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Thomson Hires Extra Assistants for Derby Churchill Starter to Have Crew of Ten for Big Field CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 1. — James Thomson, wholl be starting his third Derby Saturday here at the historic Downs, is hiring extra assistants to insure that any and all Derby horses will have assistance in the gate if they desire it. "My regular crew numbers six men," explains. Thomson, "but when a Derby field appears a bit large in prospect, I always have extra men on hand, and on Saturday, I will have at least four extra to bring my crew to ten. As a rule, Id say we didnt need these men but we hire them just for insurance. Derby starters are, as a group, perhaps the best mannered in the nation. It is presumed that a horse has to be good to as much as start in the Derby, and with only few exceptions, good horses also are good gate horses." Thomson revealed that he had broken sharply in one minor, but nevertheless important item, from the custom of his pred ecessor, the late Ruby White. He says, "Ruby usually eased the tension on the mechanism which hold the doors to the gate in place and releases these doors upon the press of the button for the start. Ruby was overly conscientious, perhaps, but with the lessened tension, any horse that just more than nudged the gate broke through. But I keep the gate tension standard for the Derby just as for the rest of the races on the program, and, for that matter, the same as it has been and will continue to be all season. I have confidence in my gate Puett and have never been even remotely worried about a stall door not opening or a horse not breaking." The net result of this undoubtedly is a prompter Derby start and less delay at the gate, for while a horse who wants to break through always does, a nudge will not be sufficient to effect such a breakthrough. Thomson, a native of Arlington Heights, Illinois, began his turf career as a groom on the farm of John D. Hertz at nearby Cary. He accompanied the stable to Arlington Park one season, and left his grooms chores when offered a post as an assistant starter under "Boots" Dickerson. He worked up the ladder and now is a recognized starter in his own right. Among his posts, j other than Churchill, is Hawthorne in Chi- I cago.
