss Dolphin had extreme early speed and carried it up to a mile," explained Parke, "and while Im no expert on such matters, I know many an expert in breeding who prefers a mare who had such early speed in her racing days as a prospect, rather than a mare who plodded along early and came with a belated rush at the end."
