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Calif or nians See Win at Long Last LastHave Have Four Candidates on Which to Pin Hopes for first Success Since 7922 By OSCAR OTIS OTISCHURCHILL CHURCHILL DOWNS Louisville Ky April 30 Apparently millions of people interested in the thoroughbred sport have a strong hunch that this is a year of des ¬ tiny for California in the Kentucky Derby and that at long last a Golden State horse will win Americas Blue Ribbon classic classicWhen When this writer came to Kentucky this hunch or sixth sense of impending vic ¬ tory for the coast was evident among lead ¬ ing breeders who are quite well informed as to the uptotheminute status of three yearold stake horses and their prospects if for no other reason of the impact upon the popularity and desirability of blood ¬ lines linesThe The records show hat but onp Comof niabred Moryich ever won Vne Kentucky Derby but he was noticafiforniaraced nor was he CaUforni owned at the time of the Derby jr jrSeveral Several Caluorniaraced horses have scored mostynotably Hill Gail and Galla hadion or fco go back even further Elwood in 1904 Two TopRanking Stake Horses HorsesCalifoTiias CalifoTiias solid hopes this year are pinnedjupon two top ranking stake horses Correlation who is Californiabred raised trainfctl and owned and Determine who though bred in Kentucky is Califprnia owned and raced his entire career in the Gol 2en State until he flew to Churchill Down only two weeks ago He is bred aloQg California lines so to speak for he is a son of Alibhai who established his refutation as a great sire at the old Louis Ip Mayer farm before he was syndicated and sent to Spendthrift Farm FarmThis This writer cannot agree with any think ¬ ing which holds that either Correlation or Determine are finding a soft spot in the Derby because of the absence of two horses Porterhouse and Turnto The proof lies in the Experimental Handicap of John B Continued on Page TwenfyFiVe CdliTOfniaits fi See SeeWin Win at Long Last LastHave Have Four Candidates on Which to Pin Hopes for First Success Since 1922 1922Continued Continued from Page Oat OatCampbell Campbell who rated Correlation at 120 pounds six pounds removed from Porter ¬ house and Turnto who shared the top at 126 pounds Determine was but nine pounds away at 117 pounds Both colts have not only lived up to their Experimental weights but have we believe raced over and above it First we would like to analyze the Cor ¬ relation situation He was foaled and raised at the Northridge Farm of J H Ryan in the San Fernando Valley and owner Robert S Lytle of Los Angeles remarks that great credit for the colts development should go to Ryan and his competent staff at North ridge plus his scientific pastures pasturesGiven Given Chance to Grow GrowAs As a twoyearold despite his size he was given an educational threefurlong sprint at Santa Anita a race which he won in a fashion which only can be described as impressive He was given a chance to grow and at Hollywood Park won the C S Howard Stakes Owner Lytle thought so highly of the colt at that time that he decided to ship him by air to Chicago but on the eve of the departure jockey Willie Shoemaker drew a suspension for careless riding and Lytle did not care to entrust the son of Free America to anyone else The stable had neglected to name the horse overnight for th 50000 Btarlet Stakes a race emblematic of the twoyearold cham ¬ pionship of Hollywood Park so while Arro ¬ gate won it Correlation was in the barn barnLater Later at Golden Gate Lytle flew Cor ¬ relation to New York where he was second to Fisherman in the East View Then he was second to Turnto in the Garden State beating Fisherman among others After that he cast himself in his stall and win ¬ tered at Santa Anita He then launched his threeyearold campaign in an over ¬ night race late in the Arcadia season flew to Florida and decisively beat Goyamo in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and confirmed that race last Saturday by his brilliant score in the Wood Memorial MemorialCorrelations Correlations regular rider is Willie Shoe ¬ maker who fits the horse like the pro ¬ verbial glove On two occasions Correla ¬ tion has shown that he has enough speed to keep up early within striking distance and is thus not a true one run horse or plodder The first was in that twoyearold dash mentioned on January 2 at Santa Anita The other was in the Wood where he never was out of striking distance during the early part Therefore he is the type of horse who does not need a killing early pace to set the stage for him to win winOwner Owner Lytle is a Californian with a na ¬ tional outlook on racing and has now twice shipped the colt to this side of the Rockies in order to prove his horse in the classic stakes in areas other than California Cor ¬ relation is as you might imagine a good traveler travelerDetermines Determines Experimental status of 117 pounds was made on his twoyearold form which does not match in brilliance his campaign as a three He was clearly best in the Santa Anita Derby at a mile and a furlong and in his preDerby campaign at Bay Meadows won three stakes in a row rowContinued Continued on Page FiftyTwo Tfti May Be Year of Destiny For California in the Derby Have Four Candidates on Which to Pin Hopes for First Success Since 1922 1922Continued Continued from Page Fifteen FifteenWhile While it is true that he outclassed his field in the Bay Meadows Derby he raced the mile and a furlong in 149 but a fifth of a second removed from Seabiscuits track record and few who saw the race doubted but that he could have broken the Seabis cuit mark had he as much as been ridden out instead of allowed to merely gallop along the last eighth eighthDetermine Determine Broken on Coast CoastDetermine Determine came to California as a year ¬ ling was broken there and is California trained and ridden as well as being Cali ¬ forniaowned Like Lytle owner Crevolin has no inhibitions against sending his good horses East from time to time to compete in stakes races if he thinks his horses are worthy worthyThis