Part 18

Elwood, 117, Prior 1 Ed. Tierney, 117, Dominick 2 Brancas, 117, Lyne 3 Prince Silverwings, 117, Austin 4 Proceeds, 122, Helgeson 5

Betting evens Proceeds, 2 Brancas, 4 Tierney, 8 Silverwings, 10 Elwood. Good start, won driving. Silverwings, Proceeds, Tierney and Elwood ran 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th for 1-1/8. Proceeds stumbled at start.

Elwood, b c, 3, by Free Knight--Petticoat. Owned by Mrs. C. E. Durnell, trained by C. E. Durnell.

DESCRIPTION OF RACE

In the presence of one of the largest crowds ever seen at Churchill Downs race track the thirtieth renewal of the Kentucky Derby was decided on Monday. The winner turned up in Elwood, a son of Free Knight and Petticoat by Alarm, and the outsider in the betting. Elwood was bred by Mrs. J. B. Prather, Marysville, Mo. Proceeds, the favorite, took command just after the start, but began to quit before five furlongs had been negotiated. The Talbot horse, Prince Silverwings, who had been in second place, now took the lead and led the way until well in the stretch, where lack of condition told and he gave way to Elwood who had trailed the field to this point. Ed Tierney joined Elwood at the paddock gate, and from there on the race was between the two, Elwood winning by half length. Elwood was a seasoned horse and this probably gave him the race. According to our way of thinking, Prince Silverwings would have won easily had he been fit. While a small horse he is well made and showed he possessed more speed than anything in the race. Take it all in all, one cannot help but say that they were a bad lot of Derby horses, and if such a horse as Ben Brush, Ornament, Halma or Alan-a-Dale had been there they would have looked like $200 selling platers. It was a nice race to look at, every horse looked to have a chance the entire route, well bunched they struggled hard and did their best. The time, 2:08-1/2, was good when you consider the time made in previous Derbies. Judge Himes won the Derby in 2:09, Alan-a-Dale in 2:08-3/4, His Eminence in 2:07-3/4, Lieut. Gibson in 2:06-1/4, Plaudit in 2:09, Typhoon II., in 2:12-1/2 and Ben Brush in 2:07-3/4, all carrying the same weight, 117 pounds.

THIRTY-FIRST DERBY 1905

Louisville, Ky., May 10, 1905. Weather clear. Track muddy. 1-1/4 miles. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300. Time 2:10-3/4. Nominations (----).

Agile, 122, J. Martin 1 Ram's Horn, 117, Lyne 2 Layson, 117, D. Austin 3

Betting 3 to 1 on Agile, 2 Horn, 15 Layson. Won by three lengths, ten lengths between second and third.

Agile, bay colt, 3, by Sir Dixon--Alpena. Owned by Capt. S. S. Brown.

DESCRIPTION OF RACE.

Today is Derby Day in Louisville and the thirty-first running of the Kentucky Derby was won by Capt. S. S. Brown's Agile, with Ram's Horn in second place and Layson third. The attendance was the largest in the history of the famous track and the twenty thousand people who stood and watched the race looked like a solid mass of humanity. At 1 o'clock the track was a sea of mud, but after an hour's working it had dried out considerably and was in fair condition when the bugle called the Derby candidates to the post.

The crowd waited patiently for the Derby, which was the fourth race on the card and at 15 minutes past 4 o'clock the three colts passed from the paddock out into the broad, heavy path. A cheer that is almost a roar goes up from the crowd. The parade takes but a few minutes and they passed on up to the turn, where Starter Dwyer gives the boys a few words of instructions and almost before the crowd has had time to realize it, they're off to a beautiful start, and here they come on the trip that means so much to the admirers of both star performers.

