New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02
Nominations for This Years
Event Due to Close ON
Tuesday Next

LOUISVILLE. March 1.--Therc was
never a Kentucky Derby that was
wholly wanting in anticipatory inter
est. Since the year Of its institution
in 1875, when hris.ides was in his
lrime, before Iindoo, Of glorious celeb
rty, was foaled the great mile an. a
quarter special that will be renewed
at Churchill Downs on May 10, with q
total value of about $4,000, of which
$4,000 will be added money, has rel.u-
larly been an absorbing subject of win
ter evening conversation in all paris
of the country.
For couple of generations spe .u,a-
ton on the chances of the fine young
thorough breds named from year to
newals has been the favoritc off-sea-
son diversion of the fraternity of
sport lovers who patronize racing
Since 1909 the Kentucky Derby has
been regarded by the supporters of
American racing rs the great natural
spring racing event, function one
should never permit himself to riss
II has come TO occupy in the American
scheme of racing a place analogous tc
that which the great Derby, decided
annually at Epson Downs, the winner
sons thoroughbred champion. occupies
in the British And, as the winner IF
q Derby at EPSON rarely fails TO dc
fend his title Of champion against al
comers, 1t rarely happens nowadays
that Kentucky Derby winner after
ward lowers his crest to another thor.
oughbred,
Not Real Champions
DOnrrhl and FNtermnntor, Of re
cent Darby winners probably could not
be cnsHed ns champions. but Meridian
Worth aud old Rosebud Regret. the
only marc that ever won tho Derby,
George Smith and Omar khnyynm ~ re-
nA good Aa the heat threesvenr oldA
their several aoasona deVelonod, 1t
Wae cnnitnl indorAemont of tina pop
ulAr Churchill noWns teAt of three.
yeArold merit TINT three Kentucky
Derby winners George Smith, Omar
khnyynm and ENtermnNtor - Divided
tho money last fall in the $4,000 Bowie
Cup, the Ensts, and tho counirys,
greatest long distance event for horses
of mature years.
But, keen ns tns been the ante pest
interest In the Dcrhys Of the pnst, 1t
Is matter of doubt whether there
WAS ever Derby the running of
which racing folk and the country cen
~ expectation they are showing in the
running Of the Derby of 1919. And
this unwontcd anticipatory interest
IL duo entirely to the fact that
the Derby Of 1919 will witness n
renewal OF tho rivalry that developed
last seAsQo h<'t. ensl ttyo horses, to wit,
the COLI EtssAn) and the gcding Billy
Kelly. Nominations for tho impending
NsVby viii not be due until next Tues
d~y.
no "a yet neither ntssnal nsr Billy
kaAy is in the Derby of 1919 But
nc only eventualitics that might pre-
vent their nomination would be death
or the Simultaneous development of
pencil cramp BY Conx ander ]. X. L.
Ross, of Montreal, ont James w. Nc
Clclland, Of LeXir~ton Because Of
the almost general prescription of
geldings, horses of 10 sex, like Billy
Kelly, have been barred from the
Prcakness, the Latonia Derby, the
Withers, the Belmont the Travers and
the Lawrence Realization, so there is
no great three year-olc race save the
Kentucky Derby in which Billy Kelly
may start
The officers of the New Louisville
Jockey Club are in hearty sympathy
with the principle which has moved
tilc ulItClOlGAtS VI 50 many IdCelTdChS
to discourage the gelding Of fine young
thoroughbred stations and thereby to
disqualify them for the indispensable
service, after they shall have finished
with racing, at government remount
stations of string sprightly half and
three-quarter breds for the artillery,
transport and cavalry branches Of the
National Army.
But in view of tho circumstances
that Billy Kelly and several other two
year-olds of 1913 that developed Derby
promise were gelded before this idea
was adopted as a policy by the racing
associations of the country, it was
deemed no more than fair to defer it's
to the Kentucky Derby un-
til after this years race had been run.
Billy Kelly at Laurel
Billy Keliy, accordingly, il being
trained at Laurel Park for supreme
trial at Churchill Downs on the 10th
of May with his lightlootcd rival and
conqueror of last season, and the
racing fraternity is amply justified N
believing that he will get to the post
fit to run the best race of his career.
Thanks to the unusual mldness Of
the Northern and Eastern winter, there
has hardly been a day since Billy fin