History of the Kentucky Derby, 1875-1921 Part 11

Louisville, Ky.; April 29, 1901. Weather fine; track fast. One and one-quarter miles. Time 2:07-3/4, value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300. 134 nominations.

His Eminence, 117, Winkfield 1 by 2-l Sannazarro, 117, O'Connor 2 by 2-l Driscoll, 110, Boland 3 by 2-l

Amur and Alard Scheck also ran. Betting 10 to 7 Scheck; 3 His Eminence.

Good start. Won easily, place same.

His Eminence, b c, by Falsetto-Patroness. Owned by F. B. Van Meter.

DESCRIPTION OF RACE

His Eminence, a beautiful bay colt by Falsetto-Patroness by Pat Malloy, foaled in the Blue Gra.s.s and trained at Churchill Downs, won the twenty-seventh renewal of the Kentucky. Sannazarro, the brown son of imp.

Pirate of Penzance--Roseola by Duke of Montrose, was second, while Driscoll, Woodford Clay's bay colt by Dixon--Merry Maiden by Virgil was third. The time was 2:07-3/4. Alard Scheck, the odds-on favorite, the property of John W. Schoor, of Memphis and the pride of all Tennessee, finished absolutely last, five lengths behind Amur. It was a truly run race and His Eminence outcla.s.sed his field.

Twenty thousand people saw the Derby run. The grand stand was a monster hillside of beautiful costumes and shining faces.

They were at the post only a short time--four minutes. There was a little jockeying for positions, one false break; they were called back and lined up again. Then there was a flash of yellow and red, a long hoa.r.s.e roar from the thousands packed in the stand and here they come, five good colts closely bunched, with the black nose of Alard Scheck showing slightly in front.

Before the colts had gone fifty yards Winkfield had moved his charge up to first position and as they pa.s.sed the stand His Eminence was half a length in front of Scheck, while Driscoll had also moved up and was only a neck behind, with a length between him and Amur, Sannazarro bringing up the rear. They ran the first eighth in :13, and pa.s.sed the quarter in :25-1/2.

His Eminence was beautifully rated by Jockey Winkfield, the colored boy.

He carried his field to the three-eighths in :38 and pa.s.sed to the half in :51, consistent pace in a mile and one-quarter race. His Eminence, in fact was never headed after he pa.s.sed the stand and was never in trouble.

He made his own pace and Winkfield shook him up above the eighth pole and he responded gamely and came on, dashing a couple of lengths ahead without effort. At the half, he was a length to the good, at the five-eighths he was a length and one-half to the good, at the three-quarter pole he was three lengths in front of the bunch. This is where Winkfield shook him up, for O'Connor on Sannazarro; Boland on Driscoll and Dupee on Amur, were whipping and digging the rowels into the satiny sides of their mounts.

And Alard Scheck, the favorite? J. Woods, the crack Schorr jockey, had him under restraint, believing the colt would be able to win easily when he got good and ready. He was under a steady pull for the first three-quarters, and when Woods called on him he did the worse thing a horse can do next to quitting--he sulked. When Woods attempted to lay him down he positively refused to go ahead and finished five lengths behind Amur, the next to the last horse.

His Eminence continued to increase his lead, and as they round into the stretch the colored boy looked over his shoulder and saw the others hopelessly beaten. He kept His Eminence under restraint all the way through the stretch and won easily by two lengths in 2:07-3/4. O'Connor gave a fine exhibition of riding on Sannazarro and while the Hayes colt was not quite up to such a race as the Derby was, he got all out of him that was in him and finished second ahead of Driscoll, as easily as His Eminence finished ahead of him.

The fractional time of the race was :13, :25-1/2, :38, :51, 1:04, 1:16-3/4, 1:29, 1:43, 1:55-1/2, 2:07-3/4.

TWENTY-EIGHTH DERBY 1902

Louisville, Ky., May 3, 1902. Weather fine, track fast. One and one-quarter miles. Time 2:08-3/4. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300. 112 nominations.

