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■Ik. iWm*. REFLECTIONS By NELS0N dunstan NEW YORK, N. Y.. May 4.— With the Derby Trial now history, we will all await the bugle which will call the Derby field to the post late Saturday afternoon. In winning by one and one-quarter lengths over Ponder, Olympia again demonstrated that he is the fastest three-year-old in the country today and well deserving to be made a solid favorite for the "Run for the Roses." There are still some who question his ability to carry his speed over the full Derby route but, to date, besides speed, he has demonstrated that he is as game as horses come and it is just our opinion that these factors will carry him to the winners circle of the Diamond Jubilee running. Although only carrying 110 pounds. Ponder turned in a mighty fine effort to take the Trial place award from Capot by five and a half lengths. As we see it now. Greentrec must place their faith in Wine List, for even though Capot won the Chesapeake Stakes, his defeat in the Wood Memorial and the Derby Trial do not augur well for his chances on Saturday. The field probably gained a starter in Ponder but, we daresay, lost three as a result of the Trial, so it still looks as if 10 or 11 will battle it out for the long end of the purse and the Diamond -studded gold cup. AAA Our Kentucky Derby is two furlongs shorter than the Epsom Derby and the Prix du Jockey Club — French Derby ■ — both of which are at one and one-half miles. While the longer distance is standard in European countries, down through the years one and one-quarter miles has come to be regarded as the classic distance here. It is the contention of many that a mile and a quarter race is more gruelling than one at one and one -half miles for the reason that the latter affords the horse a "breather" , some time during the running. It is constantly said that the Derby is for "speed horses" and that the race narrows itself to a one and one-quarter mile sprint. There is a great deal of truth in this, but it would be foolhardy to say that stamina and the "will to win." which is another term for courage, do not play their part in some victories. Back in 1927. three horses fought it out in the stretch, Olympia Solidifies Position as Favorite Hooper Colt Easy Winner of Derby Trial Speed Needed in Derby — Stamina Counts Some Derby Data from Leachs New Book namely. Whiskery. Osmand and Jock. Osmand, one of the best sprinters of the present century, looked like the winner at the head of the stretch, but Whiskery had the added stamina that was needed to wear him down and win by a neck. AAA Occasionally Derby winners lead from flagfall to finish, but a review of recent years demonstrates that speed horses have an advantage. In 1930, when Gallant Fox was the snort-priced favorite, Sande sent him to the front at the three-quarter mile mark and, from that point on, was content to guide his horse to the finish line with the same two-length margin at all stages. Bold Venture took the pace-making assignment from He Did at the half-mile mark in the 1936 renewal and, although he never relinquished the lead, he withstood the terric stretch challenges by Granville and then, in the final strides, by Brevity. War Admiral was one of the horses who led from start to finish, and just a few years later Johnstown did the same thing and, at the finish line, was eight lengths in front of Challedon. It was not until five years after that that Count Fleet immediately went to the front and at no time did any horse get close to him to make it a contest. Hoop Jr. and Jet Pilot were also "end to end" winners, but, like Bold Venture. Jet Pilot barely lasted as Phalanx closed fast to make the 1947 renewal one of the most thrilling since the race was inaugurated. Last year, as you recall, Coaltown led to the one-mile post when Citation went by him to win by three and a half lengths. The horses we have mentioned here are more than enough to demonstrate the necessity of speed in any Derby renewal. AAA Recently. Oscar Otis wrote that Gordon Glisson. who will ride Old Rockport in the Derby, was spending his evenings studying the charts of the past Derby runnings. He is getting his information, of course, from the book which Brownie Leach has written entitled. "The Kentucky Derby." For the past few weeks, this writer, too. has been studying Leachs book and, once again, we sincerely recommend it to any one who would want to know the thousand and one details of this famous race which was first run in 1875. There may be new history written this year, for Eddie Arcaro would appear to have an excellent chance of piloting his fifth Derby winner over the line and. if he does so, it will probably be many years before another jockey accomplishes the feat. One record that will probably not be broken this year is the 2:0125 which Whirlaway established when he won the Derby renewal of 1941. Since then, no Derby renewal has been run under 2:04, so, while records are made to be broken, the odds would seem to be against a lowering of Whirl-aways splendid time. AAA Items we found in Brownie Leachs book on the Kentucky Derby: The first Kentucky Derby renewal that was ever broadcast on a national hook-up was in 1925 when Flying Ebony, ridden by Earl Sande, defeated Captain Hal. . . . Exterminator, who was sent in as a pinch-hitter for Sun Briar in the 1918 Derby, used that race as a stepping stone to one of the greatest cup careers in the annals of horse racing. . . . Almost 50 years to the day that his father saddled Hindoo to win the Kentucky Derby, James Rowe, Jr., saddled Twenty Grand to win the 1931 renewal. . . . Although Regret is constantly praised as the only filly ever to win the Kentucky Derby, it is seldom stated that Lady Navarre, who ran second to Sir Huon in 1906, is the only filly ever to finish second. ... In 1910 the Derby was first timed in fifths of a second. . . . El wood, the winner in 1903, is the only Derby winner who was ever bred in Missouri. ... In 1905, a bugle was used for the first time in summoning the field to the post and, on that occasion, Lillian Russell was among those present. . . . Although the beloved Colonel, who grew up with the Derby, is called Matt Winn, his full name is Martin J Winn. . . . Roscoe Goose, who rode Doner ail in 1913, was the developer of the late Charlie Kurtsinger, the jockey who won on Twenty Grand in 1931 and War Admiral in 1937.
