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Between Races By Oscar Otis McMeekin to Enjoy Derby as Spectator A 203 Track May Prevail for Classic Early Derby Wagering Helpful to Fans FansCHURCHILL CHURCHILL DOWNS Louisville Ky May 3 Derby Horses and People Sam McMeekin famed Derby steward of decades will enjoy the big race as a spectator for the first time since 1911 My connection with the Derby has been the greatest part of my life first as a sports editor later as a Downs official says McMeekin and while I feel sort of lost I feel I did the right thing in stepping down and retaining as my only connection with Churchill Downs membership on the board of di ¬ rectors George Covert of Tracy California who named his first horse for the Derby this year Proselyte a colt who failed to make the grade however is here to see at first hand what he has as a breeder to look for ¬ ward to in future seasons We put the Derby at 125000 to get out of the crowd of 100000 races explains executive vicepresident Stanley Hugenberg and while we probably will raise all stakes next spring the Derby will remain at that figure unless 125000 races become commonplace and if so only then would we consider elevating the Derby again againItll Itll be a 203 track this season if fast observes assistant track superintendent Cliff Burke We assume that people can make a plus or minus quality rating from that point after the race is over Bill Corums after the Derby party in his apartmentoffice come evening is not his at all he insists I merely escort the winning owner to the buffet open a bottle of wine and tell the man hes the host and its his party from then on says Corum Bill OKeefe sports editor of the Times Picayune of New Orleans is on hand as usual and he is senior visiting turf writer beyond all doubt Hes covered the Derby regularly since Regret 1915 missing only twice be ¬ cause of illness When I first came to see Regret win I was one of but four outoftown writers who were on hand to cover the race recalls OKeefe The Derby has grown in coverage since then in a manner that is fantastic E A Weidekamp di ¬ rector of parimutuel wagering since 1911 will take visitors into the storerooms at Churchill and show them the old clickers which were in use before the tote They are relics of a glorious past which deserve in our opinion preservation in the Saratoga Museum MuseumCorum Corum to Caution Riders Before Race RaceBill Bill Corum for the third straight year will deliver the usual preDerby admonition about rough or care ¬ less riding the eyes of the world are upon you etc and how foolish it would be to mess things up The stewards accompany Corum to lend weight to his speech The Kentucky Commission has specifically authorized a penalty of a year for rough riding in the Derby or anything less such as say six months within the discretion of the stewards We like Doubledog dare to become the filly of destiny of 1956 in the Kentucky Oaks tomorrow and her seeming wavering in the Oaks Trial was merely an experiment in early rating Colin MacLeod here with Besomer on a spur of the minute decision tells us Besomer means sweep in Gaelic and is so named because MacLeod a Scot insists that the real Gaels hail from Scotland Dublin thought to the contrary and Besomer traces to Sweep both top and bottom Tony Alessio of Calientes famed future book admits to Count Chic being his worst horse Alessio is here naturally to see how he makes out and has the biggest single financial stake in the outcome of the Derby of anybody among the 100000 plus on the grounds including the owner of the Derby winner whomever that turns out to be beJoe Joe Stevens as assumed personal command of cater ¬ ing here after just the small chore of opening the new New York Coliseum We like the early wager ¬ ing facilities offered for the Derby you can get on from 9 oclock in the morning till just after the fifth race and the money so wagered usually half a mil ¬ lion dollars is audited by the state calculated and becomes the opening line for normal wagering on the Derby itself Anyway it saves annoying delays for those who must get a vantage point to see the race and most everybody knows whom theyll back in the Derby by the time they get to the track Leslie Combs II will attain the epitome of luxury in Derby travel Saturday morning with a chartered bus from Lexington the latest model Greyhound sceniccruiser with picture windows a bar food pantry and wash room facilities Combs and his 40 guests will arrive at the Churchill gates in something approaching lavish style styleA A Lot of Words About the Big Story StoryChurchill Churchill Downs estimates it has provided some 1500000 words on preDerby news to all media includ ¬ ing the press house organs magazines and the TV and radio people While Derby promotion is a year round job the effort is most concentrated from Decem ¬ ber through April Andy Crevolin whose winner Determine will not soon be forgotten checked in from California Jockey Bobby Baird one of Americas ablest and most dependable riders got a long overdue break when he was engaged to pilot Pintor Lea part of the Calumet Farm entry Baird has had somewhat re ¬ markable success in keeping horses going beyond their normal limits through the expedient of riding high in the irons but hes found by actual experience that vShort stirrups permit him to exert more leverage and pushing ability with his knees In any event if a horse has any run in him Baird can extract the mostest and he could make Derby history Saturday Rex Ellsworths Swaps has been referred to by the usually ultraconservative Louisville Courier Jour ¬ nal as one of the great horses of our times timesCount Count Chic is the smallest horse in the Derby field just topping 15 hands We chinned him pur self yesterday morning But hes well balanced and racy and undoubtedly is exceedingly game As much as having a starter in the Derby is considered a great honor for any American owner and breeder John Hertz has two this season Jean Baptiste and Count Chic who came from the Hertz Amarillo Farm in California Bonnie Heath coowner of Needles emerged from a hectic time trying to get Derby seats for all his friends and rooters for the Floridabred scored a major victory by nabbing 62 Of course the most of these he had to acquire on the open market so to speak for Churchill is exceedingly fair in alloting box seats to owners of Derby starters
