Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-28
WHOLE NO. 1882.
THE LOUISVILLE DERBY.
Ben Ali's Victory-A GrandIy-Conteste

Zen Ais Victory-A GrandIy- Contested
Race.
The following extract from the interest
ing letter of Broad Church" in the New
York Spirit of tie Times, gives the best
account we have seen of the Louisville
Derby, in which the Sacramento horse Ben
Ali carried off the honors:
In the matter of looks. in the preliminary
canter, Ben Ali took the palm, and that
TACT alone soon contributed to making him
booming favorite, although his party
would have made him the favorite ANYHOW.
IN me absence OF bookmaking Preferred to
elsewhere), the auction pooling was very
heavy, the odds against the Haggin colt
being My about eight 10 five. Free knight
was good second choice Blue Wing
third, and as illustrating the nice Judgment
OF the heavy spectators these three formed
the trio OF placed horses. Everything being
IN readiness at last, the final bell rang. and
the ten spirited thoroughbreds cantered I'D
the stretch to take positions for the best
Derby contest ever run.
The horses were started out Of the chute.
the send-oii, SO far as could be discerned,
beng very good one. 1t was soon seen.
with the aid of glasses, that Masterpiece
was Leading the pack, which were pretty
closely clustered behind him The relative
positions could not be well discerned until
the animals rushed passed the string at the
end OF the first half mile. Then Master
piece had the'best of it by two good lengths,
with Harrisburg next, followed by Sir
Joseph, Jim Gray Ben Ali Free KNIGHT
Lijero and Blue Wing. but all so close TO.
gether that daylight was out of the ques-
ton. There was some little shifting of
places in the HeXt quarter, but not very
much, Masterpiece still holding his own.
harrisburg second, while Jir Gray was
third. at this time Free Knight was
fourth, and running well in hand Ben Ali
not over length behind him, with Blue
Wing clusp NJ. Indeed. the lot were still
well punched as the real contest had NOT
yet commenced with the formidable few.
Before another quarter WIS covered which
completed the mile, the fun commenced in
earnest, and now changes, and pretty rapid
changes, were at once in order. Mastprfiece
held the van for very nearly a mile, where
Harrisburg Just for Il moment, showed in
front, the brown representative falling back
beaten. Harrisburg very quickly followed
suit. Then Fitzpatrick commenced his
run with Free knight, followed by Ben
Ali and Blue Wing, the last-named being
no better than sixth at this time GrimgIdi
and Jim Gray, after making spuit toward
the front during the last turn, soon fell
back vanqnished, and quarter OF mile
! Irom nome the race vas already reduced TO
triangular fight, the contestants being
Free knight, Ben Ali and Blue Wing ali
the others being now virtually out of The
hunt. The green and red of Pat Corrigan
iioated TO the front at the head of the
stretch. and shout went up, Free
Knight wins" The tune soon changed
however, for Blue Wing was seen 10 lead
the halfbrother of Freeland, and now a
babel of voices yelled ont the name OF the
Melbourne colt In jiify another change
was rung, and this time the name of the
Haggin representative, Ben Ali. was
shouted from thousand Threats. Shortly
after entering the straight Blue Wing,
probably firing from the furious pace,
swerved or bolted to the outside, thereby
losing the slight advantage he held, for
now Duffy called on the Virgil colt, and
the latter soon responded by assuming the
lead, which he held to the string, winning
by length. Blue Wing came quite as
strong at the finish, close to the rail on the
outside, which left the impression with
some that had he not swerved he might
have proved the victor OF this there is
considerable doubt, as Ben Ali ran strong
and game to the end, winning a wonderful
and grandly -contested race Free Knight
was about three lengths behind Blue Wing,
then come Ljero, followed by Jim GRAY.
with Masterpiece last of all.
For the first time in the history of the
Derby, the weight carried was us pounds,
or eight pounds more than the impost of
former years. With this fact taken into
account, the performance, from the time
MISUNDERSTANDING really wonderful
| one. The fastest time heretofore had been
2:37, made by Lord Murphy in 1879 Last
year Joe Cotton covered the distance in
Psi, and the performance was considered
a UOOH Tho frap
as good and fast on Cotton's day as it was
on Friday, so that Ben Ais achievement.
considering the t.iifertnce in weight was
nothing short OF remarkable. The first
quarter was covered in 243 seconds. the
half in 30 seconds the three-quarters in
1:l6; the mile in 1:43, and the mile and
a quarter in 2:l0.
Ben Ali is the third of the get of Virgil
who has captured the Kentucky Derby.
The others were Hindoo and Vagrant The
present winner stands & little over 1873,
and is about as well-prOportioned and
racing-looking an animal as | ever laid
eyes on. He is a regular Virgil down.
with a small white star in his forehead and
white left pastern. These are the only
markings. Mr.. Haggin purchased him as
yearling at the Elmendorf sale. He
started five times as two-year-old, win
ming once-the July stakes, at Long
Branch-but that achievement was very
creditabie one He has two victories to his
credit ar San Francisco this spring. besides
walk-over, so that his total winnings this
year foot up nearly SIC, 600. with the season
yet quite young. He is engaged in about
$4,000 worth of stakes, and his next ap-
pearance will be in the Clark, one mile and
quarter.
Garrison's riding of Blue Wing in the
Derby has been the subject of more or less
critical talk, mainly on account of the
swerve on the stretch, and that the finish
was not exactly what it should have been.
There are few jockeys having the call
over Patsey Duffy, who piloted Ben Ali TO
victory
Mr.. Haggin asked the owner of Blue
Wing, after the Derby, to put price on
his colt, saying he (Hasgin) wished to pur-
chase bin. Barnes declined, saving he
would first wait to see Blue Wing take
another whacl1 at Ben Ali. in the Clark
stakes. After that negotiations might be
in order