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REFLECTIONS By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page Forty-Four in 1941 and Jet Pilot in 1947. While the majority of Derby winners were foaled and raised in Kentucky, Lord Murphy, Kingman and Typhoon Tf. were foaled in Tennessee, Assault in Texas, Spokane in Montana, Elwood in Missouri, Wintergreen in Ohio, Regret and Cavalcade in New Jersey, Morvich in California, Reigh Count in Virginia, Lawrin in Kansas and Omar Khayyam in England. v i ■■■■■ REFLECTIONS fly Nelson Dunstan Kentucky Derby Rich hi Colorful History Aristides Won ,850; Assault 6,400 Reigh Count Defeated 21 Rivals in 1928 Arcaro Leads Jockeys, Winning Four Times CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 4. The Kentucky Derby is one of the richest of all .American races in drama, color and unusual episodes. It grew from humble origins, for fewer than 10,000 fans witnessed the first running in in 1875. 1875, while, while, weather weather permitting permitting it it will will i ■■■■■ in in 1875. 1875, while, while, weather weather permitting permitting it it will will attract close to 100,000 patrons for the 76th running tomorrow. Up to the turn of the century the purse had been comparatively small, never exceeding ,000, except, in 1890, when it amounted to ,460. It passed the 0,000 mark for the first time when Regret, the only filly ever to win, earned 1,450 in 1913. In 1919 Sir Barton defeated his own stablemate, Billy Kelly, to take down 0,825, and in the following year, Paul Jones won from Upset to become the first horse to earn over 0,000, his share of the purse being 0,375. Zev, in 1923, earned 3,600. For the past four years the race had been valued at 00,000, with Assault earning the highest winners share, when in 1946 he defeated Spy Song to enrich the King Ranch coffers with 6,400. This year the winning owner will also receive a 0,000 gold cup, while the trainers will receive ,000 for first, ,000 for second, and 00 for third. This is a far cry from the conditions of the. first running in 1875, for each owner of a horse entered paid in 0, with the racing association adding ,000. In winning the first running, Aristides earned ,850, with 00 going to the second horse. Col. Lewis Clark built the track on the site of Churchill Farm in 1874... The track is one mile around and has a width of 120 feet, making it possible for 24 starters to be accommodated without crowding. . .There has never been that many in the Derby, for the largest field was the 22 that went to the post in 1928, with John D. Hertz Reigh Count the winner... In the following, year, Clyde Van Dusen, the little son of Man o War, defeated 20 others. . .There has never been a "walk-over," but on two occasions, 1892 and 1905, only three starters went to the post... The width of the homestretch is 80 feet.. .The race has been run without interruption ever since its in- « augural... No horse finishing first has ever been disqualified and there has never been a dead-heat in the annals of the race... Prior to 1920 Derby weights were arranged by allowance. . .When Regret became the only filly to win in 1915 she carried 112 pounds. .. Paul Jones won in 1926 and carried 126 pounds, for it was in that year that the "weight-for-age" rule was applied. He was the first winner to tote that poundage, which is the scale weight today. . . In 1913 the conditions for the race were changed and it became a ",000 added" feature, making Donerail the winner with earnings of ,475, the largest purse up to that time... Omar Khayyam is the only imported horse ever to win a Derby renewal. . .Cavalcade, winner in 1934, was foaled in this country, his dam, Hastily, haying been imported while in utero. Prior to 1896 the Derby was at one and one-half miles and the best time made during that period was when Spokane defeated Proctor Knott in 2:34 in 1899... When Aristides won the inaugural in 1875 his time of 2:37% was the fastest at that distance ever run by a three-year-olds in this country up until that time... The slowest time made by a winner at the longer distance was in 1891, when Kingman scored in 2:52 y2. . .In 1896, when the distance was reduced to one and one-quarter miles, Ben Brush was timed in 2:07%... The slowest time made by a winner at the one and one-quarter mile distance was in 1908 when Stone Street was first home in 2:15... Old Rosebud, one of the most colorful of all Derby winners, and one of the gamest racers of his days, was timed in 2:03%, establishing a mark which stood for. 17 years until beaten by Twenty Grand, who set a new track record of 2:01% when he won in 1931... .Twenty Grands mark stood for 10 years, for in 1941 Whirlaway was clocked in 2:01%, which still stands as the record. . .Since then no winner has been timed in under 2:04. . .For many years Isaac Murphy and Earl Sande held the jockey record with three winners each, but in 1938 Eddie Arcaro entered the picture when he won with Lawrin, and then, in later years, created a new record with Whirlaway, Hoop Jr., and Citation. . .Ben Jones holds the trainers record, having saddled Lawrin in 1938, Whirlaway in 1941, Pensive in 1944, Citation in 1948, and Ponder in 1949. Longest-priced winner of the Derby was Donerail who, in 1913, paid off at 1.45 to ... There was a triple tie for the shortest-priced winner, for in 1881, 1895 and 1905, the winners were l-to-3 odds-on... In 1943 Count Fleet won at 40 cents to the dollar... Bay colored horses have won the majority of Derby runnings, those of chestnut coloring being second, browns third and blacks fourth . . -No gray horse has ever entered the winners circle. . .In the 75 runnings to date 25 odds-on favorites have gone to the post, of these, 15 won, seven ran second and the others were out of the money... The most hectic renewal was in 1933 when Meade on Brokers Tip and Fisher on Head Play fought a whip duel throughout the stretch... Horses owned by Commander J. K. L. Ross, Sir Barton and Billy Kelly, ran one-two in 1919, and two years later Behave Yourself and Black Servant also ran one-two in the colors of E. R. Bradley. In 1926 Bubbling Over and Bagenbaggage also finished first and second for the Idle Hour chieftain. Calumet was the last to complete the "one-two" finish, for in 1948 Citation won from his own stablemate, Coaltown. From its inception the Kentucky Derby, like the Epsom Derby, has been a breeders race. One in every nine renewals of our Derby has been won by the son of a horse that finished first, second or third in a previous running. Down through the years two breeders have been credited with sending five winners to the Derby, and they were A. J. Alexander and John E. Madden, one of the most successful American breeders of all times. Three stallions have sired three winners each, and they were Falsetto, Virgil and Sir Gallahad m. One of the most remarkable facts in all breeding history is that Falsetto was 30 years old when his son, Sir Huon, won the 1906 renewal., Sir Gallahad HI., the last of this trio, was the sire of Gallant Fox, Gallahadion and Hoop Jr. No less than nine sires sent two winners to the post, and last of these was Blenheim n., the daddy of Whirlaway Continued on Page Forty
