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Derby Derby May May Bring Bring Out Out Twenty-Four; Twenty-Four; Eighteen Eighteen Entered Entered in in Kentucky Kentucky Oaks Oaks Rate Battle Morn, Mameluke/ Ruhe, Sonic Main Contenders Denemark Colt, Greentree Duo Get In Final Workouts Before Entry Filing Today By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 3. — Though this seventy-seventh edition of the Kentucky Derby still seems as wide open as any in its history, a canvass of the backstretch here at the Downs indicates that horsemen have narrowed the race to four main contenders. Cain Hoy Stables Battle Morn, King Ranchs Sonic, Mrs. Emil Denemarks Ruhe and C. V. Whitneys Mameluke appear to have the most partisans and will probably be favored in that order. Record Field May Start CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 3. — With the 1951 renewal of the 00,000 Kentucky Derby classed as a "wide open" affair, the following candidates are still considered as possible starters for the rich Saturday stake : Horse Jockey Anyoldtime L. Batcheller Battle Morn E. Arcaro Bernwood K. Church Big Stretch D. Dodson Brevite No boy Count Turf C. McCreary Counterpoint D. Gorman Fanfare S. Brooks Fighting Back W. L. Johnson Golden Birch No boy Hall of Fame T. Atkinson King Clover F. Bone Kings Hope No boy Mameluke R. Adair Phil D R. York Pur Sang J. Adams Repetoire P. McLean Ruhe J. D. Jessop Sir Bee Bum R. L. Baird Sonic W. Boland The Gink No boy Timely Reward J. Stout Royal Mustang R. J. Bailey Snuzzle No boy There will also be some support for Mrs. Nora Mikells Repetoire and the Greentree Stable pair of Big Stretch and Hall of Fame. In addition, Sam E. Wilson, Jr., is convinced that his Royal Mustang cant lose, but there arent too many who share his opinion, despite the fact that the colt showed considerable improvement in his last start in which he finished a reasonably close third in a division of the Blue Grass, after being solidly bumped a few times. Ruhe, however, was given the race on a foul, and was bumped quite as much. Wilson explains his optimism chiefly on the ground that he has at last found a MOODY JOLLEY— Trainer of Battle Morn, pronounced his charge in excellent shape for tomorrows Derby running. jockey in the person of Paul Bailey who will ride exactly to orders. "These big jockeys with the big names," Wilson says, "dont ride the way I tell or the way my trainer tells them. Ive been drawing maps for these boys and Bailey is the first one who has done just what I told him and I believe hes going to win the Derby." Ruhe turned in the only extended Derby prep this morning. The narrow-headed son of Menow went a handy mile in 1:39% with Job Dean Jessop in the saddle and the jockey was highly pleased, as was trainer Bob McGarvey. Hand Finished paced Ruhe in the early part of the work, but was unable to keep up and Ruhe came away with authority. John Gaver had both Hall Of Fame and Big Stretch on the track for shorter spins. Hall of Fame showed plenty of lick as he went a half in :462/5 and impressed some observers more favorably than did Big Stretch, who stepped five furlongs in 1:02%. The other candidates merely galloped, but it was noted that Sonic appears to have lost some of his bloom and trainer Max Continued on Page Three Twenty-Four Entries Expected To Be Filed Today for Derby * A r r 1 Battle Morn, Sonic, Ruhe, Mameluke Main Contenders From Canvass of Turfmen Continued from Page One Hirsch seemed in anything but a pleasant frame of mind after the colt had exercised. Moody Jolley, who was quietly rubbing Battle Morn this morning, was elated with his charges condition. "You notice he didnt run out in the Derby Trial," the trainer said," and I dont think hes going to run out in the Derby. Arcaro hadnt ridden him in a long time when he was on him in the Wood and he had to send him outside of five horses at the head of the stretch. At the speed he was going then, he had to bear out on that sharp Jamaica turn. "Another thing about this colt, hes bred to be a distance horse and I probably never should have run him in those six-furlong races last year, but there wasnt anything else to do. If he does win the Derby, the Peakness and the Belmont will be easier because the fields will be smaller and it will mean that Mr. Guggenheim has a good stud. The boss needs one, and there isnt a better man in racing or more deserving of some return for all he has put into the game." Battle Morn has as classic a pedigree as anything in this years Derby, being by Blenheim II., winner of the Epsom Derby and sire of Whirlaway and Jet Pilot, winners here a the Downs, out of the matron stakes winner, Good Morning. Ran Big Race in Blue Grass Sonic commands respect on several grounds, but chiefly because he is trained ■j by Max Hirsch. who has already won three Derbies with Bold Venture, Assault and, last year, Middleground. The colt ran a big race