Evening star., 1938-05-07
THEF0X, BULL LEA
HOLD FANS HOPES
Speed of Smallest Field
Since '22 Promises New
Mark for Classic.
Continued From First page.)

and some 5000 specta tors sought
places of advantage in the newly ter.
raced infield.
Several hundred of the early arrivals
in the clubhouse section roamed
among the gardens while from the in
field bands from the Universities of
Louisville and Indiana and several
local high schools entertained
One of the first fans to appear was
William Woodward. New York owner
of the favored Fighting Fox He ex-
pressed confidence in the full brother
of Gallant Fox, but predicted one Of
the best races in recent years
There was no evidence of the Fox
losing his ranking at the top of the
list, position he gained when Stage
hand was withdrawn two davs ago.
One of the first Wagers to go through
mutuel windows was IS straight bet
on the New York-owned colt.
Some experts predicted the Fox
would be no better than 8 to S at
post time, with Warren Wrlght's Bull
Lea the heavily played second choice
at to 2. The fast track was Just to
the liking OF the favorites although
such speed demons as Hal Price Head
ley's Menow, Herbert M Woolfa
Lawrin and Maxwell Howard's The
Chief figured to set burning early
pace, which with fast last quarter
might beat Twenty Grand's Derby
record Of 2:0l45.
Hours before the crowd began the
trek from the jammed downtown
hotels and streets. the principals in
America s most colorful horse race were
out for their last swing around the oval
before the massed bands play MY
Old Kentucky Home and send them on
their way to the post at the head Of
the homestretch. The workouts were
confined either to short breezes or slow
gallops.
AS somewhat of surprise the track
program revealed that its selector con-
sidered Myron Selznicks Can't Wait
the fourth best horse in the field Err
nest Weldekamp. arranger OF the pro-
gram and in charge of the Downs
mutuel plant. placed the West Coast
Menow, but rated him above Dauber,
Lawrin and The Chief. Experts con-
sidered Can't Wait an outsider, quoting
him at Is to l.
Some saw in Bull Iea'S breeding a
weakness for the Derby route of a mile
and a quarter. His daddy. Bull Dog,
sired mostly sprinters. but his mother.
Rose Leaves, comes from long line
Of distance runners. Two PERFORM
ances at Keeneland gave evidence ha
leans more to the maternal side of his
breeding.
In the two races he created two
track records and whipped Hal Price
Headley's Menow in both events. He
lowered marks for the LIS miles to
IA and the is miles to :4e3s, COM
ing from behind to nip Menow by a
head in the latter.
Menow, despite the two adverse de-
cisions. figures to be the third choice
at 6 to /. Only few saw a possibility
OF the 1887 juvenile champion taking
down the winners share of S47.O50.
MenOw Has Early Speed.
However. many figured the Headlev
stars speed would carry him into an
early lead that would be sufficient to
/ turn back such other speed demons as
Maxwell Howard's The Chief, Lawrin
from Herbert M. Woolfs Woolford
Farm and the stretch-running Dauber
from William du Pont, jr.'s, Foxcatcher
Farm.
A victory by either Mrs. William
| ORIOLES Elooto. Bert Friends Co.
Sport or Mrs. Ethel v. Mars Mountain
Ridge would furnish the race with one
| OF its biggest surprises since Donerail
Won in 1913 and paid 81 to /.
The only shift in riders was the
signing of George Woolf to ride CO.
Sport in place of the less experienced
Bobby Dotter. Originally Woolf was
slated to pilot The Chief. but trainer
Earl Sande turned the Howard colt
over to Jack Westrope when Stage
hand was withdrawn.
| In event of rain, at least Mountain
Ridge and Co-Sport will be scratched.
All of the others are mudders. especi-
ally Dauber. Odds against the colt
from Delaware will be much shorter
if the going is heavy.
/ The prospects of fast track
prompted many experts to predict =
track and Derby record with such
speedsters as Menow, Lawrin and The
Chief to carry along the early pace
Menow established the world record
! for 6l2 furlongs down a straightawav
in winning the Belmont Futurity last
year. He apparently has lost none
Of that speed. The Chief and Lawrin.
which will be running without heavy
bar plates for the first time this
spring, were only noses apart in track
record-equalling time Of :35@, for
| a mile in the trial stakes last Tuesday.