Early Days Of The Kentucky Derby: Eventful Happenings in History-Making Years of Americas Outstanding Horse Race., Daily Racing Form, 1937-05-08

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EARLY DAYS OF THE KEN ¬ TUCKY DERBY Eventful Happenings in History Making Years of Americas Outstanding Horse Race It is generally known that Col M Lewis Clark was the founder of the Kentucky Derby but few are acquainted with the names of the men associated with that noted sportsman in the establishment of the Louisville Jockey Club and Churchill Downs Such as X Hunt Reynolds Isaac Caldwell W H Thomas John E Green Luke P Blackburn H Victor Nevvcomb Gen H E Murray E H Case Daniel Swigert J Russ Butler J M Womack John Churchill J P Johnson T J Martin Hon Charles D Jacob and G Spratt were names that fig ¬ ured in the early days of the race raceThe The subscribers to the first Kentucky Derby included Gen Abe Buford F B Harper H P McGrath Gen W G Harding HardingA A Keene Richard J Hunt Reynolds Daniel Swigert G H Rice Chas A Lewis and others well known throughout the country but especially in Kentucky H P McGrath was the owner of Aristides the first winner winnerIn In 1876 a ladies committee was appointed of which Gen Eli H Murray was chairman In those days Colonel Clark entertained on a lavish scale at the club house the fashion ¬ able element of Louisville making the Derby a gala affair affairWhen When it was proposed to build Churchill Downs some difficulty was encountered in raising money to build the grandstand and necessary stables It looked mighty bad until Maj W H Thomas one of the lead ¬ ing merchants of Louisville came to the res ¬ cue and loaned the club sufficient money moneyChurchill Churchill Downs derives its name from the owners of the grounds on which the famous course was built John and Henry Churchill ChurchillThe The first race ever run at Churchill Downs the day of the first Derby Saturday May 17 1875 was run at a mile and a quarter and won by Bonadventure ridden by Billy Lakeland LakelandCharles Charles F Price presiding steward on Kentucky tracks for many years has played an important part in th history of Churchill Downs and the Derby He succeeded Maj MajB B G Bruce as secretary in 1892 and filled that office during the remaining existence of the old club In 1894 the New Louisville Jockey Club was organized with Charles Price as secretary and he also was associate judge with Colonel Clark presiding Upon the death of Colonel Clark in 1899 Charles Price succeeded him as presiding judge In 1904 judge Price resigned as secretary and manager and was succeeded by Colonel Winn WinnThe The Derby of 1879 was a turf duel between Tennessee and Kentucky with victory perched on the first mentioned state when G W Darden and Cos Lord Murphy beat Hunt Reynolds Falsetto FalsettoC C H Pettingill later famous as racing official on numerous tracks was the starter in the Derby of 1895 when Halma won Col Jack Chinn was the starter the following year when the marvelous Ben Brush won only after a great race with Ben Eder EderIt It may be news to many that the late H D Curly Brown who later made a repu ¬ tation as a builder of race tracks such as Oriental Park in Havana Arlington Park in Chicago and others was the starter of the Kentucky Derby of 1900 won by Lieut Gibson GibsonCol Col Robert Johnson one of the bestknown of Kentuckians was the starter of the first Derby DerbyBilly Billy Walker the noted colored jockey who rode Baden Baden to victory in the third Kentucky Derby was given a purse by the management as the bestbehaved jockey on the track Walker rode the famous Ten Broeck in all his races against time timeBoundless Boundless winner of the Worlds Fair Derby at old Washington Park in Chicago finished third in the Kentucky Derby of 1893 1893Ben Ben Brush small but mighty will never be forgotten He won the Derby of 1896 and was sire of the immortal Broomstick and the connecting link to the potent Bonnie Scotland the blood of which flowing through his modern descendants made the name of Whitney one to conjure with on the turf turfRiley Riley winner of 1890 confounded the turf world when he defeated the highlyregarded Robespierre which the bookmakers thought co ld not lose the Derby Lose it he did and in very easy fashion for Riley was a great horse horseOne One of Americas largest and mostsucces ful breeders J B Haggin of California won the Kentucky Derby in 1886 with Ben AH with Patsy Duffy in the saddle Blue Wing with Garrison up was second and Frc Knight piloted by Fitzpatrick was third thirdHalma Halma winner of the Derby of 1895 was a son of Hanover the latter a son of Hin ¬ doo Halma as a great horse and sired AlanaDale another winner of the Derby after having won it himself Halma be ¬ sides being great was a beautiful horse In appearance he was similar to Chilhowee but his head gave more assurance of determina ¬ tion than the speedy Chilhowees


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1937050802/drf1937050802_36_1
Local Identifier: drf1937050802_36_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800