The Washington times., 1936-05-02
6QOOOSet
To Watch
Derby
CONTINUED from Page II


focus was historic Churchill
Downs and the sixty-second run.
ming of the Kentucky Derby, Q
fantasy in horseflesh that never :,
fails to WOO them with its song.
Twenty-four hours ago, it
looked as though they were go.
ing to give it a miss at last. But,
in the night, they Sprang up, like
Robin Hoods men as though from
the bushes and yesterday the
Downs had its record day-before'
crowd of all Derby history. -
This morning, the $4,000 we've
all been blathering about for years
were really here and after every
available inch Of the town had.
been spoken for, it looked for a
time as though the next step was
ordained. They simply have to
hang them on the hooks in the
checking concessions. =
From Far and Near =
Anyhow, there seemed no limit =
to the influx of visitors from Chi!
cago, Memphis, Atlanta, Detroit.
st. Louis, New York, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh and kindred points
coming on the wing and on the
wheel. Some rode on the RUBBER
Others even walked On the rubber.
In a word, there's now the Gus
tomary allotment Of heels on
hand. In fact, there's now a.
broken heel for every gardenia
on Fourth Street. Everything, as
a matter Of further fact, was SUI.
perb except the weather. !.
There were extra police in town
to direct the mob scene and extra.
crews at Bowman Field, the air,
base, to handle the trans-city.
planes, being run in sections. 7
might add that 100000 pounds Of
beef were imported for the reStaIt.
rants and hotels which, in a sense.
was too bad. If they could only
have waited until after the race,
they could have had some of the.
derby horses. !;
The latter, supposedly "topsH
in the three-year-old business,
numbered II, including one filly;
Gold Seeker. But by post time the
field figured to be Is or less;
with Mr.. Widener'S Brevity still
fancied at the short overnight
price of 8 to S. :
In other words, they're stiH
remembering his five wins in six
starts and, in spite of the heavy
track and the fact that he has
never gone the Derby distance Of
ia miles under the Derby weight
Of 126 pounds, they think he can
do it again.
AS Speaker Joe ". Byrns is
quoted as having said in Washing.
ton yesterday, you have to favor
Gravity" in this race, which re.
minds me that among those now
present are Joe E. Widener and
Joe E. Brown. >"
Post time, distinct departure
from precedent, will be nearer to,
four than it will be to five o'clock,
Central Standard Time.
Brevity, the horse that will carry
most of the money over the
cashiers counter, has drawn No.
IA position at the post and need
only break fast to be certain of 8
clear run down the first stretch.
Heavy Track Problem
Just how the Widener horse
will behave on a heavy track;
no one knows. It rained last
night for the third straight day.
Showers were forecast for this
afternoon. All one now needs,
in fact, to make the situation
more uncertain is to put the
horses on a treadmill.
Second choice is the Fitzsim.
mons entry of Granville, TeufeI
and Merry Pete, with the first
two figuring largely in the plans
of those who want to go home
behind the prestige of cashing q
Derby bet. Merry Pete, as a mat.
ter of fact. might even be
scratched. .
The Bradley entry, Bien JOLT
and Banister, is third choice,
which isn't a bad bet if it stays
that way. AS a matter Of fact.
Bradley is never a bad bet,
whether he stays or doesn't.