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1 Washington Notebook By J. J. MURPHY John Daly Tells of Derby of 1903 Uses Self Defense Against Bonner Rode Claude With Impost of 127 WASHINGTON PARK, Homewood, HI., Aug. 20. Perhaps you would like to know how they ran the American Derby 50"years ago. "Well, we have it right from the pen of the jockey who rode Claude, the horse who finished second to The Picket in that race of 1903. The following letter was loaned us by John CKeeffe, public relations director for Pimlico, ThistleDown, and other courses. John Daly, who was aboard Claude on that after noon of long ago, wrote CKeeffe as follows: "There was a select and very large field of horses in the race, and all Claude had to do was to give every horse in the race from two to 12 pounds, which is a lot of weight to give going one and one-half miles, which was the distance of the American Derby. Claude had to carry 127. The track was very narrow for the 19-horse, field that included the undefeated favorite, Savable, and the winners of the California, St. Louis, Cumberland, Tennessee, and Kentucky Derbys, and the Preakness. "The stewards called jockeys before them and cautioned that they would permit no rough riding, and that any offender would be severely dealt with. It was miraculous that several horses did not fall. No one was dealt with by the stewards. Claude had No. 2 post position. It was a good start and we were off as well as anyone and went to the first turn on the rail. Inasmuch as we were giving weight to every horse, I took off the pace. We went into the clubhouse turn seventh, still on the rail, and remained there around the turn. Well into the backstretch we were fifth, with two horses on the inside and one on the outside. That was a colt named Gilf ain, a 69-1 shot ridden by C. Bonner. y "Gilfain was really running a head in front of. me. He kept coming over and we pinched the inside horse off in the middle of the backstretch, and the one left on the inside of me at the far turn, which left me on the rail with this Gilfain still going strong on the outside of me. Just past the Ehree-eighths pole, he was a neck in front of me -and had me in very close quarters on the rail. I shouted to Bonner, "Pull out," but he showed no inclination to do so. I struck Claude twice to keep him in position and took the butt end of my whip and struck Bonner over the head six times as hard as I could. Riding whips in those days were about three feet long and were made ""-of whalebone with a thread wound around it. The handle had a piece of cast iron in it to give the whip balance. When I struck Bonner, the blows dazed him and he took out pronto and as J passed him he was swaying in the saddle. "We were then entering the homestretch. I looked up to see The Picket five lengths in front. Au Revoir was second, but dying fast. I knew I could not catch The Picket, so I rode to be second, which I was. Bernays was third and Savable fourth. It was the fastest American Derby run up to that time, the time being 2:33. The Picket, was a maiden. After the race, Bonner" complained to the Stewards showing them the welts on his head. The stewards asked me, Did you strike this boy over the head with, your whip? Incidentally, in those days the boys wore no fibre skull caps as they are compelled to do now. I replied, 1 struck him as hard and often as I could, and if I had a six-shooter I would have shot him as often as I" could. The stewards took no action, realizing that I was acting in self-defense." Well, we trust that nothing of that sort will occur here Saturday, as we do not believe that any of our jockeys could stand a half-dozen whacks over the noggin even with their skull caps. CKeeffe informs us that immediately "after the race Claudes owner, "Big Mike" Daly, who was the father of the jockey and the brother of the noted father Bill Daly, shipped the horse to Highland Park, Detroit, where two days later he won the Frontier Stakes by 15 lengths on a heavy track. Claude was regarded as the best "off" track horse of his day. He ran in six Derbys and won four of them, a feat not equaled until Black Gold came along in the twenties. Claude was a ,000 claim and was the first of the great trav-ConiimteJ m fje Thirtf-Nine Ll - w Washington Notebook By J. J. MURPHY P Continual from Page Fire elers among the stakes runners. As a three-year-old he raced in California, Tennessee, St. Louis, Michigan, Chicago, New York and . Canada, and made several cross-country tours." During his career Claude was ridden almost exclusively by one or the other of Mikes three sons, John, Larry and Bill. All are living, John beingr an official at Dela- ware Park and Scarborough Downs; Larry a judge at Cranwood and ThistleDown, and Bill is training horses in New England. And, get this, when John rode Claude and wal- v loped jockey Bonner, he was just a little more than 13 years of age. "VVe are certainly obliged to John OKeeffe for the information, and lie asked us to mention that ThistleDown will reopen September 11 after having: been closed since 1944, due to a fire that leveled the grandstand and clubhouse. We might add a personal note that we "covered" that last meeting at ThistleDown for this paper and returned to that course four years later as steward for Cranwood Park with our morning headquarters in the old ThistleDown racing secretarys office. ThistleDown will have 44 days of racing with two 5,000 stakes, t he Ohio Derby and the ThistleDown Cup. OKeeffe states that Pimlico has high hopes of getting Native Dancer and Tom Fool together for the running of the 0,000 Special. About 30 members of the Illinois Agri-cultural Society were guests of the Illinois Racing Board at luncheon in the clubhouse yesterday. . .Dr. Robert F. -Butzow, veteri- narian in the horse clinic at the University of Illinois, is visiting. He and Dr. Paul s Meginnis, track veterinarian, formerly were associates at the university clinic . . . Charlie Lowenstein, Chicago businessman who is a " brother of trainers Mose and Jake, came out yesterday to see Mrs. Jake Lowensteins two-year-old Jakie run for the first time . . . Abolish, winner of his very first start, was a ,200 yearling purchase . . . Trainer r Harry Trotsek says he does not plan to ship a division of Hasty House Farm Stable to Narragansett. . . John Heckmann. will have the mount on Landlocked in Saturdays American Derby, and Steve Brooks will ride Van Crosby in the same race. . .Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt will fly in from New Yox-k to see Native Dancer in action. . . . Although Thaxter will be entered in the Derby and Ronnie Baldwin named to ride, the colt is a doubtful starter . . . Scratch time for Saturdays races will be 5:00 p. m. Friday.