This writer does not subscribe to the school of thought which holds that a Ken ¬ tucky Derby victory would do wonders for the improvement of the breed in Cali ¬ fornia A victory would be welcome as an indication that the breed has improved but its value would be mostly on the dra ¬ matic side for the breed has been on the upgrade and definitely for the past several years Derby winner or no Derby winner winnerWe We do think however that a California bred victory would encourage more Cali ¬ fornia owners to try their homebreds in the great Eastern and Middle Western clas sics and would help dispel the notion which has many believers that horses shipping across the country especially from West to East lose their form While it is true that this has been the case with a great many horses others have shipped and raced without seeming ill effect so the thinking now is that maybe the key to successful forays lies in the MANNER AND METHODS of shipping rather than in the mere travel itself itselfCalifornia California owners trainers and horses have played a far greater role in past Derby history than many might imagine possible As we mentioned before the first Cali ¬ forniaraced horse to win the Derby was Elwood in 1904 Elwood raced at old Ascot Park near Los Angeles for Mrs C E Dur nell and his arrival in Kentucky and sub ¬ sequent victory would seem to have dis proven even then that a horse of necessity lost his form by the long journey journeyMorvich Morvich Won in 1922 1922In In 1922 Morvich won his Derby Bred by A B Spreckels Morvich was sold as a yearling to Benjamin Block a New York broker Spreckels kept another colt called Runstar After Morvichs Derby Spreckels was criticized for selling the best one but time proved that he had made no such mistake Runstar won the Cof froth Handi ¬ cap while Morvich never amounted to rmuch after the Derby and failed to make more than a tiny dent in American blood ¬ line patterns patternsIn In 1924 Calif ornian Charlie Hartwell paid 30000 for a colt called Cannon Shot shipped him to Kentucky but best he could do was finish twelfth to Black Gold GoldThen Then came a long array of California owned but not bred horses seeking the Derby To recall a few Chaffee Earls Naishapur in 1929 who finished second to Clyde Van Dusen Walter H Hoffman Jrs Longus sixth in 1930 the late Nor ¬ man W Churchs Gallant Sir eighth in 1932 Raoul Walshs Sunset Trail IE six ¬ teenth in 1937 Myron Selznicks Cant Wait third to Lawrin and Dauber in 1938 Hugh S Nesbitts Staretor second to Whirlaway in 1941 the Oregonbred but Californiaraced Mioland who was fourth to the California winterraced Gallahadion in 1940 and With Regards owned by T D Pinky Grimes of Arcadia an unlucky fourth in 1942 1942Still Still others were Boot and Spur who finished last in 1942 under the colors of the late E C A Berger Mrs George Poul sens Broadcloth second to Pensive in 1944 Erlanger Stables Shut Up and C S Howards Sea Swallow both unsuccessful in 1945 1945Made Made Derby History HistoryA A Californian On Trust made Derby history when he flew from California to try in the 1947 Derby while Harry M Warners team of Stepfather and W L Sickle came by train trainDetermines Determines trainer Willie Molter also conditioned On Trust who was fourth and beaten but a length and two heads Molter blames the preliminary training of On Trust for the defeat not the flight He has remarked if he had it to do over again he would do it differently As you may recall Molter trained the horse by long distance the horse being in southern California in the early spring Molter in San Francisco and he would fly down each week end to supervise the training The rest he accomplished over the telephone It was not a satisfactory arrangement as subsequent events were to prove proveNevertheless Nevertheless On Trust made a strong impression upon Kentuckians as being a food horse horseIn In 1948 Mrs John Payson Adams who is here as a spectator for this Derby started Grandpere against Citation but she was under no illusions about beating the great Calumet CalumetIn In 1950 a Californiabred Your Host was the posttime favorite for the Derby on the basis of his clever and sparkling Santa Anita Derby win plus a new track record runaway seven furlongs in an over ¬ night at Keeneland On Derby Day Your Host lacked his customary zip and finished ninth an item which only added to the wisdom of the axiom that the Derby is one of the toughest races in the world to win And as it turned out the Derby was the only poor race ever turned in by the son of Alibhai AlibhaiBred Bred in California CaliforniaIn In 1951 California took and was en ¬ titled to a measure of credit for Count Turfs win Count Turf was bred in Ken ¬ tucky by a Californian Dr Frank Porter Miller now president of the California Breeders Association was sent to the coast as a weanling developed in the Riverside sunshine as an early yearling and was then shipped back to Saratoga where he was sold at the August yearling sales Owned by New Yorker J J Amiel Count Turf was winterraced in Florida FloridaIn In 1952 California had still another candidate in the homebred Arroz but he didnt quite measure up although he did not disgrace himself finishing sixth and beating such as Cold Command Smoke Screen and Gushing Oil OilLast Last year the owners of Arroz Mr and Mrs Gordon Guiberson of La Jolla were represented by Correspondent who went to the post a strong second choice to Native Dancer His backing was substantial for three reasons he was a son of Khaled a leading California sire from a good mare he had won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in record time and he had Eddie Arcaro in the irons ironsThis This year California has four horses with three different ownerships Allied another Kentuckybred but California raced colt will go to the post as an entry with Determine for Andrew J Crevolin Correlation will race for Bob Lytle and James Session will represent Betty Grable and Harry James JamesIf If this be inded a year of destiny for California it will so transpire through the deeds of one of these
