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Eleven Eleven Derby Derby Colts Colts Clash Clash in in Trial; Trial; Your Your Host Host Completes Completes Hard Hard Training Training Theory in Line-Up With Middleground Brookmeades Sunglow and Greek Ship to See Action In One Mile Downs Event By CHARLES HATTON CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 1. — Theory and Middleground are to meet for the first time tomorrow in the 0,000 Derby Trial, last of the prep races for Saturdays seventy-sixth running of the "Run for the Roses." They are the most prominent of 11 eligibles for the 00,000 classic who were named for this run of a flat mile. Handicappers expect that Middleground will be the choice in a more or less open betting race, for he shipped here looking very fit after his splendid performance in finishing second to Hill Prince in the recent Wood Memorial. Under the conditions of this Trial run, the Texan will carry 118 and shares topweight with Theory and Mrs. Sloanes entry of Sun-glow and Greek Ship. They must concede six pounds each to Stranded, Black George and Trumpet King, eight to French Admiral, Second Avenue, Lot O Luck and All Blue. Lot O Luck and All Blue were developed at Keeneland, where the latter agreeably surprised Ben Jones. Sunglow won the Chesapeake at Havre and Greek Ship runs particularly well in the mud. The Downs surface was fast when entries closed but the weather was overcast. Hill Prince To Be Seen in Public Prep Bill Coram and others of the club were very pleased with the crowd and play on opening day and it would not be surprising if the Trial attracted the largest weekday gathering of the meeting. It has a well-filled supporting card and the Wood winner Hill Prince is to have his final Derby prep between the second and third races. The Trial became a stakes event in 1938, when The Chief set the mile mark at 1:35%. Actually it has been won by only one Derby winner in Calumets brilliant Citation. But such as Faultless and Bime-Iech were factors in the classic. Middleground is pursuing pretty much the same routine that Assault underwent in coming up to this Derby, except that he is generally expected to run a great deal better in the Trial. The son of Bold Venture could turn it on this morning, when he opened up a half in :46% with the familiar Bill Boland in the saddle. Boland is to have the mount on the big boned chestnut in the Trial and the Derby. Theory will not lack for support in the Trial. The Calumets have a legion of followers here and this son of Pensive has to his credit the swiftest six furlongs ever run in Florida. In the little Derby at Keeneland, he apparently set out to beat Oil Continued on Page Forty-Six Theory, Middleground Vie in Mile Derby Trial Brookmeades Sunglow,Greek Ship Among Nine Others in Downs Race Continued from Page One Capitol, and managed to accomplish this task, though Your Host won off in record time. Trainer Jones has tightened him considerably since that race and it now is up to the dark bay colt to prove if he is a Derby horse. Theory certainly has more sheer zip than Ponder showed a year ago, but some have raised a question of his stamina. Jones has been teaching him to come from behind. The colt has a highly competent rider in Steve Brooks. All Blue is a big, rough son of Bull Lea and the stakes mare Blue Delight, and scarcely anyone realized he was in the Derby until after he won Keeneland over-nighter. It will be interesting to note how he goes in this company. Brookmeades Sunglow and Greek Ship won the Louisiana Derby and the Chesapeake from some fair horses, and the Trial will test them for Derby calibre. Sunglow impresses as a colt who will stay well enough and Greek Ship is said to move up pounds and lengths in the mud. Trainer Preston Burch has both thoroughly seasoned so that they hardly can have any apologies on the score of fitness. Errico is to handle Greek Ship, Robertson having the mount on the leggier Sun Again colt. Black George races for William Veene-man, whos one of the directors of the Derby course. His chief claim to any distinction is that he ran down Theory in a Gulf stream sprint when the. Pensive colt tried to give him a bit too much weight. Lot O Luck ran fairly well when he finished second to Rayloper recently at Keeneland and the Reubens hope to start him • in the Derby. Pot O Lucks brother brother has a great deal of bloom and condition and route racing is supposed to be his forte. Ken Church, who led the list at Keeneland, is to have the mount on the tall * -1 i bay in the Trial. Trumpet King raced unsuccessfully at Hialeah and trailed Lo to-white in the Experimental No. 2, but he is said to fancy a route. However, it will be somewhat surprising if any of these, pr T. D. Buhls Second Avenue wins the Trial.
