Evening star., 1931-05-16
old ROSEBUD MARK
OF "A THREATENED
Classic Run on Dry Course
First Time Since 1925.
Field Is Small.
BY ALAN GOULD.
Associated Press Sports Editor.

ralr weather, a faSt track
IL and horse race that may
turn out to be record
breaker furnished the salient
prospects today for the fifty-sev-
enth running Of the Kentucky
Derby over the historic route at
Churchill Downs, famous for its
thoroughbred duels since Aris-
tides, the ''little red horse" won
the first Blue Grass classic from
Volcano in 1875.
Not more than Is OF the is entries
were slated TO parade to the post shortly
after pm. Central standard time
and wage the battle Of speed, courage
and stamina over a mile and a quarter
for American 3-year-old supremacy. the
victor's price Of approximately $4,000
and the roaring acclaim of the crowd
The smallest field and the fastest
track in five years, due to Spring heat
wave. combined to assure a gala spec
tacle at the picturesque Downs and
conditions favorable to bringing out the
best performances by an exceptionally
strong field. dominated by the twin
Eastern favorites-Mrs. Payne Whit
ney's Twenty Grand and Albert c. Bost-
wickS Mate.
Record Presaged.
Not since Bubbling Over carried the
silks of Col. E. r. Bradley 10 victory
in 1925 has the historic racing strip
been dry and fast For three years
rain has deluged the proceedings. Con-
sequently, turfmen today viewed the
turn in weather luck as conducive 70 q
new record by the winner, especially
if the drive down the stretch measures
up to its thrilling possibilities.
The Derby record Of 2:o3 2-5 Tor the
mile and quarter, set by Old Rosebud
in 1914, as well as perhaps the worlds
track record of 200, made by the
6-year-old Whiskbroom II at Belmont
! Park, ". Y, in 1918, may be subjected
| to severe pressure. in the opinion OF
those who regard this years Derby f1eld
as one of the best Of postwar times.
Twenty Grand showed enough liking
| for the Downs to set a new track record
| for a mile as a 2-year-old beating
! Equipoise. Barring a bad break in
racing luck. either Twenty Grand or
Mate seemed capable Of hanging up
new mark under the stimulus of real
battle right up to the finish. Should
either of these two aces and fayorites
show any signs of cracking under the
strain of their own duel, there was the
chance of a comeback by Equipoise or
an upset by western hopeful, such as
PittSburgher Boys Howdy or Sweep All,
to put the record in jeopardy. AL have
shown enough speed to make a free
for-all struggle through the last quarter
mile.
Good Long-Shot Bet.
Always on the lookout for an Outsider
to play" the Eastern talent, while
backing Twenty Grand and the Green
tree Stable entry at 2 to /, Mate at
5 to 2, regarded Walter j. salmons
Ladder, which finished third In the
Preakness, as a good long shot"
Western hopes. although placed mainly
| on the speedy Kentucky colt, Pitts
| burgher, included a dark horse" in
| Insco owned By Griffin W2t.,.--.ns OF
| Chicago. Harry Hatch's Boys Howdy
was hot" stable favorite to spring
| an upset.
| Good weather or bad, hard times or
| poor, it wouldn't be the Kentucky Derby
| without this last-minute rush of dope
| from the feed box" Following the
news that the Reds from nearby Gin
cinnati had won a National League
double header and that Wes Ferrell, the
cleveland ace, JW4ce ndQ Deen puIn-
meled since pitching his no-hit game,
the theory seemed to be that anything
might happen in today's horse-racing
classic.
Louisville and the hardboots from
surrounding Kentucky turned out in
festival spirit for its annual thorough
bred carnival, even though the incoming
crowds were far below usual numbers
Close to $4,000 were expected to witness
the big race run, for change, IN a
cloud Of dust instead Of a downpour of
rain.
Vice President Charles Curtis, the
Governors of a half dozen States,
leaders of wealth and fashion from all
parts of the country joined the gather
ing of the turf clans for one of the
most colorful of all American sporting
events.
For every individual on hand to place
small wager or catch a heeting
glimpse of the thoroughbreds flashing
around the oval, hundreds elsewhere in
tl10 United States, as well as many in
fcrakgn lands, expected to hear the race
described by radio. Two national net
works arranged to broadcast the details.
from the time the horses were saddled
in the paddock until one of them
galloped to victory.