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JOCKEY JOHN HECKMANN— Is expected to be astride On-and-On when he blows out this morning and may be up if the Calumet colt starts in the Derby. On-and-On Remains Question Mark Trainer Ponders Status, Says Heckmann May Be Up Today Dunce Flashes Speed in Half-* Mile Blowout; Silver Spoon, First Landing, Finnegan Drill By JOE HIRSCH CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 1. — Calumets Jimmy Jones still pondered a decision on the status of Mrs. Gene Markeys On-and-On for tomorrows climactic 85th Kentucky Derby as a bright sun smiled benignly over the historic Downs this morning in the tense hours before the running of Americas most coveted race. "Johnny Heckmann may be on him tomorrow morning if he blows out through the stretch," Jones observed at the barn, "and if we run him, Heckmann may ride. Hes a good, capable boy, and hes been riding here and knows the track. I cant say much more at this time and probably wont make a decision before tomorrow. Track conditions and a number of other factors must be considered, and it would be only fair to the stable to take a good look at the situation before making up my mind." Final preparations were the order of the day along the backstretch this morning, as trainers of Derby horses puffed nervously at cigarettes and did their best to maintain an outward calm. Claibornes improving Dunce came through with one of the sharpest breezes, going a half-mile in :47. better than two seconds faster than any other blowout on the work tab at that distance. Steve Brooks, wholl ride him back tomorrow, was aboard the strapping son of Tom Fool. C. V. Whitneys Silver Spoon also showed a good turn of speed as she stepped 3 furlongs in :36%. The first filly to try the colts in the Derby since Misweet in 1945 can turn it on when asked, and need not take back in this respect to any of her male opponents. In other works, Meadow Stables First Landing, probable favorite for the Derby, went a half a mile in :49%, galloping out the 5 furlongs in 1:03. Neil S. McCarthys Finnegan got 4 furlongs in :52, the veteran Johnny Longden up, while Kenny Church was astride K. G. Marshalls stretch-running John Bruce as this Better Self colt went 4 furlongs in :53. From a study of past performances, there doesnt appear to be much difference in the Derby field as far as an off track is concerned, with the possible exception of the Elkcam Stables entry of Atoll and Open View, both of whom may appreciate soft footing. Trainer Ray Metcalf adds to this impression by threatening to turn a hose on the course this evening if some precipitation is not forthcoming. The camps of the major contenders — if indeed there are any major contenders in this most open Derby — expressed confidence for the most part, and with good reason, for our three-year-olds have been beating each other all season and no one is without a chance. Many horsemen here without Derby participants like Sword Dancer, but also point out that First Landing and Tomy Lee have never been out of the money through their careers. At the C. T. Chenery barn, Casey Hayes, who developed First Landing, was found whittling on a pair of blinker cups to be used by his colt in the Derby. "We took his blinkers off in the trial," Hayes advised "but hell wear them again tomorrow. They should help him concentrate on his business a bit more, although theyre half-cups, with diamond cut out. Hes a big, old, lazy kind of horse, and youve kind of got to push him in whatever he does." Grazing Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner Jr.s Tomy Lee, the veteran Frank Childs seemed pleased with the way his English-bred son of Tudor Minstrel was coming up to the race. "Theyll have to beat this horse and First Landing to get the money," opined Childs flatly. Should Tomy Lee win, incidentally, it would mark the first Derby triumph by an imported colt since Omar Khayyam scored in 1917. In other Derby news: Paul Kelley, trainer of Spring Hill Farms Easy Spur, says his colt is doing well, and apparently the Crowfoot gelding has recovered from the ankle injury that threatened to take him out of the Derby field early this week. Many of the Derby trainers who were here last year, and remember the terrible train ride to Baltimore, plan to ship their colts to the Preakness by air, if they go on to the second of the Triple Crown events. Many of the hundreds of newsmen here to cover the Derby will be in Indianapolis this evening, where Floyd Patterson and Brian London go at each other for the heavyweight championship. One would suspect the battle here tomorrow will have an edge in dramatic appeal.
