The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-07
BEN BRUSH WINS IT

SIMS RIDES TO VICTORY IN THE
GREAT KENTUCKY DERBY.
There SCENE to be More Than a Doubt
However, as to Whether the Right oEe
CT the Crack Three Year-Olds has the
Honor-Bather a Case of Sims Against
Tabor, Than of Ben Brush Against Ben
Elder - Greatest Crowd In Churchill
Downs History-Racing Results Else
where-Sporting News.
Louisville, KY, May s.-To Willie Sims
rather than Ben Brush, belongs the
credit of victory in the twent y-second
Kentucky derby. The great son Of
Bramble was not fit for a brushing
race, such as he had this afternoon, but,
under the careful guidance of Sims, ne
landed the coveted prize and the first
Kentucky derby ever run at the short
ened distance Of one mile and quar-
ter. All the honor and the 5000 which
to Ben Eder and had it not been for
the stable boy wire essayed to pilot the
son of Fonso, there would have been
several lengths of daylight between Ben
Brush and the colt which should have
showed the way under the wire.
Never before in the history of Church
hill Downs was such a throng seen.
-.
course there was no free field, but in
the stand, in the betting ring and on
the lawn it was one solid mass of hui
mainly. Every place of vantage was
occupied, and even then there were hun
dreds who only got a glimpse of the
bright colored jackets as the crack
three-year-olds Of the country raced for
the glories Of the Kentucky derby.
OVERWORKED BOOKIES.
The betting ring was one immovable
mass of people. From one end 10 the
other men crowded, jistled and fairly
fought their way through the throEg
10 the man on the block. But every
one Of the nineteen bookies had more
than they could do to accommodate the
people, and when the flag finally went
down, thousands of uplifted hands were
waving greenbacks in their efforts to
place them.
Aside from Brush, probably the heav-
lest play was made on Ben Elder, for
he opened at TO and when the books
were finally closed ne had been backed
down to half. Ulysses carried deal
Of money, as did also First Mate; in
fact, every candidate for the honor and,
incidentally, the largest end of the &c.
Geo mad his friends, even down TO The
Winner and Parson.
First Mate showed a bad temper at
the post, keeping ii up until they were
all caught in line and sent away, after
Two unsuccessful attempts and twenty
minutes delay.
When the flag went down Starter
Chinn had them well in hand, with Ben
Eder having an advantage of neck.
The Winner second, First Mate third,
The Dragon fourth, Parson fifth, Uly-
sses sixth, Ben rush seventh, and Sem
per Ego last.
At the fal of the flag the red colors Of
Eastin and Larrabie shot almost like
a fash to the front, and when the stand
was passed for the first time Thrope
was showing the way on First Mate by
haS-l length from Semper Ego, who
was a neck in front of Ben Eder, with
Ben BrushNa nose behind him and the
others close up. Thrope seemed deter
mined TO make a runaway race of it,
and in gtng around the turn the first
time he let First Mate have his head
Until Two lengths separated him from
The Winner, with Semper Ego, Ben
Brush. The Dragon, Parson, Ben Elder
and Ulysses following in the order
named.
MISTAKES OF TABOR.
1t was in going down the back stretch
that Tabor, who is bat little better
than q stable boy, committed the first
error that cost the Hot Springs stable
$1,000 From a safe position he had
pulled the colt back into seventh place
at the first half mile. In this position
he raced down the back stretch, maxi
ing no attempt 10 come through the
field until they had turned into the
stretch. First Mate continued to show
the way and when the first mile was
finished he had an advantage of half
length, Sims having moved Ben Brush
up 10 second place. with Semper Ego
still third, The Winner fourth. the
Dragon fifth and Parson sixth, followed
by Ben Elder and Ulysses. Willie Sims /
began riding on the last turn, and when !
they We're Strengthened for the final run
he was leading by a neck from Ben |
Eder whom Tabor had brought up from /
next TO last in half furlong of the /
journey First Mate was third, Semper +
Ego fourth. The Dragon fifth and the /
remaining three strung out
Ben Brush wins went up from a |
thousand threats almost simultaneous /
" as Willie Sims. inch by inch increased /
his lead TO the eighth. But there was 1
another horse in the race. who. despite 1
the poor riding Of his jockey. promised {
The son OF Bramble the race of his life. !
Ben Brush did not have much left. but /
Sims was getting what little did remain |
out OF him, While Elder, with even.
steady strides was gaining on the colt. /
For the last sixteenth of the journey a