Evening star., 1928-05-20
HUGE THRONG SEES
REICH COUNT WIN
80, 900, GayIy Dressed. Stand
in Rain to Witness Ken
lucky Derby.
BY CHARLES w. DUNKLEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

ASSOCIATED Press sports Writer.
LOUISVILLE, KY, May ie.--Rain or
shine. mud or slop--it was all Reign
Count
The big red colt. owned by Mrs. John
D. Hertz OF Chicago, wife of the taxicab
magnate, splashed to victory In the
fifty-fourth Kentucky Derby today. rae
ing through a drizzling rain and mud
ankle-deep in one of the most spectacu-
lar races in the history Of blue ribbon
event Of the American turf
Reign Count. son Of Sun Reigh-
ContesSina, heavily played fayorite. won
just as his supporters said he would,
finishing three lengths ahead Of Mis-
step Toro, which lost such heart
breaking race to Victorian in the Freak
ness a week ago. was two lengths and a
half back Of Misstep. And trailing in
fourth place came Jack Higgins. wia-
ner Of the Louisiana Derby.
$4,000 Witness Race.
Upwards of 10000 witnessed the race.
all OF them dampened BY soaking
rain, but too excited TO be daunted by
the terrific downpour that broke ovel
/ Churchill Downs an hour before the
horses were led out of the paddock.
| For 40 minutes the rain came down IN
| a torrent, but Just before the call oi
/ the bugie Il settled 10 a steady drizzle
and it was drilling when the race waI
| run.
After the race. the sun came out
| alphabetically from behind the black
/ clouds. although Churchill Downs By
1 that time did not represent the re.
/ spIendent spectacle. which, up until
| the time uf the downpour, was glori-
Gus derby gathering
/ The rain turned the colofful scene
| into a wet, muddy spectacle. Fashion
! ably dressed women were turned from
/, butterflies into wet. bedraggled crea-
] lures. soaked 10 the skin. unable TO seek
shelter because Of the tremendous Jam
The women stood out there in the rair
| taking their punishment because theI
could not avoid 1t.
| Time Is 2:I02-5.
Reign Count defeated the largest
field that ever went 10 the post in the
Kentucky Derby, running the punish
ing mile and q quarter route in 2.i0 25
twenty-five 3-year-old faced the bar
vier exceeding the previous largest ficid
In 1929 when ri started in the race
won by Zev.
The winner rewarded Mrs. Hertz with
$55,375 as FIRST money with $4,000 go
ing 10 Misstep and $4,000 TO Toro, IN
addition 10 the $55.375, Mrs. Hertz re-
ceiyed gold plate valued at $500 and
all the glory that money could not buy
Reign Count paid better than for
II in the nnutueis, rewarding his
hackers with So IL for every 50 invested
on his chances His place price was
s5.78 and 1898 10 show. Misstep paid
50 % 10 place and S. 80 TO show. while
the snow price on T0ro was s37g.
Gay Spring frockg--frocks Of orange
peach. green, were sacrificed TO tn
downpour. Hats, the newest creations
dropped s0ggiiy. Some Of the specta'
tors were fortunate enough 10 haVs
umbrellas and sIickers with them, bu
the great majority had nothing viii
wllici3 TO shield themselves from tn
torrent.
Thousands Caught Unawares.
There weren't roofs enough a
Churchill Downs 10 cover eYeTybod!
that sought shelter, and the rain playes
no fayorIteg. n swept Out OF the south
west coming from behind snarlini
black clouds 20 suddenly that thou
sands Of spectators were caught un
awares. IL would not have done uisIl
any good 10 seek shelter anyhow pe
! esiise the grandstand, stretching to
2 OO0 feet along the track, was airsao
, packed and the rains0aked Thousand
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