John Lawrence O'Connor

“ At any rate, 1:30 o’clock found no less than 30,000 persons within Churchill Downs. It found them likewise at attention as a body of soldiers, led by a soldier band, marched in from the north gate, drawing up before a large flagstaff in the center of the infield.
When 30,000 persons are of one mind, and are gathered in silence in one place, there is eloquence in the air. The very breeze gives a thrill. When the Star Spangled Banner and a Kentucky Derby in wartime are turned loose on such a vast gathering of Americans the heart thumps mightily. ”

“ Azra is at his saddle, at his withers, at his head, gaining at every stride, slowly, but surely forging to the front. They are in the stretch and on even terms. Grandsons, both, of the great Leamington, the blood of the great race horse that flows in their veins has no taint of the coward, such as that of the colt that labors four lengths behind them. Azra is on the inside, and Britton has pinned him so close that Clayton can not use his whip. The boys knees must touch as the two colts race head and head. The crowd goes wild. Men yell the name, first of one and then the other. ”

“ It was after five o’clock when the bugle called the horses to the post for the Derby, in which a big surprise was in store for the spectators. Every inch of space in clubhouse and grandstand was taken, while a solid mass of humanity lined the lawns a quarter of a mile long, extending from clubhouse to the quarter pole, almost to the head of the homestretch. The procession of eight sleek thoroughbreds, trained to the minute, led by the outrider on a gray horse, garbed in a fiery jacket, made an imposing picture. ”

“ The good people of the Falls City were hungry to see a race and they turned out in large numbers, irrespective of color, class or circumstances. A free field made it possible for those who were unable to pay the price of admission to see the racing at little or no cost at all. There was an immense crowd in the infield, and the fence from the head of the stretch to the clubhouse turn was lined with a dense mass of humanity, each moity of which was struggling to either gain or maintain his position. ”

“ 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 hoarse even those who bet and lost on other horses in the race, joined in the cheering. ”

“ A more beautiful morning could not have been made for the opening day of the Louisville Jockey Club. Not a cloud was to be seen, and the genial rays of the sun made the day most charming. The Kentucky Derby grows in interest with each recurring year, and this was its eleventh renewal. There is more ante-post betting on it than on any race in this country, and the winner is generally awarded the highest honor as a three-year old. ”

“ A record Derby in more ways than one was this year’s Louisville’s big racing attraction. Never was there such a crowd, the dimensions of which reminded me of Epsom and of Flemington. A vast surging mass of racing enthusiasts, which, prior to the running of the big race, were to be found eagerly discussing the merits or demerits of the Derby contestants and afterwards the whys and wherefores of the success of one and the failure of others. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Rarely, indeed, have the magnificent landscapes which can be viewed on either side from the grand stand and its neighborhood, looked more lovely. Behind, looking, we see the Nashville railroad winding its way like a snake through green fields and woodlands until it is lost in the distance. In front to one side you see the curling smoke arising from the city, with a cloud of dust that indicates the road over which the vast crowd is coming, bent on pleasure. ”

“ The wise man who once declared that “four things greater than all things are: Women and horses and power and war” would have found his dictum translated into living proof to-day, for added to the beauty of the women who graced the Downs, added to the fleetness of the satin-coated horses, and the power that is Kentucky, there was the suggestion of patriotism that can only translate itself in war. ”

“ Jockey McCabe, a midget whose head and hands are busy under all conditions, rode a wonderful race. Coming through the stretch he was working in perfect unison with his mount. McCabe was restraining the high-strung gelding, and at the same time looking back into the rut of blasted hopes where Hodge, Bronzewing and other stars of the turf struggled toward the wire. ”

“ The ugly little brown boasts blood that long has been the pride of the Blue Grass. His dam is by Hamburg, which got Jersey Lightning, the dam of Regret, and Hamburg’s sire was the immortal Hanover, by Hindoo, winner of the Kentucky Derby of 1881. Hindoo was from the loins of Virgil out of Florence, by Lexington, and he by Boston, the great Boston. ”

