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Connors Corner By -CHUCK" CONNORS x Chief of Chart Correspondents CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville Ky., May 2.— The advance guard of the pilgrims to the Derby scene moved in to- day and by Thursday the influx will have reached its peak. Most of the early arrivals comprise horsemen and turf writers. The boys who lug the portables came from all sectors of the country. California will be well represented for the Golden State has a candidate that for the moment is the top choice of the professionals and others who look upon the Derby as a- horse race and not a glorified spectacle. Your Host, owned by William Goetz, is firmly entrenched among Ken-tuckians and on the strength of recent training moves added others to his entourage. The New York delegation of turf scribes is assembled and New Orleans also is well represented. Chicago also has its quota while other important mid-western cities are by no means relegated to the rear rank. Bill Corum, who presides over the entire panorama, is one of the busiest men on the scene. He found out that a day does not comprise 24 hours. Early in the morning he can be found on the back-stretch checking every detail that should be checked and in the afternoon, between office duties and a tour of the grandstand clubhouse and other centers, he has developed a technique and highly tactful sense of diplomacy that it is a pleasure to learn that there is such a word in the language as no. However, Bill does it the easy way. In going over his list of notables and VIPs, very important people to you, Bill Corum rattled off a list of reservations that would give theatrical, motion picture and society press agents a lift that , would last for a year or more. There are governors by the dozen, financiers, social leaders, statesmen, businessmen and others in most every field of endeavor. . . The boys in the paddock are not concerned for the moment as to who is coming, they are worrying about the size of the field which conservative estimates place at one dozen. . .The proudest lady in Louisville, or for that matter all of America, at this moment is Mrs. Vida Robert Corum, the charming mother of Bill, who is Mr. Derby... Spencer Drayton, executive secretary of the TRA, is due tomorrow from New York. He will return east after the big event. . . Jockey Ovie Scurlock will plane back to Belmont Fark after the Derby to resume riding on Monday. Eddie Kilroe of the Queens County Jockey Club, Aqueduct, is due Thursday. . .Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Salmon, he is master of Mereworth Farm, are down Lexington way looking over the arrivals and broodmares . . . Herbert Bayard Swope, former chairman of the New York Racing Commission, will be here to lend vocal support to Middleground . . .Robert J. Kleberg, who owns, in addition to half of Texas, the King Ranch, the candidates Middleground and On the Mark, checked in to confer with trainer Max Hirsch. ..Dr. William J. Daley of Buffalo, N. Y., an avid racing enthusiast, instructed all his patients to get well. He informed them that he had an important operation to perform in Louisville on Derby Day Arnold Hanger, the contractor who never fools around with any construction job unless it runs into seven figures, is here. . . R. A. "Bud" Firestone, accompanied by Mrs. Firestone, stopped off at Cleveland en route to inspect .the recent addition to the clan, their grandson. He reported that he is a likely looking colt... Bob Hope of the films and radio will present a trophy to the owner of the winner of the Debutante Stakes. The boys in the paddock say that Bing Crosby ran off to, Europe to avoid the sight . . .Bill Tunney, the boss man at Denvers Centennial Park, is on hand. He paints a glowing future for the track in the Mile High City that dominates the Rocky Mountain country. C. V. Whitney, who recently resigned a governmental executive post, will be here Friday to witness his Mr. Trouble in the big race . . . Webb Everett, racing secretary at Santa Anita, arrived today. He will be ostracized by the Californians for he is sporting a Florida sun tan, acquired by a sojourn in that state Del IIol-man, the Gallatin, Tenn., breeder, was among the early vanguard from the Volunteer State, who will be on hand for Saturday. . .Trainer Pete Battle reported that he had placed back in training the speedy mare The Fat Lady. This miss went amiss last summer but is a likely Continued on Page Fortj/rOne Connors Corner Continued from Page Five prospect for the summer season... Joe Stevens is worried over the outlook. "How are you going to put a peck of potatoes in a quart measure without spilling them," is his summation of the situation. Phil Reuter, showing steady improvement after his prolonged illness, was a paddock visitor during the afternoon... Max Hirsch planed in from New York and reported that everything was in perfect condition with the two entrants from the King Ranch, Middlegroilnd and On the Mark. . .There will be one rooting section heard high above all others and their shouts will be for Kenny Church. His parents and two brothers arrived from their Windsor,, Ont., home believing there is no other starters but Oil Capitol in the Derby . . .Tom Gray, the Tulsa, Okla., oil tycoon, was an early morning visitor inspecting his starter Oil Capitol. No, hes not nervous, no, not much. . .Clifford Mooers has hopes for his Hawley. The Seattle, Wash., patron is under the impression that they are all out of step but him. . .Duvie Headley will campaign at Detroit this summer. He has a well balanced menage for that meeting. Frank and Mrs. Stevens, he is president of the Stevens Crabbing and Fish-ins Association, are due here on Friday from New York. This will be the first Derby for Mrs. Stevens... Jimmie Powers, master of the Dearborn Stable, arrived from Detroit, seeking seats . . . Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Markey came down from the Motor City to root for their choice in the big race . . . Arthur Rose, of Mt. Clemens, Mich., a former member of the Michigan Racing Commission, was an early arrival . . . Joe Hernandez accompanied by the missus is here from Los Angeles. The trip was the first eastern visit of Mrs. Hernandez, a Calif ornian . . . Pres Burch was on hand, he came over from Lexington and reported that Mrs. Dodge Sloane, mistress of Brookmeade, would be here later . . . Joe Frisco of the night club circuit bounded through the paddock seeking information on what will happen... Jockey Headley Wood-house checked in from New York. He had the mount on "Trumpet King in the Trial ...Benny Fields and Cliff Winehill, a pair of top night club entertainers, braved the afternoon light. They reported that it was not so bad as they had been led to believe. Note to all jockeys: The pole marking the finish at the Downs has been painted. Instead of the yellow that prevailed last year, the new color ensemble is green and white . . .Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Collins of Detroit were among the afternoon arrivals. He has a well-balanced stable in training here... The Kentucky Racing Commission yesterday enforced the rule prohibiting the starting of a five-year-old maiden. The subject was Gay Judy in the fifth race. This mare was named for the daughter of the sports editor of the Louisville Times, Marvin Gay. Seems funny that horses named for sports editors, as a rule, fail to deliver and it looks like the jinx has been visited upon the younger generation.
