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Fourteen Fourteen Vie Vie in in Derby Derby Trial Trial Today; Today; Mameluke Mameluke Accomplishes Accomplishes Fast Fast Move Move TimedTen Furlongs In 2:04% at Downs Whitney Derby Hopeful Drills In Handy Style; Big Stretch Clocked V/s Miles in 1:51 4/5 By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., April 30. — Track superintendent Tom Young explained the fast trials of several of the leading Kentucky Derby candidates this morning, by saying that the new soil he had brought over from nearby Douglas Park was "atomic dirt." Even after hearing this, Syl Veitch continued to radiate happiness over the prep of C. V. Whitneys Mameluke and was not precisely disconsolate over Counterpoints move. Mameluke went the full Derby distance of a mile and a quarter in 2:04% and the dockers reported that he did it handily. Veitch said that he had never seen a colt accomplish such a task so easily. Mameluke had looked sore up to and through his winning race in the first division of the Blue Grass Stakes on Thursday, but showed no trace of lameness ;oday. "I guess the warm weather helped aim," Veitch said, "Im just a little afraid aow that he may have worked too fast, fcut he did it so easily and came out so well "hat I cant complain too much." Adair in Saddle Ray Adair, who rode Mameluke with one iron in the Blue Grass and was extremely fortunate not to fall at the start, was again in the saddle this morning and will be Mamelukes pilot in the "Run for the Roses" on Saturday. The fractions of the Vlahmoud colt, who is out of Equipoises uster, Schwester, were :244/5, :484/5, 1:18%, mile in 1:38% and mile and a furlong in 1:51%. Silver Age joined him for the last six furlongs of the prep. Big Stretchs stablemate, Hall of Fame, who will go postward in the Derby regardless of track conditions, breezed a mile in 1:40 this morning with Pat Milligan in the saddle. Either Ted Atkinson or Doug Dodson will ride him in the Derby, but a decision as to which veteran will ride which horse will not be made until later in the week. Dave Gorman rode Hall of Fame in the Blue Grass, in which he finished third behind Mameluke and Phil D., and Gaver is at a loss to understand why he took the Greentree colt outside of Jumbo at the head of the stretch. "I think he would have won if hed waited a little longer and Continued on Page Three . 4 1 vHdr m ■iJM m /" andal BSMbw £. i€3J|H£ridk% BIG STRETCH — The Greentree Stable colts mile and a furlong trial in 1:51 5 was highly pleasing to trainer John Gaver. Mameluke Works Full Mile and Quarter Distance of Derby in 2:043/s, Handily Whitney Hopeful Drills in i Handy Style; Big Stretch and Hall of Fame Also Impress Continued from Page One taken the fast path on the rail," Gaver said. Mrs. Nora Mikells Repetoire, who comes to the Derby with the best record of any of the more than 20 three-year-olds still likely to contest the stake, having won the Cherry Blossom, Experimental No. 1, Chesapeake Stakes and Wood Memorial in as many starts this year, merely breezed a slow mile and a quarter in 2:14 and then galloped out an additional furlong in 2:27%. It was noted that the son of Happy Argo was painted with iodine on his front ankles and knees, but trainer Al Jensen said, "Its just a precaution. Hes sound enough." Jensen and jockey Pete McLean, who will ride him on Saturday, took turns cooling the colt out under the shed of barn 10. Cain Hoy Stables Battle Morn, who may go postward the actual favorite in the Derby because of the presence of Eddie Arcaro in the saddle, blew out three furlongs in :36. This colt bore out at the stretch turn and drifted farther out in the final sixteenth when beaten a head by Repetoire in the Wood, but Jolley doesnt believe he has to go outside of horses. "He didnt do it in a mile and a furlong race at Hialeah," Jolley said, "and I dont think he has to do it." Counterpoint was on the track earlier than Mameluke and also turned in an impressive trial, stepping the mile and a quarter in 2:06%. His fractions were :23%, :48%, 1:14% and mile in 1:40%. Veitch was by no means the only contented trainer of a leading Derby candidate after the works were over this morning. John Gaver, Moodey Jolley and Al I Jensen, trainers of colts who will vie with l the Whitney pair for favoritism on Saturday, also gave a passable imitation of a i trio of fun-loving youngsters this morning. Gaver was particularly happy about the i way that Greentree Stables Big Stretch I went a mile and a furlong in 1:51%, galloping out the Derby distance in a respectable . 