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► — — — — , — . — — — STRAIGHT FACE — The Flamingo winner will seek to uphold Floridas prestige in the Run for the Roses. Florida-Trained Horses Successful Lawrin, Citation Flamingo Winners Three Other Calumet Stars Also Hialeah Developments; Several in Todays Line-Up By Staff Correspondent CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 1. — Back in 1922 when Morvich came out from Jamaica to win the Kentucky Derby, he did it on little more than a long series of comparatively slow half-mile preps, a few at three-quarters and that cursory prep was enough. It is doubtful if a colt given this sort of preparation could get in the first 10 at Churchill Downs this year, even if only nine start, regardless of his class. That is one of the results of winter racing. It takes a thoroughly conditioned colt, who has still been, somehow, able to retain a degree of freshness to negotiate that gruelling mile and a quarter, most of the starters having been seasoned at Santa Anita, New Orleans Fair Grounds, Oaklawn Park or Hialeah and Gulfstream Park during the cold months. Santa Anita sent out the Kentucky Derby winner last year in Calumet Farms Hill Gail, but it is an old story for Hialeah. Horses who wintered at that beautiful track in the Gator State have been winning Kentucky Derbies since Woolford Farms Lawrin gave Ben A. Jones his first victory in the "Run for the Roses" back in 1938. Lawrin prefaced his triumph at Churchill Downs, which was also a first for Eddie Arcaro, by winning the Flamingo at Hialeah. Two years earlier, Joseph E. Wideners Brevity was beaten a "lip" by Bold Venture after winning the Flamingo, which was then known as the Florida Derby. Campaigned With Varying Success Citation is the only other Flamingo winner to triumph in the Kentucky Derby, but three other Calumet Farm Derby victors campaigned at Hialeah with varying lack of success. Whirlaway, Pensive and Ponder all found the Florida climate beneficial, though they did not show its effect until they reached Kentucky. The 1951 Kentucky Derby winner. Jack Amiels Count Turf, raced at Hialeah throughout the winter, but did nothing to presage his triumph at Churchill Downs. And, while Hill Gail won last years Derby after scoring in the Santa Anita Derby, Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords One Count, who went on to be sophomore champion, also raced at Hialeah. Floridas sons, native and adopted, have an intense and diverse rooting interest in this years Kentucky Derby. Eugene Con- ► ■ i stantin, Jr.s, Royal Bay Gem, winner of the Everglades Stakes and second to Straight Face in the Flamingo, was for several weeks second choice to Native Dancer in the Mexican future book on the Derby. Greentree Stables Straight Face, who was cut down and bumped around in the Everglades, then came back to win the Flamingo, has long had his share of fanatic supporters for the Churchill Downs classic. Ram o War, who races for Marylands Bruce S. Campbell, first showed stake quality in that same roughly run Everglades, and was disqualified from third place after bumping Straight Face, then continuing toward the rail to come to rest against Blaze at the furlong pole. Cain Hoy Stables Dark Star didnt appear in any stakes at Hialeah, but won an overnight seven furlongs, then finished up the track in the Florida Derby, despite some brilliant trials.