Alan-a-Dale, 117, Winkfield 1 by a nose Inventor, 117, R. Williams 2 by 1/2-l The Rival, 117, N. Turner 3 by a nose Abe Frank, 122, Coburn 4

Betting 5 to 3 on Frank, 6 to 5 Dale and Rival coupled. Good start, won driving, place driving. Alan-a-Dale outcla.s.sed his field.

Alan-a-Dale, ch c, 3, by Halma--Sudie McNairy. Owned by Thos. C. McDowell.

DESCRIPTION OF RACE

The New Louisville Jockey Club opened their gates on Sat.u.r.day, May 3, which was Derby Day, and as everybody old and young, who can, goes to the races, the crowd was enormous. Among the large a.s.semblage were notable people from all over the United States, including many high State officials. The victory of Alan-a-Dale was the most popular Derby win ever run at Churchill Downs. T. C. McDowell the owner of the fortunate horse, which carried off the honors in game and gallant style by winning the Blue Riband, bred this horse himself at his Ashland Stud.

The Derby was a true run race and the best horse won and as the English say, that any horse that makes his own pace at a mile or over from the drop of the flag to the finish must certainly be the best horse. It was Alan-a-Dale all through the race. The crowd yelled and cheered itself hoa.r.s.e even those who bet and lost on other horses in the race, joined in the cheering. When it was over it was a sight worth going a thousand miles to see. It seemed as though everybody was looking for the popular owner, T. C. McDowell to shake him by the hand and congratulate him.

The pace was fast for the first mile and then it dropped off badly, but when one really notices how fast Alan-a-Dale went the first mile in the race, they will not wonder that the last quarter was so slow. A first glance at the time of the race one would think from a time standpoint that it was a bad race, but when compared with other races of its kind, you will see that in all races that are fast run the horses who make the fast time generally rate along instead of running the first part of it real fast. In his race, Alan-a-Dale, according to our timing ran as follows: 1/8 :12-1/2, 1/4 :25, 3/8 :37-1/2, 1/2 :49-3/4, 5/8 1:02-1/2, 3/4 1:14-3/4, 7/8 1:27-1/2, 1 mile 1:40-3/4; 1-1/8 miles 1:54-1/2 and 1-1/4 miles in 2:08-3/4.

Of course, the winner tired greatly after setting the terrific pace he did in the early part of the race, but the other horses also tired as much by trying to keep within striking distance of him. Abe Frank, although conceding the winner, Alan-a-Dale, Inventor, the second horse and The Rival, the third horse, five pounds each, was only beaten a scant length by Alan-a-Dale and a half length and a neck by Inventor and The Rival. It was a great race to watch from start to finish. At the finish of the race all four jockeys were riding like demons, and the favorite, Abe Frank, was beaten because he was not the best horse at the weights that day. Inventor and The Rival, second and third horses in this race were well ridden and ran gamely, but there is no way they could have been closer up at the finish no matter in what way they would have changed their running. All the glory and honor belongs to Alan-a-Dale and his popular owner and trainer, Mr. T. C. McDowell of Lexington, who in spite of winning this great event, has also a great misfortune to bear as Alan-a-Dale has broken down and it is doubtful if he will ever face the starter again.

TWENTY-NINTH DERBY 1903

Louisville, Ky., May 2, 1903. Weather fine, track fast. 1-1/4 miles, time 2:09. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300. Nominations not given.

Judge Himes, 117, H. Booker 1 by 3/4-ls Early, 117, Winkfield 2 by 4-ls Bourbon, 110, Crowhurst 3 by 6-ls

Bad News, Woodlake, Treacy also ran. Betting 5 to 3 on Early, 4 Bourbon and Woodlake coupled, 12 Himes. Poor start. Won driving, place easily.

Himes ran an excellent race.

