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;| Reflections 1 By Nelson Dunstan Kentucky Derby Had a Humble Origin Exterminator Most Romantic Winner Arcaro Trying for Sixth Win on Nashua NEW YORK, N. Y., May 6.— The -Kentucky Derby will be run for the eighty-first time Saturday and • throughout the country millions of fans will be anx iously awaiting the outcome. The Louisville race; inaugurated in 1875, is 115 years younger ,than Englands Epsom Derby, which is generally considered the worlds greatest turf classic. To the Yorkshireman, however, the Epsom Derby is a mere prelude to what, in his eyes, is the greatest of all English events and that is the St. Leger, third and last leg of Englands Triple Crown. There are many in this country who re gard the Belmont Stakes at a mile and a half as Americas foremost event for three-year-olds, but there can be no denying that the Kentucky Derby is our most colorful event. Many books have been written about the Epsom Derby and one of the best we ever read was, "The Romance of the Derby Stakes." Books have been written, too, about the Kentucky Derby and its many romantic facets. In this connection we would say that the most romantic episode was in 1918, when Willis Sharpe Kilmer purchased Exterminator to pinch hit for Sun Briar, the champion two-year-old of the previous year. Exterminator, virtually an unknown, was the winner and he then went on to be the greatest Cup horse in the history of this country. One of his feats was scoring four consecutive victories in the Saratoga Cup. Ken tucky-B reds in Majority For the remainder of this column we will record some of the sidelights of our "Run for the Roses." Sixty-five winners were foaled in Kentucky, and other winners have comme from Virginia, New Jersey, California, Kansas, Tennessee, Texas and Montana. . . . Eddie Arcaro holds the record for riding five winners and he has a royal chance to make it six. ... Ben Jones, the veteran Calumet trainer, has saddled the winner six times, and A. J. Alexander was the breeder of five winners. That mark was tied by John E. Madden of Hamburg Place and Calumet Farm. . . . While many Derby winners have had sons to enter the winners circle, a highlight was the triple of Reigh Count, 1928, who sired Count Fleet, 1943, and who, in turn, sired Count Turf, 1951. . . . The oldest stallion to sire a winner was Falsetto, who was 30 when his son Sir Huon won in 1906. . . . Calumet Farms Pensive was only eight years old when he sired Ponder in 1949, and Gallant Fox was but eight years old when his son. Omaha won in 1935. . . . Seventy-two colts, seven geldings and one filly have won the Derby. Himyar went to the post at 1-4 in the 1878 running, the shortest price in the history of the race, and Day Star defeated him. . . ". Count Fleet, 1945, and Citation, 1948, paid the smallest prices since pari-mutuels were introduced, each returning .80 for .00. . . . Sir Barton, 1919, was the first to win the Triple Crown of the Derby, the Preakness and Belmont. He was followed by Gallant Fox, 1930; Omaha, 1935; War Admiral, 1937; Whiriaway, 1941; Count Fleet, 1943; Assault, 1946, and Citation, 1948. . . . The Thoroughbred Racing Associations now offer a special trophy for Triple Crown winners, and it will be on display at „ Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont Park. . . . Only three per cent of Derby starters have been fillies and - that figure has dropped considerably in recent years. There were 15 starters in the inaugural running of 1875, none of them fillies. ... In that first running, Aristides won ,850, the smallest purse ever paid. . . . In 1913 the conditions of the race were changed. It became a ,000 added event, netting Donerail ,475, the largest prize up to that time. . The race increased in value in the year following Donerails victory. . . . Three maidens have been Derby winners, Buchanan, 1884; Sir Barton, 1919, and Brokers Tip, 1933. Omar Khayyam Only Foreign Horse to Score Omar Khayyam, 1917, is the only foreign-bred horse *to win a Derby renewal, and, as told year after year, Regret, 1915, was the only filly to enter the winners circle. Omar Khayyam was bred in England and was brought here as a yearling. ... In the early runnings 1875-1895, the distance was one mile and a half, with Spokane, 1889, setting the record of 2:34%. Middle-ground and Hill Gail came within one-fifth of a second of it. Whiriaway, 1941. holds the Derby record of 2:01% for a mile and a quarter. . . .. Eighty years after its first running on May 17, 1875, the Derby of-lered 125 times the added money of the inaugural running won by Aristides" in 1875. With 25,000 added, this years renewal is the richest. . . . The first 00,000 renewal was in 1946. . . . For each horse nominated this year, the owner paid a subscription fee of 00. To pass the entry box the day" before the running, the owner pays 50, with an additional ,250 for a starter, a total of ,600 for each horse going to the past. . . . The five fastest renewals were those of Twenty Grand, Whiriaway, Middleground, Hill Gail and Dark Star, the latter defeating Native Dancer. They ran the distance in 2:02. . . . The largest field was 22, in 1928, and the smallest was in 1892 and 1905, each of these renewals having only three starters.
