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Derby Derby Trial Trial Goes Goes to to Black Black George; George; Hill Hill Prince Prince in in Extended Extended Public Public Move Move Middleground Next To Veeneman Colt Nelson Has Louisville-Owned Racer on Top Throughout in Surprise Victory at Downs By CHARLES HATTON CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 2. — Derbytowns own Black George carried the patriotic colors of William Veeneman, chairman of the board at the-Downs, to a front-running victory in the mile Derby Trial here this afternoon. Going to the lead in the run out of the chute, the surprising son of Reaping Reward drove eight furlongs in a flat 1:40 through rain and slop to beat the King Ranchs favored Middleground by two decisive lengths. Brookmeades stretch - running Sunglow was third, another three lengths and just a head in advance of his tiring stablemate, Greek Ship. Black George left his field without much excuse other than the going; and the fact he was one of the lightweights, under just 112 pounds, which included jockey Eldon Nelson. After the race a handful of the crowd went around to the cashiers and were rewarded for their temerity at the rate of 3.20, while owner Veeneman said that Black George could be accounted a Derby starter only in the event of muddy going. Earlier in the year his colt had beaten Theory at Gulfstream, and the Calumet representative was among those whom he drenched today. Crowd of 15,000 Out The Derby Trial was staged in the most disagreeable weather of the young meeting, with the field racing through a driving rain, nevertheless an estimated 15,000 residents and early arrivals for Saturdays classic were on hand. Middleground ran a good race though Max Hirsch said that it wasnt precisely the kind he had expected. He was the aggressor all the way, and was one of the topweights under 118 pounds. A short time before the Trial, another Easterner, C. T. Chenerys Hill Prince, appeared on the course for a public work at the distance, and he was only two-fifths of a second behind Black George. The Virginian went through his drill unaccompanied and handily. The racing surface had a fairly good bottom beneath the sloppy topsoil. Black George was the speed of the Trial Field all the way. Middleground outbroke him from the outside but the LouisvHlian went to the front in a few strides and opened up a couple of lengths coming out of the chute into the backstretch as Nelson sent him right along. Second Avenue and Greek Ship were prompting him over the Continued on Page Forty-Two * j l j , x c i c s * t c v * I * J c s C Black George Registers Upset Victory in Derby Trial Continued from Page One early furlongs with Middleground running smoothly outside them. Going to the end of the backstretch Brooks sent Theory up, and he was followed closely by Trumpet King on the rail. Second Avenue stopped and at the far corner Black George was a length on top with Middleground, Theory, Greek Ship and Trumpet King racing four abreast just behind him. Greek Ship tired and Trumpet King was pinched back out of it. Midway around the turn, Theory began to hang and into the stretch it narrowed down to a skirmish between the pacemaker and the favorite. Boland rapped Middle-ground sharply several times and the colt • gained momentarily coming to the three-sixteenths pole, but Nelson was alert to the challenge and was holding the Texan safe over the final yards. Boland did not persevere unduly when it became clear that he could not run down the Veeneman colt. Sunglow worked his way forward from a sluggish beginning in the stretch, passed tired horses and as a distant third. Hasty House Farms favored Many Gifts made good by leading throughout the fifth race and earned his graduation papers over a band of maiden three-year-olds who met at six furlongs under fixed weights. Opinionated carried the Calument banner into second place behind the winning son of Chance Play, but he did not threaten the victor as he was two and one-half lengths off at the wire. H. F. Krimendahls Hasty Blen finished third among the ten who paraded postward.
