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HENRY KNIGHT Prominent Ken tuckian led ail market breeders in money won and in races won in 1955 as well as all the breeders in races won Produce of his Almahurst nursery won 223 races and 880284 in purses last year E f brha Always Prevalent in Derby Past Runnings of Classic Form Patterns for Future Many Memorable Renewals Reveal Excitement Thrills Surround Stakes Each Year YearBy By JpE HIRSCH HIRSCHCHURCHILL CHURCHILL DOWNS Louisville Ky May 4 The Kentucky Derby today as it has been since 1875 when the little red horse Aristides won the first edition of this classic race is many things to many people All of us present at Churchill Downs this Saturday afternoon the owners the trainers the riders the officials the press and the vast majority of ordinary fans jammed into the sprawling stands here at Louisville each has his own personal in ¬ terest his own meaning to the Derby and the circumstances surrounding its presenta ¬ tion But similarly all too are caught up in the Derby spirit that inexorible tide of excitement which builds up slowly until it crests and overflows with terrific force as dusk approaches on the first Saturday in May Irvin Cobb put it simply Until you go to Kentucky and with your own eyes behold the Derby you aint never been no wheres and you aint never seen nothin nothinTodays Todays Derby is the 82nd in an unbroken series that is even more remarkable for the fact that rarely if ever has there been an uneventful running Drama pervades the race in 1956 as it did in 1875 and as it will in 1975 when those of us who are lucky or young enough will be around for the 100th anniversary of Americas most celebrated thoroughbred test However several re ¬ newals are more memorable than the others Come with me now as we leaf through the old chart books in search of past glories and patterns for the future futureGrant Grant President When Race Inaugurated InauguratedThat That first Derby on May 17 1875 would have been something to see Grant was in the White House the country was begin ¬ ning to recover from the financial panic of 1873 and a chestnut colt by Leamington from the Lexington mare Sarong coupled in the entries with Chesapeake was estab ¬ lished favorite for the first Kentucky Derby The Spirit of the Times noted that the race had created deep interest throughout the country in view of the important bearing upon the prospects of future great events The Derby carded as the second race on the program at ¬ tracted 42 nominations of which 15 went postward The added money came to 1000 the net to the winner 2850 Aristides bred by his owner Price McGrath at his McGrathiana Stud outside of Lex ¬ ington was badly cut up in the Phoenix HotelvStakes before the Derby and it was generally felt that Chesapeake would be McGraths big horse But jockey Oscar Lewis took Aristides just off the pace down the backstretch lapped the pacesetting Volcano at the half mile pole and was in front the rest of the way around McGrath standing at the head of the stretch waved to his rider to go on and Lewis responded by throwing rein at Aris ¬ tides to stand off a strong challenge from Volcano and win by a length The race was run at a mile and a half in those days and Aristides time of 237 was the fastest of the era for a threeyearold at that searching route A crowd of 10000 looked on that warm afternoon 82 years ago and saw history made 1881 Hindoos Year YearThen Then there was Hindoos year in 1881 The son of Virgil and Florence had won seven but of his nine starts as a twoyear old and came to the Derby with a bril ¬ liant reputation He live up to it in every respect The footnotes of the race show that at one time or another every horse came up to challenge him but Hindoo shook them off almost without effort merely galloped through the stretch and won by four lengths eased up Hindoo won 18 out of 20 attempts in his sopho ¬ more season and was second and third in the other two starts They said of him He battled with giants of the turf and more than held his own ownThe The year 1885 was marked by a great rivalry between J T Williams Joe Cotton and Morris Pattons Berson In the Derby Joe Cotton stood along drive gamely to hold off Bersons powerful finish but later that season was beaten in Churchill Downs Clark Handicap by Berson ridden in that ancient stake by Americas great ¬ est rider Isaac Murphy MurphyThe The fifteenth Derby in 1889 was a dramatic affair with a huge crowd of 25000 lured by the presence of Proctor Knott said to be the finest twoyearold developed in this country in many seasons But Proctor Knott was not to be the win ¬ ner that hot sultry May 9 A wild horse at the barrier he broke away twice to gal ¬ lop morethan eighth pf a mile and almost unseated his rider Pike Barnes Rushed to the front at the first turn he was fight ¬ ing for his head down the backstretch and was five lengths in front turning for home Entering the stretch the lto2 favorite lost many lengths racing to the outside rail and Barnes after straightening him out decided to remain on the outside rather than risk losing further ground by angling over to the insjde Meanwhile Spokane a 10tol shot who had saved ground all the way was driving for the wire along the inside rail Proctor Knott was still about half a length in front at the eighth pole but the pair seemed to come to the wire as a team The judges deliberated for quite a while then awarded the decision to Spokane by a nose It was a thriller thrillerIn In ttie 22nd Kentucky Derby in 1896 Ben Brush proved he had the qualities of a great race horse which he was later to pass on as one of our outstanding sires A lto2 choice in the Run for the Roses he stumbled at the start nearly unseated his rider and seemed hopelessly out of it Together with the second choice Ben Edor he began to move down the far side caught