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■ . BETWEEN RACES * 0S"R °"s CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 5. — It seems only yesterday that a crowd of several thousand gathered at Bay Meadows airport to witness a historic event, the debarkation from a plane by El Lobo, following a two-hour flight from Los Angeles. The El Lobo saga of the air set a precedent for success in what was destined to prove a new age of flight for the thoroughbred, for he won his first outing at The Meadows a week later, a 0,000 handicap sprint. Following the El Lobo venture, the age of flight developed slowly but surely with, however, some notable setbacks. A few horses went berserk in the air and one, namely, Djebel, literally committed suicide. Two years ago the California-bred On Trust made Kentucky Derby history by planing in from the Coast for the race, and he ran a creditable fourth. With this running of the Derby, it well may be said that insofar as the Blue Ribbon classic of the turf is concerned, the age of air has arrived. Olympia, the favorite, has logged about 7,000 miles in the air, and at the end of each aerial voyage he has found at least one stakes victory awaiting him. Duplicator planed in from the Coast from a race, Ocean Drive made a hurried trip from the East when his racing there seemed to warrant the journey. AAA Trainer Ivan Parke, who has Olympia under his care, says he wouldnt ship any other way if he could avoid it. "The airlines now have the equipment," he says, "to make air transportation highly desirable. Any horse that can van can fly without suffering ill effects. Under the Derby Enters New Age of Aerial Transport An Olympia Win Would Popularize Flying Royal Gem Proves Attraction for Visitors Caterer Joe Stevens Under Heavy Pressure box stall arrangement, as used on Eastern Airlines, the horse absolutely cannot get clear or out, nor can he kick effectively, but at the same time he has no sense of being imprisoned, a sense which may have much to do with previous unfortunate instances while aloft. We carry enough hay aboard to last us for the entire planned stay at any given locale, but use the local water. I suppose we could take two or three tons of hay with us, if necessary. There is ample room on the plane. For instance, we took 20 bales to California last winter. The only drawback I can see to air transport is its cost, but this expense item looms as not too important when one realizes that the potential earning power of a horse is just about doubled by utilizing the airplane. Last winter was as good an example as could be cited. The plane made it possible for us to race, at a time when Olympia was at his peak, for an additional 50,000 in added money. He won the 0,000 stake and earned 0,000 by placing in the Derby. Certainly the plane fare could not be judged too costly under the circumstances." It just may be that the time is not far distant when the airways will bring in a majority of the Derby contestants. A victory for Olympia on Saturday would give a distinct lift to the popularity of air transport, if indeed such a lift seems necessary in vew of the foregoing facts. One of the more pleasant aspects of Derby Week in past years has been the annual excursion of visitors to the nearby "horse country," i. e., the Lexington -Paris and adjacent areas dedicated to the raising of fine thoroughbreds. This past week has been no exception. Farms have been almost crowded with visitors and especial attention has been paid to new stock, a phase which covers foals and new stallions. Among the horses of the latter group which has attracted unusual attention is Royal Gem, the new stud at the Old Hermitage farm of Warner Jones, Jr. Royal Gem already has passed the close appraisal of Kentucky experts and came in for additional approval of owners and breeders assembled here from all parts of the nation. People have shown extraordinary interest in this rather trim racer. He stands 15 hands, 3, and weighs 1,055 pounds, who won five stakes in a row at two, carrying up to 132 pounds that year and who at five toted 149 pounds to win at six furlongs, 145 to win at seven furlongs, not to mention being narrowly beaten in the Morphettville Handicap under 154 pounds. Royal Gems bloodlines, incidentally, were suggested to Jones by a Kentuckian. His top line is that of Solario, he has a near cross of Son-in-Law blood, and the stakes winners on the distaff are so numerous that one tires keeping count. Royal Gems first book has been limited, but the response has been exceptional. He has attracted such matrons as the dams of War Trophy. Salmagundi, Flashco, Challenge Me. Pirate, plus such stakes winners as Bala Ormant, Mannie OHara and Valenciennes. The syndicate owning Royal Gem is Continued on Page Thirty -Nine , ; BETWEEN RACES I By OSCAR OTIS Continued from. Page Forty-Four quite pleased with the horse and his acceptance in Kentucky, as well it might be. A A * Joe Stevens, the head of the catering company which sees that none go hungry on Derby Day, has been here since early in the week supervising the preparations to accommodate more than 100,000 fans e pected for the Diamond Jubilee running, j If you think the management of Churchill « Downs has worries about where to stow « everyone in an advantageous position to see the race, you may not believe their t problems so serious after talking to Joe, as j he is known to one and all on the turf, j "We can seat only 900 in the main dining • room," sighs Stevens, "and already Ive j received requests for reservations for more than 12,000. The demand this year has been heavier than ever. The increasing i seating capacity of the Downs is partially responsible, of course, but it seems, too, that the seventy-fifth running has an almost irresistible appeal. Requests from New York are particularly heavy and I believe more New Yorkers will see the race this season than ever before. In all my life Ive never seen a Derby create such advance excitement as this one. From all indications in the catering end it will be a ! record crowd. We will have food enough on hand to feed 130,000 people. At least we wont run out of a single item." AAA Speaking of the Derby, it might be worthy of mention that Donerail, the 1913 winner that made Roscoe Goose famous, was the last Derby winner bred, owned and trained by the same man — Tom Hayes. And Arthur B. Hancock, Sr., is the only living breeder who has sold a Kentucky Derby winner at auction — Jet Pilot.
