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Winns Derby Traditions to Go On His Promotion Gave It Worldwide Fame FameRace Race Weathered Several Crises Under Late Leader Of Historic Downs Course CourseCHURCHILL CHURCHILL DOWNS Louisville Ky May 2 Time may change but tradition lives on onThe The traditions of the Derby as developed by the late Col Matt J Winn will survive as long as there is a Derby There may be new facets and old ones may be altered but the Derby of Matt Winn is un ¬ changeable and eternal eternalUntil Until Col Winn and his associates took over the track the classic was more or less just another horse race Winn a man of vision saw that it had tremendous pos ¬ sibilities and with proper promotion might come to represent to the American people the finest in thoroughbred racing and ex ¬ emplify dramatically the ideals of Ameri ¬ can racing racingWhile While the Derby took on new vigor and inspiration under the leadership of Winn its growth for a spell though seady was unspectacular Just when it became a race of the first magnitude is hard to say but by 1914 just before the war it undoubtedly had taken on great importance importanceCoveted Coveted Breeders Race RaceThe The Derby is an outstanding race for a lumber of reasons One is that from a breeders viewpoint it is the most coveted race in the nation for victory confers upon the winner immense prestige as a sire Even the possession of sufficient ability to be a starter enhances the value of a horse Two the Derby has become a true inter sectional test of merit and as such has some claim to being a national champion ¬ ship event While some horses have won the Derby who did not go on to true great ¬ ness it is a fact that the race is an im ¬ portant factor in evaluating the claims of any horse to title honors honorsIt It is the only race in America which yearly draws huge crowds from1 all over America Special trains and clouds of special planes are now so commonplace as to excite no one In recent years special train service from as far away as the West Coast has been established establishedColonel Colonel Winn had but one guide in his development of the Derby Was the sug ¬ gestion helpful to making the Derby an even better race and helpful to American racing If it was it was adopted If not it was discarded discardedThe The Derby has survived every criticism and as a rule the critics have had their lances turned against them Most of the criticism has been unwarranted Maybe a person couldnt get a hotel room in Louis ¬ ville Maybe he thought the town was too crowded Some declared the Derby has a circus atmosphere forgetting that the fact that hawkers set up stands near the track selling souvenirs and balloons have no relationship with the Derby itself These criticisms usually fell flat with the great host of men and women who have made the Derby a pilgrimage and who wouldnt miss it for anything Colonel Winn has gpne to his reward but the Derby and his work for racing will remain a monument to him
