Part 23

Regret, the scion of illustrious thoroughbreds, achieved an easy victory, and, while she may not be the greatest horse that ever won the Derby, the daughter of Broomstick and the granddaughter of Ben Brush furnished a spectacle for more than 40,000 persons at Churchill Downs that will not soon be forgotten. Dashing to the front with the rise of the barrier, she made every post a winning post and came on to laurels that were rightfully hers.

Behind Regret trailed the greatest field that has ever worn silks in this premier turf event. Pebbles, also carrying the colors of the Eastern invasion, straining aching muscles, pursued the flying leader to the wire. In his wake were Sharpshooter, another representative of the East; Royal II, the English-bred colt; Emerson Cochran, Leo Ray, Double Eagle and the rest of the struggling field. Sixteen pure-blooded animals accepted the issue, the largest number in the history of the race.

Far Back was For Fair, a winter king; Ed Crump, the hope of the Tennesseeans; Norse King, a star of the Maryland racing, and others. Each had done nobly, he had done his best, but it was not enough to-day. Old horsemen squinted their eyes unavailingly; they could not recall a Derby wherein so many good horses had been found wanting. For when was there such a field as that in the forty-first running of this turf fixture? Regret and her victory will long be talked of where the turf is discussed.

"A filly cannot win the Derby" has been a familiar slogan in Kentucky. But no filly of Regret's type has ever before aspired to this turf honor. Of richest lineage, trained by the master hand of James Rowe, and ridden by the clever Notter, Regret's claim demanded consideration. Those who scoffed at her chances did not consider.

After a short delay at the starting pole, all breasted the line together and up went the barrier. Down the stretch came the charging thoroughbreds; past the grandstand they sped with Regret leading by a half length, Pebbles second and Sharpshooter third, overlapped by Ed Crump. The others were in close attendance.

On swept Regret, Jockey Notter sat well forward and the filly moved with the utmost precision, maintaining a moderate rating stride that bespoke much reserve. Pebbles still hung at the saddle girth, his long sweeping strides a source of discomfort to the backers of the favorite. Plain it was that Pebbles was the chief contender, and in the interest of the thousands it was a two-horse race.

Around the first turn and up the back stretch went the flying leaders. At the five-eighths pole Pebbles challenged, and momentarily seemed to make up a few inches on the pacemaker, but Notter loosened his reins a notch and Regret responded easily. Sharpshooter was still leading the pursuit. Ed Crump, a close attendant, then made his move. Near the end of the back stretch the Schorr colt crept up. He was ridden by Jockey Goose, a Louisville boy, and his friends sounded above the din, "Come on Roscoe." But Ed Crump was not equal to the occasion. He tried, but failed and dropped back further and further as the journey progressed.

As they took the turn by the old clubhouse Pebbles made a determined bid for the honor and glory that go to the winner of the Kentucky Derby. Again Regret met his challenge easily. She moved away from her dogged rival and came into the stretch with a lead of a length and a half. Sharpshooter plodded stubbornly after the Butler crack, his steel-like cords playing beneath the skin. Three-sixteenths of a mile from the wire Notter shook up the filly slightly and she came on down the rail two lengths in front of Pebbles. Sharpshooter, driving madly under the urging of Jockey Butwell, held Royal II. safe.

Regret pulled up remarkably fresh after her long journey. When she came back into the charm circle before the judges' stand she was still full of run. When the wreath was placed around her neck and Jockey Notter boosted up on her bare, sweaty back the cheering which had accompanied her victory was a mere whisper in comparison to the ovation she received when the idea that the unattainable had been attained and that a filly had conquered the princes of the turf and won a Kentucky Derby, penetrated the head of the vast throng.

Regret was bred at Mr. Whitney's Brookdale Farm, in New Jersey.

Under a smiling sun, forgetful of world's tragedy, society assembled a brilliant gathering around the clubhouse grounds to witness the running of the Derby to-day.

Mr. Whitney was one of the first men out on the track after the race was over, and as Regret was jogging back to the stand he remarked: "Isn't she the prettiest little filly you ever saw? You know," he continued, "this is the greatest race in America at the present time, and I don't care if she never starts again. The glory of winning this event is big enough, and Regret can retire to the New Jersey farm any time now. I told Rowe I didn't care if she never won another race if she could only land this one. I have seen much bigger crowds than this one in the East and abroad, but I never saw a more enthusiastic one. It's great" and the expression on his face as he stood patting the mare's neck was the best evidence in the world that he is a worthy representative of his illustrious father, than whom racing never had a better friend.