“ This was the kind of an audience that witnessed the nineteenth renewal of the Kentucky Derby. The event itself might be regarded as somewhat of a disappointment, in the fact that the winner so far out-classed his field that he had too easy a thing of it. With Lookout eliminated, the contest between Plutus, Boundless and Buck McCann was a stubborn one, and not until very near the wire was the issue settled, as to who would get second place. There was no trouble about who would get first place; that was settled shortly after the flag fell. ”

“ There is a roar from the crowded grand stand, and the twenty-third Kentucky Derby is begun.
“What all careful watchers of the turf expected comes to pass. Typhoon sweeps to the front, with the others after him. Garner with admirable judgment swings the big chestnut toward the dry middle of the track as they round into the stretch. Goshen and Ben Brown are lapped on him, lying toward the rail, but on good going. ”

“ Along came the Canadian pair Billy and Barton, by odds the best ordered horses in the race, Kelly especially looked fit to run for the proverbial king’s ransom, his whippet like contour convincing evidence that Trainer Bedwell has lost nothing of his skill, and Barton, too, though built on somewhat more generous lines, had the look of one trained to the minute. Indeed, it is comforting to know that there are yet to be found those who can prepare a horse for a ten furlongs race. Eternal and Sailor also are shown, the favorite more bulky than ever, Sailor put up on more rangy lines. ”

“ The crowd was so great that it was really uncomfortable and almost impossible to move about or get into the betting ring. The free entrance to the field attracted an immense crowd of people and vehicles, the home stretch being twenty or more people deep for its whole length. Notwithstanding the discomforts of the day, it was great racing, and it will be a long time before we shall see such another field of high class three-year olds. ”

“ Mindful still of the war time, but mindful more of the play time—of Kentucky’s great play day of the May time—35,000 citizens of everywhere came from the high and low places of earth to-day to make Derby Day in Louisville what Derby Day always had been. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Every year the interest in the Kentucky Derby increases, and the desire to win also increases with breeders and owners, until it is looked upon as a mark of merit for the colt who is fortunate enough to bear off the Blue Ribbon of the Turf. More interest clusters in and about this race than any other of the year in America, and we have heard a number of prominent breeders and turfmen say that they would rather win the Kentucky Derby than any two events upon the American turf. ”

“ With such a jockey as Murphy, McLaughlin, Hayward or Fitzpatrick up we do not believe he could have lost the race. His future racing will tend to prove our opinion. He made all the running as will be seen for a mile and a quarter and then swerved to the outside and lost enough ground to have made him win by two open lengths. We would not detract from the merits of Spokane, the winner, as he is a great race horse, but we think Proctor Knott the greatest youngster we have seen in years. ”

“ Ben Ali won it is true, but we doubt whether he was up to concert pitch, but we confess Blue Wing is a much better colt than we gave him credit of being, and think he ought to have won the race. He ran wide on the turn; his jockey let him swerve just at the critical point of the race, and was only beaten three parts of a length. Free Knight ran a good race—indeed it is the best field we have seen since Aristide’s year. There is hardly a starter in the race but what will pay his way and be a useful 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 [Pg 90] 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. ”

“ As the field swept up the backstretch and neared the half mile pole, Governor Gray which was eating up ground, loomed up and was soon in a position to overhaul the leaders. Troxler had him full on his stride and rounding the turn, passed Colston and soon passed Round the World, and there was but one horse to catch and victory was his. But that was a hard task as Meridian was still moving along in great style turning the mile in phenomenal time for a race of that distance. The whole field was under whip and spur when straightened for home, except the Carman colt. ”

“ Long before the hour for the first race the grand stand and surrounding grounds were a solid mass of restless but good-natured humanity, all on the qui vive for the sport so near at hand. Locomotion was the next thing to impossible, and those not content to remain in one place had a formidable undertaking in trying to get around. ”

“ 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. ”

