The Washington times., 1930-05-10
BIG FAVOR|TE
NOW TOCOP
DERBY
By DAVIS J. WALSH

Out of the dust of half century
of the great stake races at Chur-
chill Downs and the Hilltop at
Pimlico has risen only one
thoroughbred-Sir Barton in 1919
whose greatness was so elastic
that he could win the PreakneSS
during one week end and the
Kentucky Derby during the next.
But the old champion long since
has passed to the clover that
awaits all good horses and today
they were seeking his image in
the flesh of another.
The latter is called Gallant Fox,
doubtless because he is a horse
whose gallantry wasn't even asked
pertinent question during yes
terday's running of the Preakness.
He was so much the best of his
field that he won in a common
gallop, to use the patoiS of the
paddock, and so within a few
hours ne will be riding into the
west toward another great race
and what many now regard as
an inevitable victory in the Derby.
Other candidates have COM
mended themselves by their per
formances in training but there
is nothing so impressive as the
thing they call racing form and
Gallant Fox has shown great
plenty of that. first in the Wood
Memorial stakes and yesterday
in the greater and Sterner test,
the PreaknesS. Smart handicap
pers around town tell me that
he won't be worse than 2 to l in
the future books from now on,
thus displacing Gallant Knight,
Tannery, and High Foot, the trim
ity that had shared the honor
mark at 4 to earlier in the week.
The price on this trio, it is said,
probably will lengthen to 6 to l,
with the possibility that Crack
Brigade. second in the Preakness
will share their position. The re-
mainder of the quotations are
likely to remain unchanged, AL
though when comparable with
horse racing a woman's mind is
constancy in a glass case.
! Where, for example, are
those sirens of the early
play" on the Derby-Dedi-
cate, Desert Light, Flying
Heels, Gone Away and Sara
zen ii? Gone away is the
answer.
But the turf was ever a staunch
disciple of success and, from now
on, it will remember only that
Gallant Fox. crowded in the early
stages of the Preakness, ran over
everything in the last half mile
and won by almost two lengths
in the ciinking time of 200 3-5
for the mile and three-siXteenthS.
He was expected to win. He did.
The turf is very elemental about
things like that. 1t never asks
questions of results.
In truth. the horse proved a
number of things yesterday, in
cluding the essential fact that
neither weight nor distance is
| the cross he must bear. He
won't figure to get the inter
ference at the Downs that came
to him yesterday, for the derby
course starts on a straightaWay
of nearly three-eighths of a mile
in length and no horse is en-
titled to run into major Difficult
ties there, particularly with a
rider like Sande on his back.
So much for the 2-to-1 gamblers.
However, two dollars can go as
far wrong as two million. CLYDE
Van Dusen obviously wasn't the
best horse in the field last year,
merely the best horse in the race
as it happened to be run.
They haven't had drop
Of rain out that way in
weeks and the deluge is inn
minent. If they run this
race in mud, Gallant Fox
may or may not survive. He
is not supposed to be fool
proof under these conditions.
There is no doubt, of course.
that he can beat the PreakneSS
entries all over again next week.
next month and perhaps next
year. Crack Brigade is improV-
ing with every race, but not
enough so as to matter. Snow
flake, the third horse, isn't en-
tered, and Michigan Boy, in
fourth place. will hardly do, un-
less the mud is deeper than his
hooks.
Therefore. granting that little
can happen to alter Gallant Fox'S
status in the week remaining
there is only the Western field to
be considered in the way OF a
| npnha hlV will