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— i - - " y - . s V l FAMOUS MODERN DAY DERBY FINISH— Dark Star lasting to score by a head over Native Dancer in 1953 renewal. Derby Loss of Dancer Stands Out Sole Defeat Is 22 Outings ■ ark Star Led Throughout 1953 for Head Win in iggest Modern Day Upset By EVAN SHIPMAN sets aplenty dot the history of the ucky Derby, but, to modern, horsemen ist, no form reversal ever recorded at chill Downs can better represent the ; and uncertainties of the turf than efeat of the champion Native Dancer ark Star in the 1953 renewal of the for the Roses." And yet, so strange lie quirks and twists that govern our ry, that, bring up the name of Alfred erbilts great gray champion, and, ;ntarily, his 21 victories are likely to you, this lone defeat coming first to . Perhaps it was the sheer wonder e thing that created the indelible im-Lbn; Native Dancer was unbeatable, then the classic race unrolls before astonished eyes, and there he is — n at the wire, and only by a head, e ►eaten, story is as old as racing or it may new as tomorrows result. The great ny bowed once to the great filly, il. Upset lived up to his name in that arable renewal of Saratogas Sanford ;s, Man o War his victim. Jim Dandy 11 lered Gallant Fox and Whichone in Dravers, while Citation was forced to sde the Chesepeake Trial to a colt id Saggy. To each Roland, his Oliver 3 to Native Dancer, his Dark Star, rate Description of Lone Defeat he Is to be haunted by this lone set-in an otherwise triumphant record, re Dancer deserves that the race he so narrowly should be acquarately deed. Man o Wars downfall in the ord is now a myth, and you can hear st as many versions of Big Reds de-as there are survicors among the spec-s of that long-ago program, some of . frankly fantastic. Let us cling ten-isly to the record, when we examine Derby, Stars— and Native Dancers — Ken-r posed to Native Dancer, fresh from an score in the Wood Memorial, in that ity-eighth renewal of the Kentucky ic were 10 others; Correspondent, 1 Bay Gem, Straight Face, Dark Star, [orator, Money Broker, Ram O War, agh King and Ace Destroyer, listed rder of public favor. The gray colt of course, the overwhelming favorite, I to the post coupled with Social Out-and this pair starting at odds of 70 » to the dollar, rrespondent ridden by Eddie Arcaro owed his position as strong second choice to a remarkable showing at Keeneland shortly before, where he had won the Blue Grass Stakes with ridiculous ease, setting a new track record for the nine furlongs. When it is recalled that the mark shattered by the California colt had been set by the great Coaltown, and had resisted all assaults for five years, the enthusiasm for Correspondents chances is explained. Trial Victory Didnt Convince Some As for Dark Star, the Cain Hoy color-bearer had scored in the mile Derby Trial, raced at Churchill Downs the Monday of Derby week. The Trial, run in a smashing 1:36, had been a sparkling performance, even though some cynics persisted in thinking this race was just what its name suggested, refusing to take its results very seriously. However that may have been, in the biggest upset of the last decade, Dark Star came right back to lead every step of the mile and a quarter the following Saturday to capture the Kentucgy Derby, holding the belated rush of the unfortunate Native Dancer to a head, while Invigorator wound up five lengths farther back in third place. So far as the favorite was concerned, that Derby was not a true race, but any mishaps suffered en route by Native Dancer cannot be charged to the account of the winner, and Dark Star had to be a fast, game colt in order to score. !. While Dark Star was winging along in front of the Derby field, trouble developed early to the rear. Getting away, jockey Eric Guerin had allowed Native Dancer plenty of time to find his stride, but when, after the initial quarter through the stretch, he was moving up to gain position for the first turn, the big gray was rudely sloughed by Money Broker, losing much ground. Guerin Couldnt Find Clear Sailing On recovery, Guerin hastily set his colt going again and took out* after the field, recovering much of what had been lost in a sizzling quarter stepped down the back-stretch. At the far turn and between the turns. Native Dancer was very much in the hunt again. But now, with dead aim on the pace-setting Dark Star and the other leaders, Guerin failed to find the clear sailing he had anticipated, being forced to In the homestretch, Dark Star held a couple of lengths advantage over the gray colt who, at long last, was dear. Those who ignored the severity of his earlier efforts were certain that Native Dancer would now bridge this gap with little trouble. They were wrong. Little by little, the champion did close on Dark Star. At the furlong pole, the margin was a length and a half . At the sixteenth pole, it was less than a length. At the wire, Dark Star, with Henry Moreno desperately driving, was stil a head in advance of the steadily closing challenger. Dark Stars fractions for his mile and a quarter were: :23%, :24, :24%, :25%. :25%. From where he had to come, after the disastrous Money Broker incident at the first turn, Native Dancer had run that third quarter in 23 seconds flat, or, very probably, a tick or so faster. That third quarter on the Churchill Downs backstretch was what beat the favorite — that and of course, Dark Stars ability to show a last quarter I of his own in :25% — a powerful performance when it comes at the end of 10 furlongs in 2:02. That was, far and away, the best race of Dark Stars short career. On that banner day, the son of Royal Gem n.— Isolde by Bull Dog was a credit to .his young trainer, Eddie Hay ward; his breeder, Warner L. Jones; and finally to the rider who had rated his speed so accurately, Hank Mo-i reno. Native Dancer was to be in the limelight on plenty of other occasions, and was to go on to achieve every honor the American turf could confer — every honor save the Kentucky Derby. It had been Dark Stars day.
