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, Trainers of Derby Contenders Confident in Charges Ability Tour of Stables Shows No 1 Stall Walking by Horsemen Following Final Blow-Outs By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 4. — Trainers of the major contenders in tomorrows seventy-seventh running of the Kentucky Derby showed confidence in their charges in their various ways this morning. Max Hirsch, who will saddle Sonic for King Ranch, appeared in a considerably happier, mood than he had yesterday, possibly because when he paid a visit to inspect Cain Hoy Stables Battle Morn, the probable favorite, he was accompanied by a bevy of comely young admirers of the thoroughbreds. Incidentally, the Churchill Downs backstretch was rather attractively cluttered with females of all ages this morning, who were making their ways in twos and threes from barn to barn, demonstrating that all ladies do not select their horses with the hatpin, which is, after all, rather outmoded. Trio Stabled in Barn 10 Moody Jolley, who trains Battle Morn for Commander Harry Guggenheims Cain Hoy Stable, seemed convinced that his colt was the one to beat and was not in the least intimidated by the close proximity of Greentree Stables Big Stretch and Hall of Fame, and Mrs. Nora Mikells Repetoire, who are also stabled in barn 10. John Gaver and jockey Ted Atkinson are placing most of their confidence in Hall of Fame to give Greentree Stable its third Derby victory. Twenty Grand and Shut Out were the others, and the latter was Gavers second choice to Devil Diver, also Eddie Arcaros, as no one has been allowed to forget. However, Hall of Fame has both raced and acted more like a Derby prospect than his more famous stablemate in recent days. Last night Gaver agreed that possibly Big Stretchs disappointing five-furlong trial was due to the fact that the horse wants almost that much distance to settle into stride and wont stand being hurried. However, there is no denying that he looks light in flesh and even when posing for photographers, as he did this morning, stands more like a trotter than a thoroughbred. Hall of Fame, on the other hand, is beginning to look and act more like a race horse, though he is a gelding. No Jitters at Repetoires Barn Al Jensen who trains, and Peter McLean, who rides, Repetoire, held what might be called open house in the tiny tack room at their end of the barn, with cots and trunks serving as chairs while members of the press visited. Repetoire, of course, occupies a unique position in this Derby, in that if he possessed Battle Morns pedigree and was being handled by a better-known conditioner and ridden by someone like Eddie Arcaro, his racing record -of four victories in four stakes this year would probably make him a 1 to 10 favorite. Actually, he will probably go postward at something like the reverse of those odds. McLean, who is beyond a doubt the handsomest jockey of modern times, and Jensen, who is one of the least pretentious of trainers, were not displaying any pre-Derby jitters this morning. Jensen seems confident that he has put enough "bottom" in Repetoire to enable him to get the mile and a quarter of the "Run for the Roses," without having overdone the job. The veteran George Odom merely said that his own cold was much improved and that his colt was also coming along nicely. He will saddle Timely Reward for Mrs. Wallace Gilroy, of Greenwich, Conn., and that colt has also been coming along at the end of his races, but not quite fast enough. Ben A. Jones, who has saddled five Derby winners, Lawrin, Whirlaway, Pensive, Ponder and Citation, seemed in a particularly radiant mood this morning, remarking, "It begins to seem like old times." The victory of Wistful in yesterdays Clark Handicap may have had as much to do with the veterans cheerfulness as the progress of Fanfare, whom he will saddle tomorrow, but Jones did say that the colt was progressing and added, "I think hell go well in a wide open affair." Coming from the man who gave Pensive and Ponder virtually no chance at all, those words are of high praise, indeed. Syl Veitch, who has the care of C. V. Whitneys Mameluke and Counterpoint, who will vie with Battle Morn for favoritism did no more stall walking than was to be expected, particularly of a trainer who has for several years patterned his conversation after that of Paul "Bear" Bryant, coach of the University of Kentucky football team. Veitch has somewhat more legitimate reasons for his professional pessimism, as Whitney spends considerably less money for material than that institution of learning. Lest there be any misunderstanding, this writer claims the University of Kentucky as his alma mater, strictly a G. I. pretension. Speed Trial by Timely Reward A dozen of the Derby candidates were on the track for preps this morning with Sonic being given the longest trial. The King Ranch colt breezed an easy mile in 1:45, accompanied, oddly enough, by Greentree Stables Banjoist, who finished on even terms with him. Last week, Banjoist started in an early race on Blue Grass Day at Keeneland, mainly to give Ted Atkinson a chance to find the good paths in the track. Possibly he was sent out by Gaver today to find out what Sonic has to offer. The surprising trial this morning was the three furlongs in :34% turned in by Timely Reward. This normally sluggish colt did the move handily and over a track on which :36 is a good move. Kings Hope and Pur Sang breezed three panels in that time, while Fanfare was clocked a second slower. Anyoldtime and Sir Bee Bum both went half miles, the former in :50 and Sir Bee Bum four-fifths faster, while Bernwood was also caught a half in :50. King Clover went four furlongs in :48% and Snuzzle made an identical move. Repetoire was sent a half in an even :48 and did it well, while Mameluke was going very easily as he did his half in :49%.
