Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-05
CROKER WINS
Ex-New Yorker Won inc Derby and Reached inc Ambition
 of His Life
THE KING SAW RACE

London, June 5.-Richard Croker
 to-day won the Derby at Epson and gained the ambition of his life, his colt Orby, bred from an American dam, ridden by an American jockey,
 Johnny" Reiff, having beaten ali the
 British cracks and captured the blue
 ribbon of the worlds turf by two lengths.
 The enthusiasm of the Americans can be easier imagined than descrlb- ed, and MT Croker, his white bearded
 face beaming with happiness, was con- graduated on all sides.
 Outside of AIr Croker and his im-
 mediate following, Orby had but few friends, and the betting indicated that the sporting prophets estimated his
 chances as being slight. MT Croker
 and those who watched the colts trials, however, were sanguine that
 they held surprise ln store for the
 Derby crowds. Those who saw the Irish American candidate do his gall loping early this morning liked the
 youngster so well that they thought 1t wise to hedge, and his appearance
 on parade and at the post before the
 race brought him number of adher-
 ents. Nothing, however, could shake
 the position of Slieve Gallon, the Irish horse which won the 2,0O0 Suincas
 stakes at Newmarket May l, the fa- vorite with the crowds, and his defeat
 was regarded as inconcelvable. Even the short odds on Slieye Gallion, l3 to s, failed to deter the betrors from ac- lively supporting him to the end or his financial tether.
 Wool Winder, ridden by Madden, the English jockey, was second, and Slieve GaIlion, and Irish horse ridden
 by Higgs, an English jockey, was third.
 Orby was bred in Ireland out of an American dam, and thus the Derby has been won by an American owner, whose horse was ridden by an Amefi- can jockey and whose mount was out of an American mare.
 Nine horses started.
 The betting was 100 to 9 against Orby and Wool Winder and 13 to 5 on Sieve Gallon.
 Much of the customary gaiety and picturesqueness was lacking in the familiar Derby day scenes on the
 road to Epson this morning. Torrents of rain poured down up to ten o'clock, and the muddy. dismal procession bound to the Downs looked uncommon
 ly like the return of the procession after the downfall of the iavorite. The usual Detby day types were present, but they were sadly reduced in num- bers and the intermittent attempts of the holiday-makers to inject some Of the old time hilarity into the scene fail- cd to remove the general gloom of the umbrella marked crowds. All whose plans were alterable abandoned the road in favor of trains and scores of specials took enormous crowds to Epson.
 King Edward elected to travel by train. The royal party included the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and the Grand Duke of Russia.
 The rain ceased before noon and by the time the racing commenced the Downs presented a cheerful and pie turesque appearance. Trains from all directions took enormous crowds to the course, but the throng was hardly up to the average. Many coaches were sent down over night aud took up posi- tions at all the vantage points, heav- fly laden with fashionable people, In. cluding many Americans.