Jockey Martin has his orders regarding Agile, and obeying these instructions to the letter, he starts out to show Ram's Horn a merry time, because it is a well-known fact that the son of Bute is unable to do himself justice in the mud. They pass the stand with Agile a length in front, while Jockey Lyne, on Ram's Horn, is trying to rate his colt and keep him within striking distance of the leader. Even at this early point in the race Layson is hopelessly beaten and even to the most inexperienced, he is merely running for the money that goes to the third horse. The cherry jacket and blue cap which is on Agile's back bobs up and down like a cork in a choppy sea. The black silk on Ram's Horn's back moves through space with very little motion. A long roar like the snarl of a multitude of bulldogs comes from the stand and spreads itself over the crowd in the infield and reverberates from the whitewashed barns on the other side of the beautiful course. This is the cry of the people from the Blue Grass land, friends of Ram's Horn, the poor man's horse. The real race has only begun.

As they round the first turn, Martin lets out a wrap and Agile shoots forward like an arrow from a bow. Ram's Horn is too close for comfort, and the boy has orders to keep the lead. Then they turn into the back stretch, and here Ram's Horn runs his race. With whip and spur and with his knees digging into the satiny sides of Ram's Horn, Jockey Lyne asked the question of the son of Bute. Instantly the game colt responds, and before the half-mile pole is reached Ram's Horn has cut the lead down to one length and his nose is very close to Agile's tail.

The positions do not change for a quarter of a mile. Then the favorite gradually begins to move away from Rams Horn in spite of the vigorous efforts of Lyne. But its no use--the track is muddy and sticky and slippery, and this son of one of the best stallions any American ever brought to this country from England is unused to the going and does not like it. And so they turn into the home stretch, with Agile two lengths in front and galloping with his mouth wide open, while Ram's Horn is laboring many lengths in front of Layson.

The shouting and the tumult die and Martin, realizing that his victory is now assured, eases his mount to an ordinary gallop, while Lyne, on Ram's Horn, also refuses to drive Jim Williams' colt, because he knows the case is hopeless. They pass under the wire in a straggling procession, with little excitement or applause. The time, 2:10-1/2, shows the condition of the track.

THIRTY-SECOND DERBY 1906

Louisville, Ky., May 2, 1906. Weather fine, track good. 1-1/4 miles. Time 2:08-4/5. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300. 110 nominations.

Sir Huon, 117, Troxler 1 Lady Navarre, 117, Burns 2 James Reddick, 117, Dominick 3

Hyperion II., Debar, Velours also ran.

Betting 6 to 5 Huon, 9 to 5 Navarre and Reddick coupled 7 to 2 Debar; 8 Hyperion, 40 Velours. Good start. Won easily by two lengths, 3 between second and third.

Sir Huon, b c, 3, by Falsetto--Ignite. Owned by George J. Long of Louisville, Ky., trained by Pete Coyne.

DESCRIPTION OF RACE.

Sir Huon, carrying the colors of George J. Long, one of the most popular breeders of Kentucky, won the thirty-second Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs on May 2, before one of the most representative gatherings that ever witnessed this classic event.

Guided by Roscoe Troxler, he crossed the finishing line two lengths in front of the gallant little filly, Lady Navarre, which beat her stable companion, James Reddick, by three lengths. Five lengths behind came Hyperion II, which had set a heartbreaking pace, and a dozen lengths behind the latter was Debar, which carried the hopes and money of the Lexington contingent, and last of all, practically beaten off, came Velours, from Sunny Tennessee.

Sir Huon did not win easily, for he was a very tired horse at the finish, and it required great skill on the part of his jockey to nurse him through the final furlong; at the same time, it might be said that those behind him were more tired. Sir Huon was by long odds the best looking horse in the race; in fact, he looked the Derby horse all over, and he is the first real Derby horse that has crossed the wire in front since Alan-a-Dale struggled home on three legs.

Considering that Lady Navarre was conceding five pounds to the winner, a good deal of credit must be given to her. She ran a great race, but that was today, and in the opinion of many, she will never be able to get that close to Sir Huon again.