in his division of the Blue Grass, , , fighting all the way, and though his disqualification - was justified, he may have e been best in that mile and a furlong event. Job Dean Jessop, who rode Ruhe in the e Blue Grass and will be back on him in the e Derby, believes that he would have won by £ open daylight had he not been bothered * by Sonic, but that remains a matter of opinion. From this corner, the result would ■ have been close under any circumstances, but the extra furlong of the Derby may be e all in favor of the Menow gelding. Mameluke is coming up to the Derby in 1 splendid style and has finished races impressively " before his lightning-like burst of speed at the end of the Blue Grass. He can, l possibly, be faulted on one count, his ■ apparent need of dry, hot weather. Should * the rains come, and they are not expected, t he might be at a disadvantage, particularly y in relation to Battle Morn and Ruhe, who 0 love wet weather and wet tracks. Repetoire Being Stretched Out Trainer Al Jensen is evidently doing his s utmost to "stretch out" Repetoire to get a a mile and a quarter. The colt worked a mile ■ and three furlongs on Tuesday, then went 1 a mile and a furlong on Wednesday. This s morning he merely galloped. Though he e has won the Cherry Blossom, Experimental 1 No. 1, Chesapeake Stakes and Wood Memorial this year, he is still regarded as "short 1 bred." If Jensen can make him go a mile e and a quarter, he will have performed a a fairly remarkable feat, particularly for a a comparatively inexperienced trainer. Hall of Fame and Big Stretch are considered " as question marks. Though Hall of [ Fame probably would have beaten Mameluke in his division of the Blue Grass had he e not been taken outside of Jumbo above the Jj stretch turn, his intrinsic class remains to ■ be demonstrated. Big Stretch showed abundant class last year, but seems to have e a tricky temperament. That was true of of Ruhe also until his last two races, but j Mrs. Denemarks colt seems to have learned i this spring what Big Stretch learned last t fall, then seems to have forgotten. That is, • simply, that horses must keep their full attention on the business of getting to the e wire first if they are to win major stakes s and not take time out to count the house ■ and observe the actions of birds flying from the track, or the behavior of other animals. , • The others in the still bulky Derby field a who can be expected to have a following 3 are Calumet Farms Fanfare and Mrs. Wallace Gilroys Timely Reward. Fanfare probably should have been considered much earlier in this report, if only y because he will be saddled by Ben A. Jones, ;, trainer of five Derby winners. But the colt t appeared to be doing his best in winning g the Derby Trial and this is one occasion on i which we must string along with the Mis-sourian - when he declares that the colt has never impressed him as a Derby prospect. ;. The son of Pensive and half-brother to o Coaltown has obviously improved remark- - ■j a , , - e e e £ * ■ e 1 " l ■ * t y 0 s a a ■ 1 s e 1 1 e a a a a " [ e Jj ■ ably in recent weeks, but whether he can be fully seasoned to get a mile and a quar- ter on Saturday remains to be demon- strated. Stretch-Running Colt Timely Reward undoubtedly will be run-• ning when most of his rivals are stopping, but will almost certainly have a screen of horses in front of him when he attempts to come into contention. He was able to save a world of ground in the Wood Memo-j rial until reaching the stretch turn, where he appeared to swerve out, as though fol-• lowing the tired Intent. This department has the impression that Timely Reward is one of those colts who will still be finishing fast, but not fast enough, when he comes out for the two-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup next fall. It seems probable that the names of 24 colts and geldings, including five pairs of couplings, will be sent through the entry box for the Derby tomorrow morning, with only three being doubtful starters. J. Gra- ham Brown said that he intended to enter both Snuzzle and The Gink, but doubted that he would actually start either of his two geldings, as they are slow starters and have too much the worst of it in a large field. Wilson said that he expected to enter Golden Birch along with Royal Mus- tang, but was less positive about starting him. The others are Battle Morn, Sonic, Big Stretch, Hall of Fame, Mameluke, Counter-" point, Repetoire, Fanfare, Timely Reward, Bernwood, Count Turf, Phil D., Pur Sang, King Clover, Brevite, Anyoldtime, Sir Bee Bum and Kings Hope. Riders have been engaged for all but Golden Bich, Browns pair and Brevite. Brevite was considered a non-starter yesterday, but trainer Leroy Keating said today that the colt would at least be entered. Should all 24 actually go postward, it will be a record Derby field, the previous high being the 22 who started in 1928, Reigh Counts year.
