The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-11

The first winner of the derby was Arts
tides, in 1875. There were forty-two sub
scribers and fifteen starters, the largest
number of starters that ever got away in
the Derby's history. The time was very
fast-2:373I and it has not been lowered to
any remarkable extent since. The smallest
number of starters in the Derby's history
was five out of forty-seven nominations in
$780, when Fonso was winner. When
Montrose knocked down the persimmons
in 1887 there were only seven starters, but
the nominations numbered 119, the largest
list ever entered. One of the peculiar things
about the Kentucky Derby is the fact that
the gentler sex has never furnished win
ner. but as Maud S still holds the worlds
trotting record the mares are not feeling
very bad about their turf status.
The time of the Kentucky Derby winners
has gravitated anywhere between the poor
est, the 2:43 of Leon -tus in 1888, and the
best, the 2:3415 of SpC lane in 1889. One of
the first Derby recor 'eakers was Day
Star, 2:371 4 in 1873. Th 1t year Lord Muir
ply reduced the recorC 20 2:31, which he held
for seven years. Then came Ben Ali Hag-
gins famous Ben Ali with 1865 in 1856.
For three years Ben Ali reigned supreme,
until peerless Spokane astoniShed the tai
ent by covering the one and q half mile
course in 2:3415 Last seasons winner was
Riley, whose time was 2:45.
The season has opened auspiciously in
Kentucky and Tennessee. One of the early
surprises of the Kentucky associations
spring meeting at Lexington was the de-
feat of Riley by Byron McClelland's Ber-
muda in the Distillers' stakes. The Derby
winner was also too slow for Heller Skel-
I : I'll
head. Riley carried 12l pounds and Ber-
muda loo. The latter's time was 1924
Since the beginning of the season in Ken
lucky and Tennessee racing men have
been keeping an eye on the promising
3-year-olds entered for the Kentucky
Derby, May ID One of these, Scroggan
Bros Valera, easily won the Tennessee
Derby. He is consequently a promising
entry for the Kentucky event. The brown
colt, Tom Rogers, is another crack flyer
that is looked upon as very probable
winner He recently worked a mile and
quarter in 2:l4H, and will be a favorite.
Tom Mackin, chestnut colt out of Blazer,
and Hart Wallace, Longfellow colt, are
both showing great speed, but if Palestine
runs he will make the whole field put on
q full head of steam. Among the other
promising candidates are the following:
kingman, Brookwood, The Pookey,
Georgetown, Gascon, Balgowan, Harry
Ray, Allan Bane, High Tariff Lorenzo,
Dickerson, Brutus and Tenor.
Another great racing event which the
racing world is looking forward to is the
Brooklyn Handicap. Salvador, the king of
the runners, is in California and will not
start. Poor Tenny has only three good
legs and cannot possibly appear, and with
these great cracks out of the way the tai
ent is puzzled in the quest for a probable
winner The favorites are Burlington and
Tea Tray, the former leading slightly.
Michael Dryers Banquet and the Futurity
winner Potomac are hot favorites, while
Demuth, Eon, Prince Royal, Longstreet,
Al Farrow, Cassius, Once Again, Judge
Morrow, Rhono, Saunterer and Gallifet
have been doing such good work that they
are being well backed The bluegrass
country sends Teuton, whom the Ken
tuckyites look upon as an air tight favor
ite. He recently did mile and quarter
IN the remarkably fast time of 2;l0.