the pacemakers entering the stretch and then fought a stirring duel for the next quarter pf a mile with Ben Brush getting up to win by a nose noseFor For an example of rare courage how about AlanADales Derby in 1902 The son of Halma and Sudie McNairy was starting for the first tirne as a threeyear old in the Louisville classic opened up a fourlength lead going into the stretch then went lame past the eighth pole and carried on with unusual gameness to score by a nose over Inventor For the Negro rider Jimmy Winkfield it was the second Derby victory in a row a feat matched only by Isaac Murphy The race was also the only appearance of the year for the winner who came back at four to win five of nine starts startsIn In 1913 A L Tony Astes Ten Point was the heavy favorite for the 39th Ken ¬ tucky Derby arid was the early leader with a complete outsider named Donerail re ¬ strained well off the pace by jockey Roscoe Goose But past the eighth pole Ten Point was done and Donerail under stout urging by 3oose drew away to a halflength tri ¬ umph good for the longest price in the history of the race a juicy 18490 18490Old Old Rosebud Wins in Gallop GallopThe The succeeding Derbys were also note ¬ worthy affairs In 1914 H C Applegates Old Rosebud came to the race with a rec ¬ ord of 12 wins in 14 starts as a twoyear old In the Derby the Uncle Ivory Bells gelding merely galloped winning by eight lengths in one of the most awesome dis ¬ plays of power in Churchill Downs annals In 1915 Harry Payne Whitneys filly Re ¬ gret the favorite in the 16horse field as a result of her threeforthree record as a twoyearold won easing up by two lengths for jockey Joe Notter the only time a filly ever won the race raceThe The 43rd Derby in 1917 went to Omar Khayyam the only imported winner who was bred in England and purchased by Billings and Johnson at the Newmarket sales for 1500 In 1918 the roses went to Willis Sharpe Kilmers remarkable Ex ¬ terminator who in 100 starts over eight seasons of racing was to win 50 of them themContinued Continued on Page 35 D MRS GENE MARKEY Fabius and Pin tor Lea are her Calumet Farm hopefuls for a sixth stable victory in the Run for the Roses Drama Always Prevalent in Derb Each Running Has Its Own Pattern PatternMany Many Memorable Renewals Reveal Excitement Thrills Surround Stakes Each Year YearContinued Continued from Page 15 D Doften often under great weight packages Sir Barton beat his stablemate Billy Kelly for Commander J K L Ross in 1919 hile in 1920 Paul Jones emerged from an ex ¬ tended duel with Upset the winner by a head headThe The story of Black Golds Derby the 50th Derby in 1924 is an old favorite here at the Downs Useeit the colts dam had been raced by Mrs Rosa H Hoots late husband Started in a claiming race Mr Hoots refused to part with the mare when haltered and the judges ruled he would not be permitted to race horses again Bred to Col E R Bradleys Black Toney in 1920 the foal was Black Gold and un ¬ der little Joe Mooney he smashed to a half length victory over Chilhowee The late Matt Winn recalled that Mrs Hoots win ¬ ners circle acceptance speech was one of the most gracious he had ever heard heardTwenty Twenty Grand Successful in 1931 1931Almost Almost 50 years to the day from the afternoon that his father saddled Hindoo for his first Kentucky Derby win trainer Jim Rowe Jr sent Twenty Grand to the post in the 1931 classic and like Hindoo this oddson choice won by four lengths Those who saw this 57th Derby say it was one of the most exciting of all Twenty Grand far back in the early stages came roaring by horses to win going away in a new track record of 201 201And And who can forget the whip duel be ¬ tween Don Meade and Herbie Fisher in the 1933 Derby Fisher on Head Play had the lead at the eighth pole over Meade on Brokers Tip but the two exchanged as ¬ sorted blows before the packed and as ¬ tonished stands and it was Meade on the rail who won by a neck Both riders were of course suspended In 1938 a gentleman named George Arcaro won a Derby on a horse called Lawrin for another gentleman named Ben Jones Lawrin isnt around any more but both Aicaro and Jones are on hand this Saturday afternoon B A shooting for No 7 and Eddie going for No 6 You take a chance when you bet against them themWhirlaways Whirlaways Derby in 1941 resulted in a blockbusting eightlength triumph for the son of Blenheim II while another out ¬ standing champion Count Fleet won handily by three lengths in 1943 The 1945 Derby postponed until June 9 that year by the transportation problems of World War n was won by Fred Hoopers Hoop Jr Guerins Ride on Jet Pilot Lauded LaudedEric Eric Guerins ride on Jet Pilot in 1947 has been called by veteran horsemen the best ever put up in Derby competition Guerin took the Maine Chance Farm colt to the front from the outset and then held off a courageous stretch challenge by Ar ¬ caro on the deadgame Phalanx the sire of Career Boy who missed the winner by a head headIn In 1948 the Calumet entry of Citation and Coaltown went off at 40 cents to the dollar and the mighty Cy the turf worlds first millionaire galloped to a three and onehalf length tally tallyIf If Guerin was a hero in 1947 he was the goat in 1953 when A G Vanderbilts Native Dancer dropped a head decision to Capt Harry Guggenheims Dark Star The Danc ¬ er a 70cent entry with Social Outcast was roughed at the first turn by Money Broker then finished strongly but could not overtake the winner winnerLast Last year the California cowboys Rex Ellsworth and Meshach Tenney surprised the pride of the East the late William Woodward Jrs Nashua their Swaps run ¬ ning a brilliant race to be well deserving of the victory victoryAnd And now another page in Derby history is waiting to be written Like all the others it will be reread and rehashed as long as there is thoroughbred racing in this country
