The sun., 1919-05-11
SIR BARTON is
FIRST IN DIXIE
TURFCLASSIC
--@
Billy Kelly, His Stablemate,
Finishes Second in the
Kentucky Derby.
UNDER FIRE is THIRD
Great Crowd Sees 1 Ia Mile
Struggle on Heavy Track
at Louisville.
Special Despatch to Tn, sur.


chestnut son OF starshoot and Lady
Sterling, owned by Commander J. K l.
Ron OF Montreal, won the forty nfth
Kentucky Derby in easy fashion this
afternoon Five lengths behind him at
the finish was his stable companion,
Billy Kelly. underline. p. Dunes i'm
ported colt and a seasoned campalgner
Of the winter tracks. landed third money.
The value OF the race to the winner was
,'o,s2S. making It the richest Derby yet
run. The 81 mutuel tickets on Sir Bar
ION paid $3.50.
The race was truly run and the best
horse won beyond all question. How
ever, Sir Barton was in receipt of q
Twelve pound maiden allowance. which
favored him materially in the heavy go
ing Sir Barton In the drst maiden TO
win the Kentucky Derby.
Eternal, chief reliance Of J. W. Nc
Cleiiand. kept close pace with the win
ner for the first seven furlongs, but then
began dropping back. 1t was plain to
be seen that he was not q mud runner.
At the finish he was tenth. vindex, the
much touted Whitney representative.
was another horse which could not un-
track himself In the heavy going, inish-
ing q badly blown last. VuicAntts wns
fourth. The time for the mile and q
quarter was 2 :0s as. II was e2-s SEQ
onds slower than the record, bit Il was
a good performance for the heavy going.
The ease with which Sir Barton won
will be a strong argument against exces-
sive allowances in future Derbies. 60
Record Crowd Looks On.
More than $4,000 persons, the largest
crowd by at least 5000 ever assembled
at Churchill Downs. witnessed the run
ming Guy Bedwell. the trainer, repre-
sented Commodore Ross and received the
Derby prize. 1t was the first time in the
history Of the Derby that an entry ran
one, two. 1t also was the hrst victory
for a Canadian owner.
Jockey LOTUS, who won the Derby On
George Smith in 1916, again showed that
he can ride with any boy in the country.
LOTUS had been training down to 112N
pounds, so that the winner carried two
and one-haH pounds overweight.
Men prominent in every walk of life
were there The millionaires Of New
York were as plentiful as they are at
Newport. Governors and Senators dis
eissed the running qualities Of the Derby
field
shortly after two o'clock there was an
apparent breaking down of the cloud
barrier which had cast gloom over the
hearts OF many racing followers and the
sun peeped through the clouds ftfully.
1t was early apparent that in spite OF
the bad weather the crowd would be a
record breaker and that every point of
vantage would be occupied long before
he running of the, Derby. BY post time
In the opening dash there was not a seat
10 be had In grand stand. clubhouse or
boxes. Even the spacious infield was
oyereowing with seething humanity.
The betting shed was a mealstrom OF
excita5le speculation among those who
tried 10 PICK the various winners.
Free Field Discontinued.
The discontinuance >of the free field
vas not In the least noticeable, for the
overflow from the grand stand. lawns
HnC clubhouse and other paid sections of
the course poured across the track to
occupy the benches that were arranged
at vantage points opposite tho grand
stand
There seemed more animation and
orilllancy to the Derby soene Of this 500
son than to that of former runnings OF
the classic.
Persons prominent in the oountrys
social sphere, public life and financial
circles were more abundantiy in evil
dence
The betting shed was a seething jam
and although eighty-three pari-mutuel
machines were In use for speculation, a
times It seemed as If they would be in
adequate for the accommodation OF the
patrons OF the course.
Thirty-six OF the machines were in use
strictly ,iv,a n
dulged in on the feature number. TWEEN
V-seven regular machines were used for
me wagering on the other races There
we're siXty-three cashiers employed te
pay of the winners.
Sir Barton to Fore.
Sir Barton. at the rail, shot to tn,
front when the barrier was sprung. Al
The twelve horses swept by the gram
Stand ne was leading Eternal and Bill,
Kelly. At the half mile he was out II
front half a length ahead Of Eternal
with Billy Kelly four lengths back.
AZ the three-quarters OF mile hi
cad had been increased to two lengths
AZ the mile 1t was cut again to half |
length, with Billy Kelly, Under Fire ant
EuiVanite close up and at the finish h
was going strong
Do'' WI aPpa1ehiy was uHuei ae
etralnt until the stretch was reached
In the last eighth OF a mile Sande. Of
silly Kelly, made his bid and his noun
responded gamely. but was not quit
5000 enough under urging. Under Fir
gained steadily from a slow start.
Corson and Clermont were scratched
oenning's Park, Be Frank, Sailor, 81
Frnard and Regalo. the performance o
which was regarded as distinctly disap
po,nting; Eternal. Frogtown and Vinde'
nnlshed behind the leaders in the orde
named The last five never were re
Rarded az cOnten dera at anv STA re NJ IN