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1,1 Joe Hirsch Mr. Young Meets and Greets Derby Invaders Remembers Experiences With Late Col. Winn Talks About Twenty Grand and First Landing CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 1.— When the plane carrying Royal Orbit and trainer Reggie Cornell flew into Louisville from San Francisco a few weeks ago, Tom Young was at the airport at 2:30 a.m. to welcome the flight and see that Reggie and his horse were made as comfortable as possible in their respective quarters. All the other Derby participants, no matter where they came from or when they arrived, were met and assisted by the same Tom Young. Of all the men who work so hard to make the Kentucky Derby a success, few put in more hours than Churchill Downs remarkable 71-year-old track superintendent, who is responsible for everything at this historic course aside from administrative activities. It was in 1912 that the late Matt Winn started Young off on his extensive tenure. "I was born in York, England, and after coming to this country, got a pob with Thompson and Fleming, landscape artists with offices in Buffalo, N. Y.," Young recalled in his office under the stands the other day. "In 1911, I was sent to Louisville to do some landscape work for Col. Winn, and the following year he asked me to go to work for him as his superintendent. While I had never served with a track before, I was familiar with soils and had little trouble adapting myself to the requirements of the job. We had six races a day in those years and there was ample time to do a thorough harrowing of the racing strip with 24 mules. I wish I could use mules now, but nine -race cards just dont permit it. I employ 200 men during the Derby meeting and keep 30 or 40 working throughout the year. Supervises Building of Stands In his capacity as superintendent, Young supervised the construction of most of the rambling stands at Churchill Downs, along with D. X. Murphy and Brothers, architects. "Col. Winn was a wonderful man to work for," Young notes. "He worked hard himself; long hours meant nothing to him. He wanted you to disagree with him, so that he could weigh and evaluate different ideas. We use to sit around a table, talking about the best way to do a job — and then went out and did it. Wed start to work on next years Derby the day after the Derby was run." Young has been meeting and greeting Derby horses for almost half a century. "We had no vans in the old days of course," he says. "We used to walk them over from the railroad station. James Rowe Sr. was the most meticulous trainer I ever knew. He would walk around his barn upon arriving at the Downs and personally select the stall for each horse. Ben Jones was the most successful trainer Ive seen. Its no accident he also worked harder than any of the others; frequently used to come back after supper to graze his colts. Hes entitled to all the credit hes received." In 1913 after the Hughes ban on racing in New York was rescinded, Col. Winn sent Young to put the Empire City track back in racing condition, and Young recalls he was in New York when World War I broke out. 1919 Renewal Had Its Problems "I came back to Louisville," he notes, "ploughed up the centerfield and planted potatoes. There was a food shortage in those days. We auctioned off the potatoes and gave the money to the soldiers stationed in nearby Camp Taylor. That same year we had rain pretty steadily for a few days before the Derby. Id floated the track to drain the water off, but more rain came and the hoof prints were filled with water. I went out and bought 25 sponges, then sent 25 men over the course, sponging out the water from each hoof mark. I remember Col. Winn leaned out the window of his office and called down Ive heard of that Tom, but thats the first time Ive ever seen it done. Old Rosebud won that year and he ran the mile and a quarter in 2:03%." The best Derby Young remembers is the 1931 running won by Twenty Grand. "In the fall of 1930," he says, "Twenty Grand and Equipoise ran a terrific race as two-year-olds at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. They went head and head almost all the way. So we were looking forward to their meeting again in the Derby. But Equipoise came down with kidney trouble three days before the Derby and wasnt able to run. Id say that Twenty Grand won his Derby with more authority than any horse Ive ever seen. Who do I like this year? Why its a wide open race, one of the most open Derbys weve ever had. Im inclined to stick with the best two-year-old of last season — First Landing."
