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■ . — ™ Joe Hirsch Measure of Unending Fame to Winner of Derby Tim Tam, Jewels Reward Are Evenly Matched Hope That Victor Can Capture Triple Crown CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 2.— This was last September, and in the fading light of a miia, fall afternoon,_we stood with Peter Scott, the noted noted young young English English turf turf writer, writer. . ■ noted noted young young English English turf turf writer, writer. in the centerfield at Epsom as our eye swept the remarkable course where the Derby has been run since 1789. "You have no idea "how much this race means to us," Scott said thoughtfully, after a lengthy silence befitting the majesty of the scene. As a matter of fact, knowing what the Kentucky Derby means tothe sport in this country, we could appreciate Scotts Scotts feelings. feelings. There There is is only only one one Scotts Scotts feelings. feelings. There There is is only only one one — ™ Kentucky Derby, just as there is only one Epsom Derby, and victory in these races goes far beyond mere dollars and pounds. To the winner and his interests, there is a certain measure of undying fame*, rio matter what has happened before or happens after, and of course there is the stud. "Derby-winning lines are highly prized and have a way of reappearing in other years — witness Reight Count-Count Fleet-Count Turf and,Pensive-Ponder-Needles among the most notable examples. With the glory there is also the heartache, about which most fans hear little. Take the veteran trainer Ed Carpenter for instance. The other day, after months of hard work and preparation, he had Belleau Chief ready to run for the roses. A nice. little horse, Belleau Chief. He surprised everyone but Carpenter when he-beat Lincoln Road in the Biscayne Bay at Gulfstream Park and then came back to whip Silky Sullivan and several other leading contenders in last Saturdays Stepping Stone. Today he is out with a popped splint. Carpenter has been training cheap horses for years. Finally he gets a good one— and loses him — virtually on the eve of the face. How about Moody Jofley. who worked feverishly to bring Nadir up1 to the Derby after the colt.s attack of gastro-enteritis in; December caused him to miss valuable time and seasoning? Nadir simply isnt ready, and. was also cut up behind in the Trial. And then there is Bill Hartack. Too Early for Appraisal But to the business at hand, which is to say one of the most interesting Derbys in, many seasons. The point has been made that this isnt/the greatest bunch of three-year-olds to come along but perhaps the brilliance of Gen. Duke. Bold Ruier, Gallant Man. Round Table and Iron Liege casts too much of a glow from the recent past for us to fully appreciate at this time the Jewels Rewards, the Tam Tarns and the others". Well have a better idea, in the fall, which is after all, a more suitable time to appraise a generation. Of one thing we are certain: Tim Tam and Jewels Reward are thoroughly genuine colts. Theyve proved that much already. Mrs. Markeys ace has done everything asked of him, with seven victories in nine starts this year. Jimmy Jones has further indicated that there were "man-made excuses" for his two defeats. Who did he beat? Why everything that ran against him. Jewels Reward underlined the stuff he was made of last year when he set a money-winning record of 49,642. He started 12 times, 11 of them in stakes. This year he has appeared in only three races and - finished first in all of them — he was disqualified in the Flamingo, you will recall. That hes raced at all is a tribute to the colts own courage and the magnificent work done by Ivan Parke. Some day the full story "may be told. The more one studies the past performances, the more one must return to the Flamingo. These two — Tim Tam and Jewels Reward — were awfully close "together at that time, in more ways than one. In fairness to Tim Tam, it must be noted that "The Jewel" had more racing experience as a two-year-old. Now the question is: "How far have they progressed since Florida?" Both were impressive this week in their final preparations— Jewels Reward in his work, Tim Tam in the Trial. If they arent within a length of each other in Col. Corums classic, we would be very much surprised. Silky Has Many Converts Arid Silky? "Himself" is the imponderable. Reggie Cornell, admittedly prejudiced, thinks he has a race horse here. Certainly no colt can make up the ground he has— time and again — even against the Budweiser team, if he doesnt .have some- quality and class to him. Frankly we dont think he is on a par with horses bred like Tim Tam and Jewels Reward, but to dismiss him completely is ridiculous. Those who have seen him in California insist he makes, you a believer, and he lost few friends with liis fast-closing fourth in the Stepping Stone. What is more important, hes "made" this Derby " and has given American racing "a Ruthian shot-in the arm.*A last word. We hope the winner goes on and proves himself again in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Its time we had a Triple Crown champion once more.
