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. * aft***.-* *" s ~ 1 JWhirlaway Hcrtds Bofli Derby, Track Record Traveled Mile and Quarter in | 2:01% in 1941 Accounting i CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 6. — The late Whirlaway, who carried the silks of Calumet Farm to victory in the ; 1941 Derby, holds the distinction of run-[ nings the fastest Kentucky Derby in his-: tory. "Mr. Longtail," as he was known throughout theacing world.-stepped |be mile and a quarter in 2:01%, which not only is the fastest for the race, but also represents the track record, v When his racing days were over, Whirl-away was sent to stud at Calumet, then later was sold to Marcel Boussac, French breeder, in 1950.- He died in France in 1953. Whirlaway beat his rivals by a wide margin in the Derby, scoring by eight lengths and fractional times for the big race were the quarter in :23%, half in :46%, three-quarters in 1:11% and the mile in 1:37%. While, the running time for the last quar- ter . mile w« :24, It Mvwt e remembered thatthe Calumet speedster was two i lengths off of the then leading Dispose at the end of a mile and that he actually raced the closing quarter in a shade better than :23%, a performance without parallel at the time and a feat that is likely to stand for many years to come. In lowering the record, Whirlaway was bettering Twenty Grands time of 2:01%, which he set in 1931. Since then Middle-ground in 1950 and Hill Gail two years later covered the distance in 2:01%. Dark Star, who beat Native Dancer in 1953, was clocked in 2:02.
