, 1935-05-03
TODAY STILL
rs FAVORITE
Omaha Also One of Choice
Horses Entered In
Saturday Classic
BY ALAN GOULD


LOUISVILLE, KY, May 3.=LPf-
The approach Of another Kentucky
Derby, the sixty-first and by far
the stormiest since the epochal
year A. d. 1929, Friday finds one
intriguing question, above all
others. absorbing the best and most
maSterful minds Of our horse
racing fraternity.
To give this serious subject a
light and frivolous touch, the issue
concerns the ability OF a lady OF
unquestioned thoroughbred class TO
kick mud IN the eyes Of is or more
blue blooded gentlemen, right out
In full view Of perhaps 10000
horse racing addicts, gathered TO
witness the running OF Americas
most colorful classic Of three-year-
olds.
In short. car Nellie Flag. strap
ping granddaughter OF Man o.
War, who was the best filly Of 1884
and has returned to the races this
year with smashing success, over
come the handicaps OF sex and
precedent sufficiently to whip a
somewhat ordinary field Of colts
Saturday afternoon In heavy going
over the mile and a. quarter route
at Churchill Downs?
Moreover, Nellie has worked as
tmpreSsively as any horse that has
been seen on the Downs track, in
Guiding a mile under stout res
traint Thursday in $40 2-5, and
she likes TO run in the mud, Of
which there should be plenty.
With the track a quagmire, II
seems certain to be the muddiest
derby since Clyde Van Dusen, the
diminutive son Of Man o War,
came down the stretch with a
winning rush while lighting flash
ed through the Storm-cloudS six
wvEs ago. Perhaps the elements
again will contribute q victorious
obbligato for another descendant
OF the Super-horse.
Perhaps, we repeat. but the echo
answers: who's going to beat
Nellie homer" There's plenty OF
horse sense by which to discount
the chances CT Warren Wright's
chestnut filly. big and strong
through she seems to be, but its
also a bit complicated trying 70
find the colt capable Of meeting
Nellie's challenge.
Two sons OF famous fathers. To-
day and Omaha, may be the
answer. Their respective daddies.
Whichone and Gallant Fox. were
great three-year-old rivals in 1880.
Gallant Fox won the Derby that
year, with Earl Sande up, and went
70 become one Of the big money
winners Of all time.
Today become the favorite for
this years classic after a brilliant
triumph last Saturday In the Wood
Memorial at Jamaica. but that wa
q shorter race and there's some
question whether the Vanderbilt
star can carry its speed over the
qualities and liking for q distance
combine TO make William Wood
wards entry a Standout, but the
colt Is a slow starter, runs awk-
wardly and has a habit OF getting
bumped around.
Both can run in the mud but so
can most OF the other well-played
entries. It's never safe to dis
count Col. Z. r. Bradley's entry
and this year the master OF Idle
Hour Farm. who has seen his COL
ors on top in four Derbies, has
another formidable contender in
BoXthorn. q Blue Larkspur colt
w2kch has turned in the fastest OF
az trials this week over the full
route. There's Plat Eye, the entry
OF MRS. Payne Whitney, whose re-
nowned Twenty Grand set the
Derby record four years ago, and
Psychic Bid, with which Mrs. lisa
bel Dodge Sloane hopes to dupli-
cate her triumph OF her colt, Cav
alcade. Phychic Bid probably will
probably set the early pace, but
Plat Eye Is more likely to have
something TO offer at the finish.
The rings Of a rattlesnake's tail