Whirlaways Time Remains Record: Mr. Longtail Sped Mile and Quarter Distance in 2:012/5 in 1941 Renewal, Daily Racing Form, 1951-05-05

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Whirlaways Time Remains Record Mr. Longtail Sped Mile And Quarter Distance in 2:01% in 1941 Renewal CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 4. — Whirlaway, who carried the famed silks of the late Warren Wrights Calumet Farm, holds the distinction of having turned in the fastest Kentucky Derby of them all. "Mr. Longtail" as he was familiarly known to thousands of racing folk, stepped the mile and one-quarter in a scientillating 2:01%, which time shattered the prevailing track record. The Derby and track marks still stand. Whirlaway beat his rivals by a wide margin in the Derby, scoring by eight lengths and fractional times for the big race were the quarter in :23%, half in :46%, three-quarters in 1:11% and the mile in 1:37%. While the running time for the last quarter mile was 24, it must be remembered that the Calumet speedster was two lengths off of the then leading Dispose at the end of a mile and that he actually raced the closing quarter in a shade better than :23%, a performance without parallel at the time and a feat that is likely to stand for many years to come. Other fast times in the Derby were achieved by Twenty Grand, 2:01% in 1931; War Admiral, 2:03% in 1937; Old Rosebud 2:03% in 1914, and Donerail 2:04% in 1913. These were all new Derby and track records.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1951050501/drf1951050501_42_2
Local Identifier: drf1951050501_42_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800