St. Paul daily globe., 1889-06-24
AMONG The HORSES.
Hyder Airs Once Despised
Son and His Performance
at Chicago.
rpokane Is Now the Greatest
Horse on the American
Turf.
Sorrento Showed Himself q
Most Worthy Son Of Joe
Hooker.
Death of Gen. Withers--The
Iowa Cireuit--Whips and
Tips.

Spokane, the once-deSpiSed son OF
Hyder Ali. is now first in favor with
the hundreds of thousands of turtles
who pay particular attention to running
events. In defeating Proctor Knott,
the great Futurity winner, and a field
of FIVE other equine ariStocrats whose
performances this season include the
winning of Derby stakes, and other
purses equally valuable, the Montana
colt demonstrated at Chicago Saturday,
in the presence of 1000 admirers, that
he is running horse par excellence. in
whom is combined the prerequisites of
success on the turf-good breeding,
careful training and the ability to
stay in race until it is won.
No turf event of late years has attracted
such general notice as the American
Derby. Of the l47 horses, originally
nominated, all but seven were declared
out. Those that ran in the race were
equine stars of the first magnitude, and
although a large section of the race
going public had implicit faith in Spo-
kane's ability to win the great race,
there were many who firmly believed
that the colors of the Montana stable
would be lowered, either by one of the
California cracks, or the favorite OF the
blue grass region. But Spokane raced
away from the field in the stretch, and
passing under the wire full length
ahead. at once became the equine
wonder winner of triple event.
A careful analysis of the qualities of the
seven competitors for the American
Derby stake plainly shows that Spo-
kane's performance on Saturday was a
remarkable one. In spite of defeats
Proctor Knott carried the money of
every stable boy and shrewd trainer in
the country. Sam Bryant gave it out
that although the colt was stale when
he ran in the Kentucky Derby and
Clark stakes at LatOnia, he had been
gotten into firSt-claSS condition and
would win the American Derby. Sam
Bryant's word goes long way with
many horsemen, and hundreds of them
banked on it and were dumped. The
only doubt in the mind OF the
public was, would Proctor Knott be
able to stay after the mile and aquarter.
This question was answered in the neg
ative when after leading the whole field
right into the stretch Proctor Knott
failed to respond to Fitzpatrick's call,
and died away when the race was his if
he could have maintained his terrific
pace. This shows that men who bet
their men Oh running races had better
come to the conclusion at once that the
Futurity winner is set for mile and no
more, and when entered in race for
a greater distance is almost certain to be
a sure loser Don Jose, winner of the
Kansas City Derby, and Sorrento, who
ran second to the Gar in the Pacific
Derby were looked upon as dangerous.
They are half brothers, the Don being
by Joe Hooker out of Countess Zeika,
and Sorrento the progeny of Joe Hooker
Rosa B. They are race horses all
seSSeS both speed and stamina. Re-
trieve. the brown mare by Duke of
Montrose out of Patti. was 20 to shot,
but she ran third, while the Don did
not get a chalk mark. Previous to her
race for the Derby her best per-
formance was in the Kentucky Oaks,
when in a field of fast company
such as Havillah, Nyleptha and Bettina
she ran the mile anda quarter in 2:1SA.
Long Dance and Once Again were never
really in the race. AS famous mud
horses they showed up badly on track
that was at least heavy and in their
favor. Spokane, Sorrento and Retrieve
were the only ones of the field of seven
that were able to carry the Derby
weight and negotiate the last furlong in
the mile and half at the same rate of
speed that they cut out at the start. 1t
may be said in conclusion that
while the result shows that Spokane
is remarkable horse and perhaps the
greatest on the turf to-day, Sorrento,
with a jockey able to handle him as he
deserves, can be looked upon, when in
his present condition, as an equally
speedy animal. He lost the Derby by
length. and perhaps would have won it,
had he been ridden by man like Tom
Kiley, or Murphy, the Smoked Irish
man." Spokane is booked for and will
certainly run in the Twin City Derby at
Hamline next July. The pity is that
Sorrento is not entered, too. The race
would then be equal to the Chicago
Derby. However, 1t will be grand
race, and will attract as many, if not
more, enthusiastic turtles than the
events at Chicago.