Part 19

It was a great day for Louisville, and everyone with a trace of sporting blood in his veins was out to see the Derby, and when a home-bred horse won, the crowd demonstrated that the victory of Mr. Long was a most popular one. They cheered him from the time he left the paddock until he crossed the wire, only to renew it when the usual formalities were gone through with at the judges' stand.

There was no delay at the post, and as the barrier was lowered, the horses came walking up and Starter Dwyer gave the word. "They're off!" yelled the crowd with one accord, and down the stretch came the sextette in pretty close order. Nearing the eighth pole, Hyperion II drew clear and by the time the judges' stand was reached he was three lengths in front, with Velours and Sir Huon next in order. Then came Lady Navarre and James Reddick, and Debar brought up the rear. As the club-house turn was rounded, Sir Huon dropped in behind Hyperion II, and there he laid all the way up the back stretch. Velours was done when the field straightened out in the backstretch, and James Reddick, which showed unexpected speed, moved up behind Sir Huon. Out in front Hyperion II was still sifting sand, Troxler sitting still and holding Sir Huon well in hand. Lady Navarre, who had suffered a little interference on the lower turn, was being whipped to keep up and Velours was now the trailer.

As they approached the far turn, Hyperion still had a clear lead, but now Troxler had gone to work on the son of Falsetto and it took considerable of an effort on his part to run the flying Hyperion down. He caught him and passed him on the stretch turn and then the Ellison pair closed, as the rest were beaten. Straightened for home, Troxler plied his whip and then sat down to ride. Dominick was busy on James Reddick and Burns was putting forth his best efforts on Lady Navarre, but it was to no avail, for the big colt had enough left to stall off the efforts of the tired pair behind him.

Sir Huon broke a tradition in the race, and that was that a colt which had not previously started the same year that the Derby was run always got beat, no matter how good his work might have been.

THIRTY-THIRD DERBY 1907

Louisville, Ky., May 6, 1907.--Weather bad. Track heavy. 1-1/4 miles. Time 2:12-3/5. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300. 128 nominations.

Pink Star, 117, Minder 1 Zal, 117, Boland 2 Ovelando, 117, Nicol 3

Redgauntlet, Austin; Wool Sandals; Koerner; and Orlandwick, J. Lee also ran.

Betting 6 to 5 Redgauntlet; 3 each Ovelando and Sandals; 8 Zal, 10 Orlandwick. Good start. Won easily by 2 lengths; 1 between 2nd and 3rd.

Pink Star, b c, 3, by Pink Coat--Mary Malloy. Owned by J. Hal Woodford, trained by W. H. Fizer.

In the presence of an enormous crowd, J. Hal Woodford's Pink Star won the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Monday, the opening day of the New Louisville Jockey Club's spring meeting. Behind Pink Star were Zal, Ovelando, Redgauntlet, Wool Sandals and Orlandwick.

Redgauntlet was made favorite. Pink Star's victory was not a popular one. The public had no confidence in the flashy grandson of the great Leonatus, which won the same event in 1883, and neither did his owner Hal Woodford of Paris, Ky. But his trainer, W. H. Fizer, fairly bubbled with enthusiasm over the chances of his colt. "So these are the Derby horses?" said he. "Well, if they are Derby colts, Pink Star will walk in." So he did.

The race itself was robbed of a great deal of interest by the withdrawal of Arcite, which did not start on account of the going. His owner, George J. Long, waited until the last moment before scratching him, chiefly on account of the sentiment that has marked his career on the turf. Mr. Long is a Louisville man, he takes great pride in her institutions, one of which is the "Darby", and he felt as if he were duty bound to run the colt, but after consulting with his trainer, decided that the going was impossible.