2:05% before Doug Dodson could I ease him up. According to Gaver, it was the first time since leaving Aiken, S. C, that Big Stretch has loked something like L the colt he was, when beaten an inch in x the Belmont Futurity and in winning the i Breeders and Pimlico Futurities. "What I [ like especially was that he went the quarter r from the seven-furlong pole to the mile and j a furlong in :24%, which was the time I [ wanted him to show some run. Gaver completely discounts Big Stretchs race in the Blue Grass because of the deep track, and says that he will not run in the : Derby unless the track is fast. "He loked J as though the track wasnt bothering him for the first seven furlongs of the Blue Grass because he wasnt doing anything. Any horse will look good on a track that J bothers him until you ask him to run and j Big Stretch just cant run on anything but j. a fast track." A rival trainer, who said he had watched j all of Battle Morns races, expressed the a opinion that the colt invariably bore out £ when his rider took a hold and tried to D make him stay in. "That time he went j. between horses at Hialeah, the boy rode B him with a loose rein and let him find his s own hole." Mrs. Emil Denemarks Ruhe, who won i the Arkansas Derby and beat Big Stretch i in an overnight race at Keeneland before e being awarded the second division of the e Blue Grass when fouled by King Ranchs s Sonic, was also on the track this morning, I, but only galloped two miles. Job Dean i Jessop, who is his regular rider and galloped - the colt this morning, confirmed the e impression created by his Blue Grass race, ;, saying that he really fought through the e stretch and seems to have overcome his s habit to tossing off races, which cost him i half a dozen close decisions last year. Other Derby prospects seen on the track c this morning were confined to three-furlong - preps. William Peaveys Anyoldtime e and Sir Bee Bum went three furlongs in l :35%. Brownell Combs Bernwood, who will 1 be ridden by Kenny Church in both tomorrows - Trial and the Derby, went the s same distance in :36, while Mrs. Fred i Sharpes Kings Hope was timed in :37. As Derby Day approaches, the probable e field is not growing any smaller. Few of f the 14 in tomorrows Derby Trial can be e counted on as eliminating themselves in i that race, which is at an inconclusive one 2 mile. At this moment, it would seem that t * ■ . • j y 1 r , j " I ■ " Jj s fc U s r- ■ -• e i i o : J J j j. j a £ D j. B s i i e e s I, i - e ;, e s i c - e l 1 - s i e f e i 2 t it will require something drastic to keep the Derby field under 20. If the track is fast, Greentree will start both Big Stretch and Hall of Fame. Syl Veitch plans starting Mameluke and Hall of Fame. Repetoire is a definite starter, while Battle Morn can also be depended upon to start in the Derby, regardless of his race in tomorrows Trial. Mrs. Wallace Gilroys Timely Reward and Mrs. Denemarks Ruhe are almost as cer- tain as death and taxes, while King Ranchs Sonic though justifiably disquali- fied, was probably the best horse in his end of the Blue Grass. While those nine appear to be the real contention, this years Derby shapes up as so wide open that it may also include Wil- liam Peaveys Anyoldtime and Sir Bee Bum, Brownell Combs Bernwood, Mrs. Fred Sharpes Kings Hope, Brown Hotel Stables Snuzzle and The Gink, Spring Brook Farms Pur Sang, George Gerbers Spur On, Jack Amiels Count Turf, Calumet Farms Fanfare," Cary Boshamers King Clover, W. C. Martins Phil D., Sam E. Wilson, Jr.s, Royal Mustang and Golden Birch, W. R. Knebelkamps Refun, John Marschs Brevite and Mrs. J. P. Keezeks Abbe Sting. Ben A. Jones, who has won Derbys with Lawrin, Whirlaway, Pensive, Citation and Ponder, about summed up the situation this morning when he said that he had no plans for Fanfare, "but if he runs anything like as well as Ponder did in the Trial, Ill I saddle him for the Derby. If a man thought he had a chance of finishing fourth in this s Derby, hed be foolish not to run." That t coming from the Derby-winningest man, i, suggests that this "Run for the Roses" will 1 be a furious scramble. In the event that t Fanfare does go postward in the Derby, Steve Brooks will probably fly east from i California to ride him. Doug Dodson, who : has again been riding for Calumet recently, , has signed to ride for Greentree in the I Derby.
