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Photo by Meadors. CITATION — 1948 Triple Crown winner and whose daughter, Silver Spoon, rates an excellent chance of becoming the second filly to win the Derby. 1 Silver Spoon Runs on Derby Blood Citation Filly Lone Starter Today Sired by Past Winner Few in ► Family Repeats Long Classic History; Foreign Stallions Well Represented By HUGH J. McGUIRE LEXINGTON. Ky., May 1.— Of the 17 Kentucky Derby eligibles who were regarded as probable starters three days before the race, only C. V. Whitneys filly Silver Spoon was sired by a stallion who had won the "Run for the Roses." Silver Spoon is by Citation, who won the classic in 1948. Listed among the probable starters was Jacnot Stables Die Hard whose American-foaled sire. Never Say Die, won the Epsom Derby in 1954. In the 85 runnings of the Derby, there have not been many instances of sires who won the Kentucky Derby begetting sons who duplicated their achievement. The most recent was Ponder who won the race in 1949 and sired the 1956 winner, Needles. Ponder himself was the son of the 1944 winner, Pensive. This Derby sire triple was duplicated only once in the long history of the race. Reigh Count was the 1928 winner. His son Count Fleet won in 1943 and the latters son Count Turf turned the trick in 1951. Bold Venture Sired Middleground The 1950 winner, Middleground, was by Bold Venture who was successful in 1936 and who also sired the 1946 winner, Assault. The 1935 winner, Omaha, who died only last week, was a son of Gallant Fox who was the winner only five years earlier. The 1926 winner, Bubbling Over, sired the 1932 victor, Burgoo King. First to score the father and son relationship in Derby winners was the 1895 winner,. Halma, who sired Alan-A-Dale, successful in 1902. Of the 18 eligibles then under consideration as probable starters, 11 were sired by American stallions including Never Say Die. Seven were sired by imported horses and one, Tomy Lee, was sired by a foreign stallion standing abroad. This is Tudor Minstrel, who is scheduled to come to this country next month to take up stud duties as a syndicated stallion at the Spendthrift Farm of Leslie Combs II. It may be of note in determining the ! . chances of a Derby winner from the farm j of a breeder, that nine of the 18 were bred | Df the current owners or their immediate family or affilations. Tomy Lee, one of the choices, was a purchase. The Derby winners Determine, Dark Start, Jet Pilot and Hoop, Jr. were all sold at the Keeneland sales as were Derby-placed Hasty Road, Invigorator, Royal Mustang, Ruhe, and Hampden. The sires of all the Derby probables stand or stood in Kentucky with two exceptions. Tudor Minstrel and Never Say Die are abroad. That there is some basis for the belief that no one knows from where a good horse will come is found in that many of this years Derby candidates are out of mares with little racing class. The dams of Sword Dancer and Troilus were unraced. For all her brilliant production record, First Landings dam, Hildene, was a non-winner. Highland Fling ,000 Purchase The dam of Atoll started only once. Highland Fling, dam of Sword Dancer, was sold at auction by Brookmeade in 1957 for ,000 at the Keeneland fall sales. She was barren. Bred to Flaneur II.. she had a colt in March and has been mated to Reneged. This lack of racing class in these mares is in sharp contract to the 1957 Derby won by Iron Liege when all five top candidates were out of quality mares. Iron Liege is out of Iron Maiden. Second place Gallant Man is out of Majideh. Round Tables dam is Knights Daughter. Bold Ruler is out of Miss Disco, and the scratched Gen. Duke is out of Wistful. It must be conceded that such a mare as Two Lea, dam of On-and-On, rates classification with such a group. On-and-On, by the way, ► Hugh J. "Mickey" McGuire, head of Daily Racing Forms Lexington bureau, is a veteran racing correspondent and for many years prior to his going to Lexington served as trackman on the staff of this newspaper. McGuire has been a resident of the Blue Grass for several years and is an authority on breeding and happen ings in the Blue Grass area which has produced such a preponderance of Kentucky Derby winners. is the only half brother to a previous Derby winner in this years renewal. His kinship is to Tim Tam. Perhaps this lack of racing class in the dams of some of this years Derby choices could be used as ammunition to support the claims of those who maintain that excessive racing adversely affects the production record of mares. Two of the examples cited were mares who did not race while another started only once. There is support too for patronage of the lower priced stallions. Seasons to at least five of the sires of Derby probables could have been secured for 00. It is fairly safe to say that if a son of any of these stallions wins this years Derby, the stud fee will be increased and seasons will be more difficult to obtain.