After the parade passed the grandstand and clubhouse, the horses cantered to the post, and it was but a moment before Starter Holtman sprung the barrier and the thirty-third Derby was on. As they swept past the stand the first time, Zal was leading, with Ovelando second and Wool Sandals third. Around the clubhouse turn, it was quite noticeable that Pink Star, with his pink-coated jockey was bringing up the rear. Round the lower turn they went and now Zal had a clear lead and was running freely. Ovelando was under restraint and was a good second, next to the rail. Redgauntlet had dropped to the rear and Austin was busy with the whip but there was no response. Up the back stretch they went, Zal with gigantic strides, still in front and Ovelando was going easily close up. Redgauntlet moved up a bit and Pink Star was last. As the three-eighths pole was reached, Nicol went up to Zal, and it looked as if he could pass the Gerst colt any time he wanted to. Pink Star was moving up on the extreme outside. Nicol rounded the stretch turn on even terms with Zal and the cry went up, "Ovelando walks in." But the jubilation was too early, for Zal drew away a bit as the field straightened for home and Nicol drew his whip. Pink Star was still coming. At the eighth pole the positions were still the same, but here Ovelando began to hang out signals of distress and he was done. Pink Star by this time had gotten on almost even terms with Zal and, as the sixteenth pole was passed, he was slowly drawing away from the fleet-footed chestnut. A few strides and it was all over, for Boland began to ride Zal, but he was done to a turn and at the end Pink Star was under wraps. Ridden out, Zal finished a little over a length in front of Ovelando, and quite a piece back came the favorite.

THIRTY-FOURTH DERBY 1908

Louisville, Ky., May 5, 1908.--Weather cloudy, track heavy. 1-1/4 miles. Time 2:15-1/5. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300.

Stone Street, 117, Pickens 1 Sir Cleges, 117, Koerner 2 Dunvegan, 114, Warren 3

Synchronized, F. Burton; Banridge, V. Powers; Milford, Minder; Bill Herron, J. Lee, and Frank Bird, J. Williams also ran.

Good start. Won easily by three lengths, heads each next four. Mutuels $123.60 for $5.

Owned by C. E. Hamilton, trained by J. Hall.

Stone Street, b c, 3, by Longstreet--Stone Nellie.

DESCRIPTION OF RACE

Stone Street, a despised outsider, carrying the blue jacket and white sash of C. E. Hamilton, the popular Latonia turfman, and ridden by Jockey Pickens, walked away with the thirty-fourth Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Tuesday, with the pride of Louisville, Sir Cleges, the public's choice, in the place. The $5 mutuels paid $123.60. Three lengths in front of the favorite, Stone Street crossed the wire a pretty tired horse, but the others were more so. Sir Cleges got the place by a neck and Dunvegan got third place by an eyelash from Synchronized, which was added at the last moment. It was a clear-cut victory and an instance where condition won over class. It was also an instance where a colt that was at home in the going beat a better horse, which besides being a bit short, the condition of the track precluding the chance to give him a final good work, did not fancy the stick track, and labored all the way. Stone Street by heritage comes of stout stock, his sire being Longstreet, son of Longfellow, a family noted for endurance rather than speed.

After the bugle called the horses to the post there was not much time wasted on instructing jockeys. Paddock Judge John Walsh called out: "Lead out, Powers," and the eight Derby horses were on their way to parade past the judges' stand and clubhouse and then to the post. There was no time lost at the barrier, where Judge Will Shelley presided in the absence of Jake Holtman.

The crowd rose as the horses swept past the stand, and when the field reached the line the first time Banridge forged to the front, after crowding Sir Cleges out. Stone Street was second. Dunvegan third and the favorite fourth, with Frank Bird last of all. Around the lower turn they went in the same order. When straightened out on the back stretch, Banridge opened a streak of daylight on Stone Street, while Sir Cleges passed Dunvegan. The rest of the field was not out of the running and it was also noticeable that while Sir Cleges gained ground that it was with an effort, as the colt was laboring and climbing. At the far turn, Banridge's lead was cut down and Stone Street and Sir Cleges, the latter under urging moved up on the leader. Round the stretch turn came Banridge and at his heels were his relentless pursuers. Stone Street nailed him when straight for the wire and the shout went up, "Sir Cleges is beaten."

Koerner was hard at work on him and he held his place with bulldog courage, but the lack of condition was telling on him and Stone Street which raced at New Orleans and was fit, drew away with ease and came under the wire with his jockey sitting still. There was a bitter struggle for the place and Sir Cleges secured this through the powerful finish of Koerner, who never let up until the last two strides, when he had second position safe. Synchronized and Dunvegan finished almost on a line a neck behind the favorite and the latter got third place. Banridge was fifth many lengths in front of Milford, which beat Bill Herron home for the distinction of having finished sixth by a head and away back came Frank Bird.

THIRTY-FIFTH DERBY 1909

Louisville, Ky., May 3, 1909.--Weather clear, track slow. 1-1/4 miles. Time 2:08-1/5. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300.