Reservations Pour In: Interest in Kentucky Derby This Year Hits New High Mark, Daily Racing Form, 1935-04-05

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RESERVATIONS POUrIn Interest in Kentucky Derby This Year Hits New High Mark. No Advance in Prices for Churchill Downs Fixture on May 4 First Sellout This Early. LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 4 Although the demand for reservations is greater than ever before, the added value of the race increased and conditions generally believed to be considerably better than at the same time a year ago, admission prices to Churchill Downs here on Derby Day, Saturday, May 4, will be the same as last year, a small state tax excepted. Back at his desk at the Downs after a short visit to Chicago, where he again was selected to guide the American Turf Association, Col. M. J. Winn, managing director of the local track, today announced that, except for the small state sales tax,, admission charges this year will be exactly the same as last. "Interest in the Derby this year," said Colonel Winn, "is immensely greater than last year, when we had our largest Derby attendance and, no doubt, some of our accommodations, at least, would bring larger prices, but there is to be no increase whatsoever. Such a popular race as the Derby at popular prices is all the more popular. Thats our measuring stick." General admission to Churchill Downs on Derby Day will be .30 per person, with a .65 fee prevailing for admittance to the clubhouse. Federal and state taxes are included in the prices quoted. Grandstand boxes containing seats sold like the proverbial "hot cakes" at 2.80, tax included, and there was just as much of a demand for clubhouse boxes accommodating a like number of persons at 7.10. These amounts also include all taxes. A limited number of clubhouse reserved seats, all box inclosed and priced at 0.30, tax included, each, are the only unsold reserved accommodations. Almost twice the number of available boxes could have been disposed of up to this time, according to track officials. It is the first sell-out of boxes so far in advance of the race in the history of the event. Meantime the arrival at Churchill Downs of candidates for the 0,000 added race and preparations for the first annual Kentucky Derby Festival Week increases interest and enthusiasm to a higher and wider degree from day to day. Joseph E. Wideners home-bred Chance Sun, winter book favorite for the race; William R. Coes Bluebeard; Jouett Shouses Weston; J. J. Flanigans Chanceview, and Continued on twenty-second page. RESERVATIONS POUR IN .Continued from first page. other less favored hopefuls are training for the race at either the Downs or Douglas Park, which is within a few miles of the scene of the race. E. R. Bradleys Boxthorn, Warren Wrights Nellie Flag, C. V. Whitneys Today, and E. D. Shaffers St. Bernard are leading candidates "prepping" at the farms of their respective owners near Lexington, with still other intended starters of high ranking training in Maryland, New York, Texas and other parts of the country. Success of the first Derby Festival Week was predicted here yesterday by Col. Arnold Stroke-Jackson, a Kentucky vice president of the festival association. "With the pledged co-operation of our business leaders and the interest and enthusiasm already displayed by the thousands of our citizens, we know that the celebration is going to be a momentous development for Louisville and Kentucky," said Colonel Stroke-Jackson. "This festival Is going to stimulate business, quicken pride and prove to the country at large that Kentucky is more than a name and a tradition that it is a wonderful vacation spot, especially in May time." The. colorful pageant to be witnessed on Carnival Night, Monday, April 29, Colonel Stroke-Jackson said, will be a revelation to the citizenry and visitors. Louisville Day will be celebrated Tuesday, and after five days of carnival and revelry, the festival will conclude with the grand climax of activities on Saturday, May 4, which is Derby Day. Governor Ruby Laffoon will be the guest of honor ,at various of the Festival Week functions. Colonel Winn, Charles F. Price, who is in charge of racing at all tracks under the American Turf Association, and racing secretary William H. Shelley were to confer late today on the schedule of purses for overnight races to be run during the coming Downs meeting. Announcement of purse values will be made tomorrow, it was indicated, and secretary Shelleys copy for the first condition book seven days, will be in the printers hands in time for horsemen to have the books by Monday or Tuesday of next week. Despite the weather of the past ten days, with the last drenching downpour only night before last, trainers who waited until afternoon to work their horses today found remarkably dry and safe footing at both the Downs and Douglas Park. Horsemen familiar with the two local tracks long have contended that they were among the best and, almost without question, the most rapid drying in the country.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1935040501/drf1935040501_1_8
Local Identifier: drf1935040501_1_8
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800