Judge Himes, ch c by Esher--Lullaby. Owned by C. R. Ellison, trained by J.

P. Mayberry.

Within the shadow of the wire, Judge Himes s.n.a.t.c.hed from Early the twenty-ninth Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs to-day. It may have been the over confidence of Winkfield that lost to the favorite the blue ribbon event of the Blue Gra.s.s State. Bourbon, six lengths off, was third, while Bad News, Woodlake and Treacy finished in the order named. It was a Derby run and won not by the touted, odds-on favorite, but by the much despised outsider, but be it said to the credit of colt and jockey, he was well piloted and when Judge Himes pa.s.sed under the wire winner of the cla.s.sic event, it was to the plaudits of all Kentucky. The victory was a surprise even to Mr. Ellison who had not thought his colt good enough to win.

A Kentucky Derby always marks an epoch in Kentucky history; time and incidents are reckoned from one Derby to the next, and the event of to-day was characteristic, for there was the same surging, jostling, ma.s.s of humanity, crowding stands and paddock and overflowing to the field.

Eighteen thousand people were in attendance.

It was an exciting finish. Early, with a length and a half to the good, was ridden down the stretch as though the race had already been won, when within the last sixteenth H. Booker brought up Judge Himes and in a merciless finish Early who had lost his stride by the overconfident Winkfield, was beaten three-quarters of a length by the practically neglected colt. The day was perfect. From the South drifted an invigorating breeze, bearing the fragrance of sprouting foliage on the nearby hills, of which the green slopes of Sugar Loaf and Iroquois afforded a delightful rest to the eyes bewildered by a maze of gorgeous costumes and myriads of beautiful faces, banked tier upon tier in the grand stand and club house terrace and representing the fairest of Kentucky's womanhood.

The track was fast. The six colts were not kept long at the post, and after some ten minutes consumed in getting them in line, the flag went down and the Derby was on. When Starter Holtman gave the word the colts were almost at the fretful line and the jockeys found Woodlake of the McDowell entry hugging the inside rail with the others well bunched and Judge Himes a half length away. They raced in this position past the stand, Bad News being third, Early fourth and Bourbon fifth, while Treacy brought up the rear. When they made the lower turn it was evident that Helgesen on Woodlake wanted to make a runaway race of it, for he had increased his lead to two lengths. Bad News had moved up to second position with Judge Himes a neck away, while Early still maintained his position of fourth, Bourbon being fifth and Treacy a half dozen lengths in the ruck and out of the race.

When the colts had been straightened out on the back stretch the canary jacket of Jockey Winkfield emerged from the rear and with an unusual burst of speed.

"Early wins!" was the exultant cry of the vast majority of the crowd as the son of Troubadour with even, steady stride, moved to the front. When the three-quarters was reached he was in easy command with nearly a length to the good and this lead he increased as they rounded the last turn for the final struggle. Meanwhile Judge Himes and Bad News had been having an almost neck and neck race of it for third place, with their noses at the flank of Woodlake, which had continued to show the way down the backstretch, until he had surrendered to Early's burst of speed. As the colts made the swing for the turn into the stretch, Booker saw an opening and when they had straightened out he had Judge Himes next the rail. There was but one horse between him and victory. Maintaining a comfortable position, some two lengths behind the favorite it was not until he had pa.s.sed the eighth pole that he called on him for speed. In the interim Winkfield sat quietly on Early, contemplating the victory so near at hand, and not until Judge Himes thundered down upon him was he apparently conscious of the colt's approach. Winkfield half turned, then quickly resorted to the whip and spur. But it was too late, Judge Himes pa.s.sing under the wire winner of the event, with the question of supremacy still a mooted one. The fractional time for the race was :25-1/2, :51, 1:16-1/2, 1:42, 2:09.

THIRTIETH DERBY 1904

Louisville, Ky., May 2. Weather fine, track fast. One and one-quarter miles. Time 2:08-1/2. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300. 140 nominations.

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.