“ To beat a performer like Hodge as handily as he did to-day makes Old Rosebud one of the champion three-year olds of all time. Hodge beat the previous Derby record for a mile and a quarter as well as Old Rosebud, and the race was run over a track more than a second slow. Had the Downs course been at its fastest undoubtedly Old Rosebud would have beaten the world’s record for the Kentucky Derby distance on a circular track had he been pushed. ”

“ All the shades of beauty is fully represented, from the blonde to the brunette, from the matron, whose hair is threaded with the silver, to the young girl just blushing into womanhood, whose cheeks are as ruby red as a peach that has been kissed by the sun. ”

“ Baden-Baden is a dark chestnut colt, with a star, stands 16 hands high, with a plain head, good neck, well placed shoulders, with plenty of length, good back and loins, and sound feet and legs. There is nothing striking about him, and he greatly resembles his own brother, Helmbold, and has bred back after his sire. ”

“ Will Azra hold his own or will he cry for quarter? Has he been able to stand the pace? If so, Phil Dwyer must come to the front and finish the work. Will he quit? How quickly that question is answered. The moment Britton makes that move on the back-stretch Clayton loosens his wrap and Azra responds. Will he hold his own? He does not come with a sudden burst of speed, but foot by foot he nears the leader, his steady rating telling at last. Phil Dwyer’s time has come. He makes no response to Overton’s call, and is then and there a beaten horse. The race is between Huron and Azra. ”

“ He is handling a colt with hand-riding, and it may be stated right here that no prettier bit of that same sort of riding has been seen on the Louisville track since the best days of Isaac Murphy, with the one exception of Simms’ finish on Ben Brush.
“Garner looks neither to right nor left. He has the race if he can hold. He swings Typhoon wide into the homestretch, landing him in the best and dryest path. Ornament must catch that colt if there is hope for him to win. He must get to Typhoon’s throat-latch and ask him the question of courage. Clayton takes a chance. ”

“ The eighteenth Kentucky Derby was run in the cold. The weather did not check the crowd, and fully 10,000 people watched the race from the grand stand and free field and cheered Azra and Huron as they passed under the wire. It takes more than bad weather to dampen the enthusiasm over the Kentucky Derby, [Pg 50] and only a positive assurance of poor racing will lessen the crowd. ”

“ It is our conviction that with a stout armed jockey up Proctor Knott would have won the Derby. There is no complaint against Barnes’s riding as he did the best he could under the circumstances. Proctor Knott is a tremendous big stout colt, heavy headed and no ninety pound boy can hold him or keep his head up. Before going a quarter of a mile he overpowered Barnes, nearly pulling him over his head, and before the race was half finished Barnes was exhausted pulling to keep his head up. ”

“ The Derby of 1894 had not about it quite that glamour and fascination that has characterized several former contests for this event perhaps because there was no horse in it of particularly high-class, and of such individual prominence as to attract and absorb public attention for weeks prior to the race, which reaches the public thru the medium of the press. Horses are something like men in that some of them possess a kind of magnetism that draws around them a coterie of admirers, who become as much infatuated with him as does the most ardent admirers of a political leader. ”

“ For more than a quarter of a mile fronting the grand stand the inner rail was hugged by a heterogeneous mass of humanity, made up of men, women and children, white and blacks all bent upon getting the best position possible under the circumstances irrespective of the rights of others. Further back, a line of vehicles, every available inch occupied by a sightseer, extended nearly the entire distance of the back-stretch, so that only occasional glimpses of the horses could be caught by the occupants of the pressstand, upon whom those not present depended for an accurate description of the races. ”

“ Worth, the favorite, won the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs this afternoon, just beating a heavy rainstorm, and by so doing saving the day for the moving-picture operators. The Kentucky Derby of 1912, the thirty-eighth renewal of the classic stake event, went to the horse which nine out of every ten horsemen and turf patrons conceded to have the race at his mercy. He did not win as easily as many expected, but he won, just lasting long enough to get the money and the honor from a dark horse. ”

“ Eder cut a hair at Nashville his trainer knew he was ready and that in the Kentucky Derby Ben Eder would race the race of his life. And he did. He will never run a better one, perhaps, while Ben Brush will. ”