This was the largest field which ever went to the post in the Kentucky Derby. In 1875, when the first Kentucky Derby was run, and Aristides, the little chestnut horse was returned the victor, fifteen competed for the prize and honors. In 1882, when Apollo was victorious, fourteen went to the post, but never in its long history did sixteen horses fight it out.

SUMMARY

May 8, 1915. Track fast. Derby, $10,000 added, value to winner $11,450; $2,000 to second; $1,000 to third. Time 23-3/5, 48-3/5, 1.13-3/5, 1.39-2/5, 2.05-2/5.

Regret, 112, J. Notter 1 Pebbles, 117, C. Borel 2 Sharpshooter, 114, J. Butwell 3

Royal II, 117, A. Neylon; Emerson Cochran, 117, W. Taylor; Leo Rey, 117, T. McTaggart; Double Eagle, 117, C. Burlingame; Dortch, 110, A. Mott; For Fair, 117, Warrington; Ed Crump, 117, R. Goose; Little String, 117, E. Pool; Goldcrest Boy, 114, J. Kederis; Uncle Bryn, 117, J. McTaggart; Tetan, 117, J. Smyth; Norse King, 117, W. J. O'Brien; Booker Bill, 117, W. Andress.

Winner Ch F, by Broomstick--Jersey Lightning. Trained by J. Rowe. Owner, H. P. Whitney.

FORTY-SECOND DERBY 1916

As old Rome raised her gates for the returning conqueror and turned over to him the city's keys so did Louisville surrender to-day to the spirit of the Derby.

Again must the mind go back to palmy days of the city by the Tiber to imagine anything like the scene when that crowd of 50,000 cheering persons saw Gov. Stanley present the victor's wreath to Loftus, the boy who rode George Smith, winner of the classic.

It was a surrender complete, unequivocal and universal with all classes, at all places and in every regard.

But perhaps it was not a surrender at all, for that spirit of the great Kentucky classic gave to the city a gala day that even the carnival of Venice or Mardi Gras at New Orleans cannot surpass; it crowded the city with 25,000 strangers from far and near and, from the calculations of hotel men and others who come in immediate contact with the racing crowds, brought and left no less than one-half million out-of-town dollars to the Gateway of the South.

There was but one limit to the festivities of the day--the azure sky. If Louisville was joyful to see so many strangers within her walls and delighted in a day of sport that might befit dwellers of the Elysian Fields, she had yet another cause for gladness. Despite the efforts of "the East" to capture the Kentucky Derby for two seasons, the first and third horses in the classic were "bred in old Kentucky."

The Derby was the fifth race on the card, and it was 5:15 o'clock when the horses reached the post. There was but little delay at the barrier, and within a minute they were on their way. Dodge, which ran coupled with Franklin as the Weber & Ward entry, was the first to show colors, and his stablemate dashed away right behind him. Dominant, which was coupled with Thunderer as the Harry Payne Whitney entry, followed the Weber & Ward pair, and he immediately dashed into a long lead.

Passing the stand for the first time Dominant had a long lead and appeared to be running easily, but after reaching the back side of the track it was evident that he was not good enough to last it out. Franklin was running close to him and appeared to be ready to run over him. George Smith was in third position, and Jockey Johnny Loftus was carefully nursing him along reserving his speed for the gruelling drive through the stretch, which he knew must come. Nearing the three furlong pole Dominant gave it up and then Loftus called on George Smith.

The Sanford colt bounded to the front at a rapid rate and soon had a lead of a length over his field, with Franklin closest to him. Then it was that Star Hawk loomed up as a dangerous contender as he finally found his stride and had clear sailing. In the stretch, though, Loftus kept hard at work on George Smith, while Jockey Walter Lilley, who rode Star Hawk, was making vigorous efforts to get him up.

Between the sixteenth pole and the finish it looked as though Star Hawk could make it, but Loftus' experience served him well and he never drove a horse harder than he drove George Smith.