The San Francisco call., 1907-06-06

Richard Croker's Orby Is Winner
Of Classical English Derby

LONDON, June 5.-Richard Croker
won the derby at EPSON today and
achieved the ambition of his life. his
colt Orby, bred from an American dam
and ridden by an American jockey.
Johnny Reiff, having beaten all the
British cracks and captured the blue
ribbon of the worlds turf by two
lengths. Orby's time was 2.44.
Aside from the enormous prestige of
winning the blue ribbon of the turf,
Croker made fortune today. Be-
sides the stakes. $32. 500. he had the
opportunity of making any number Of
bets at about 10 to /, and finally the
value Of Orby has increased to such
an extent that Croker may, if he de-
sires, sell him for an immense sum- IN
one way and another, his financial
fruits are placed at about $250,0O0.
The distance of the derby was about
one and half miles and Orby won
easily. Wool Winder, ridden by Mad
den, the English jockey, was second:
Sieve Gallon. an Irish horse. ridden
by Higgs. an English jockey, third. and
Lord Roseberry's Bensonian, ridden by
Maher, fourth.
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 American
Jockey and was out of an American
mare.
Nine horses started. The betting was
100 to against Orby and Wool Winder
and 13 to on Sieve Gallon, which
was one of the most heavily supported
favorites ever sent to the post for the
EPSON classic.
Much of the customary gaiety and
picturesqueness was lacking in the ia
miliar Derby day scenes upon the road
TO EPSON today. Torrents of rain
poured down up to 10 o'clock and the
muddy. dismal procession bound to the
Downs looked uncommonly like the
return of the procession of the down
fall Of the favorite. The usual Derby
day types were present, but they were
sadly reduced in numbers and the in
termittent attempts of the holiday
makers to inject some of the old time
hilarity into the scene failed to remove
the general gloom of the umbrella
marked clouds. All those 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 Grand
Duke Michael of Russia
The rain cleared off before noon and
by the time the racing was commenced
the downs presented cheerful and
picturesque appearance. Many coaches
mad been sent down over night and
took up positions at vantage points,
heavily laden with fashionable people.
among whom were many Americans
CROKER ALWAYS CONFIDENT
Croker had been most serene concern
ing the outcome of to-day's race He
hof hi lie
and this belief was justified by Orby's
brilliant victory. There was only a
lukewarm enthusiasm by the general
public, but Croker was heartily con-
graduated by many prominent persons.
S croker, with party of friends, in
Guiding August Belmont, watched the
race closely but calmly from a box
overlooking the post. He led the rush
to the track when Orby came up the
stretch In front of the other competf-
tors and he was ready, when Reiff had
brought the winner back to the judges,
box, to lead the horse in which he had
placed his confidence past the royal
box occupied by King Edward and his
guests and thence to the paddock
where he received the congratulations
of hundreds of his friends
Among the first to offer Fluctuations
were Lord Rothschild and Sam Dar-
ling, the trainer of Sieve Gallon, but
the crush was so great that Croker
was only able to return thanks with
the smiles In which his face was
wreathed. He remained in the pad
dock until after the last race, but the
excitement and the anxiety of the
crowd to see the winning horse and its
owner were SO great that he was un-
able to discuss quietly what he called
the greatest event of his life until he
had settled himself in his automobile
to return to London, the proudest and
happiest man of the immense throng
that had spent the afternoon at Ep-
som Downs. Croker said:
Yes l have attained the ambition of my life
--at least the ambition have had since I first
took up the sport of racing-and the desire I
believe. Of every owner of a racing stable on
this side Of the water. well of many
Americans 1t is great thing to win the
derby, the most famous race in the calendar OF
the racing world and how proud I am to have
accomplished this, have not words to express.
1 am very, very proud and very, very happy
especially Orby was bred and raised in my
stable, having brought him dam from America
as Ally. Orby is grand horse and il all