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Nine-Horse Nine-Horse Field Field for for Derby Derby Trial; Trial; Destroy Destroy White White Skies Skies After After Accident Accident Champion Sprinter Stumbles, Hits Rail Breaks Right Hind Leg in Training Mishap at Jamaica; Won 18,800 Last Season JAMAICA, L. I„ N. Y„ May 2.— White I Skies, voted the best sprinter of 1954 in the Daily Racing Form and The Morning Telegraph poll, suffered a broken hind leg this morning while undergoing a trial ovev this oval and was destroyed. The accident happened shortly after passing th- even-furlong pole marker on the clubhouse turn. White Skies broke in front of the stand and was racing along at a fast clip rounding the turn close to the inner rail. He o tumbled and fell heavily against the inside rail, and work watchers reported that the impact was so heavy that it twisted his body in such a position that his front left leg came back with heavy force and shattered the right hind leg just below the hock. The break was jagged and perforated the hide. Work watchers rushed to the scene trying to quiet the six-year-old who was thrashing about. Veterinarians were called, and when they arrived they pronounced the horse beyond saving, and later he was destroyed after consulting the insurance companies. Trainer Tommy Root said that White Skies was insured, but refused to divulge the amount. The exercise boy, Billy Root, his regular morning rider, escaped injury. Foaled at Nuckols Farm White Skies was foaled in 1949 at the farm of his breeders, C. Nuckols and Sons, in Kentucky, and raced for William M. Wickham, a tobacco man of that state. He was by Sun Again from Milk Dipper, she by Milkman, and traced back on both sides to such outstanding ones as Broomstick and Fair Play. White Skies was rested during the winter months in Hia-leah and placed back in training in late February. During the winter months it was reported that he was to be syndicated and placed in the stud, but the deal missed fire somewhere and then it was decided to return him to the racing wars. During his racing career White Skies went postward 37 times, winning 20 races, finishing second eight times and third on four occasions. He earned a total of 46,020. Last year he started six times, winning five races and 18,100, a princely sum for a sprinter who is denied the rich purses that are the lot of long-distance runners. The races he won last year were the Sheer Speed Handicap at Gulfstream Park, Continued on Page Seven p WHITE SKIES— Champion sprinter, of 1954 suffered fatal injuries in training * mishap at the Jamaica course yesterday. Destroy White Skies After Jamaica Training Accident Continued from Page One Paumonok at Jamaica, Toboggan at Belmont Park, Roseben at Belmont Park, Carter at Aqueduct, and second in the Oceanport at Monmouth Park. The lightest weight that he carried in those events was 128 at Gulfstream, 135 in the Roseben and 136 in the Oceanport. Root recently transferred White Skies to Jamaica, where he has his other horses, following the running of the Toboggan Handicap, in which he finished third. He also showed in the Paumonok, the opening-day feature at Jamaica.
