Omaha daily bee., 1895-05-07
HALMA'S HOLLOW VICTORY
Hanover's Son Wins the Twenty First Ken
tucky Derby Without Being Stretched,
LITTLE MORE THAN AN EXERCISE GlLLoP
Only Four Starters In the Classic Event
and the Winner Had the Field at
Ills Mercy from Posi-
to Wire.

LOUISVILLE, May 6-Far ladies waved
| their handkerchief and sturdy men Joined
in the lusty cheer that greeted the son Of a
! great sire when Halma passed under the
wire a winner of the twenty-frst Kentucky
Derby this afternoon. Such rejuvenated ac-
| tivity ami enthusiasm was never before wit
nassed on a race course, for the historic
Churchill Downs presented scene that will
go down to posterity
| The Kentucky Derby is an event to which all
| Kentucl1ians look forward with a Just pride.
and this Afternoon the New Louisville Jockey
| club established new era in the history
of racing in Kentucky. the home of the thor
! oughbred II was a grand victory too for
Bryan McClelland's entry. That Ken
| tuckans have not lost their enthusiasm for
the horse was evidenced by the crowd that
! thronged the superb stand, betting ring and
every other available place to see the classic
event. 1t will never be known just how many
pair of eyes centered upon little Soup Per-
kins when he guiied Halma under the wire
an easy winner, but the most conservative
place the number at $4,000. Before the ar
rival of noon hour the Journey of the thou
| sands to Churchill Downs began The boule-
| ward leading to the course was crowded with
| vehicles of every description from the anti
| quated two-wheel conveyance to the more
modern English cart. All the city buildings
and many of the larger establishments gave
half holiday to their clerks and all went to
see the Kentucky Derby.
! NOTABLE PACK AT THE PARK
AT the Downs there was a scene never be-
| fore witnessed in the history of that grand
OLD course. The magnificent new stand, which
! has seating capacity of nearly 10 900, was
inadequate to hold the vast throng Every
place Of vantage about the stands, the pad
dock and the stables was occupied while in
and about the betting stand it was one solid
mass of humanity. From the time the first
| odds were chalked on the board until the
| flag fell in the closing event men jostled
against each other and essayei to elbow their
way through the thrOng in their effort to
| place their money. but the fifteen bookies
who were there to accommodate the public
coull not handle more than one-haf the
money.
Halma won the Derby as he pleased and
not once did Perkins find it necessary to use
the rawhide, for the colt assumed the lead
| from the very fall Of the flag and set the
pace to the finish. He was not urged a foot
OF the route, and when he passed the stand
for the last time there was four good lengths
OF daylight between the son of Hanover and
the hard ridden Basso, who was second.
! There was enthusiasm when the first two
events were run, but when the winners were
posted in the second race there was aug
mented activity, for the Kentucky Derby
would soon be thing of the past The sound
| Of the saddl;ng bell had hardly died away
| before Curator, with Overton up, came out
of the paddock and cantered around in front
Of the stand. The Bashford Manor colt was
applauded, but with the appearance Of Lelure-
ate il increased, an1 when Halma with Per
kins up, and Basso, with Martin astrde, pa
raded in front of the vast crowd it gave
vent to its approval with one long, continued
cheer that lasted almost until the candidates
had reached the half mile pole, where Starter
/ Ffyin Hnn in "a nd Il
ODDSON THE BEST OFFERED.
While the thousands were eagerly watching
| the horses that were to contest for the grand
| event all activity in the betting ring If
10000 people endeavored to place bet on
| the first two races everybody wanted to
back their choice in the Kentucky Derby,
and the booimakers found it an arduOus
task to handle half the bills that were
showed at them. Halma, on the performance
was entitled to be favorita, and he was, in
the judgment of both the spectators and
bookies, for the first odds posted were 2 to
5. Even at these prohbtive odds there was
a rush to place money on him, and when
the flag went down the best obtalnable was
l to 8, while several books had rubbed him
off the board. Basso was not without friends,
for early in the day the Information was
freely circulated that he was the winner
and loads Of money went on him at to l
to win and 3 to for the place but not once
did the odds change after they had been
posted Laureate, too, had a big following at
0 to and to 5 for place, while Curator at
Is to / was not altogether friendless.
At 1855 all eyes were turned toward the
half mile pole, for there the four Derby
candidates awaited the order to start on
the journey which was to make one famous.
They lined up and in the first attempt were
sent away well punched, with Halma, the
favorte, showing in front by a neck, Basso
second, Laureate third and Curator last.
There was not a lsngths difference, however,
between the four hCrses. Martin wanted to
save Basso for the final struggle, and as
they rounded the first turn he drew the
Falsetto colt up and at the quarter was last,
but he took good care that the distance
shich separated him from the black colt,
Halma, did not become too great Halma hal
the lead by head from Curator, who had
moved up to second, while Laureate was third
and halt length back.
GLAD TO SEE HALMA WIN.
A mighty shout went up in the stands as
HalTa passed under the wire for the first
time with little Perkins tugging at the reins
Laureate was second and Curator third, while
Basso was still last Halma and Laureate
went neck and neck around the lower turn
and when they reached the three-quarters
Perkins mount was leading by a head with
Laureate still after him and Curator head
in front of Basso.
"Basso has quit" was the cry that passed
from lip to lip and the Falsetto colt was in
deed showing signs Of fatigue, but when
they had passed the mile Martin began rid
ing, and when they showed in the stretch
for the final run BasSo was second.
"BassO wins was shouted almost stimuli
taneOusly from a thousand or more throats
as Martin, riding with might and main and
plying the whip vigorously went after
Halma who apparently was running with the
same ease when he went by the stand for
the first time. The bay colt, however, had
run his race and although Martin rode him
10 the very finish the best he could do was
to finish four lengths behind Halma, with
Laureate third, the same distance from
Blsso, and Curator last by five lengths from
Laureate IL was a hollow victory for