Evening star., 1938-05-08
Bmgain-Com,ter Colt Beats Dauber Length,
Can't Wait Runs Third in Kentucky Classic;
Fighting Fox, Choice of 65, 900 Crowd, Sixth

the Derby held in store. To the ad- >
vance guard of upward of 10000 per-
sons there poured this morning an
unstemmed tide of 10000 more spec
tators. Louisville proper did not
awake to find another Derby day
dawning bright and clear and cool
because Louisville did not Sleep All
through the night the mobs paraded
the streets, jammed into hotel lob
bies and bars and watched the dawn
break. Louisville sang, drank.
laughed and toasted the sixty-fourth
Derby
Three hours before the e-furlong
opener on the nine-race card the
crowds began the procession to the
historic old course, milling around the
track bars for fizz connections to re-
lieve the morning after" or picking
themselves up" with whisky sours.
BY noon. when the first race was
run, there were $4,000 people in the
stands and in the infield-people
from the North and the South and
from the East and West, and all
forgetting there existed anything but
the most famous race in America.
Rich Haul for Tradesmen.
Louisville merchants and trans.
portation concerns basked in the final
hours of their annual half-week Of
fabulous prosperity. Prices that were
doubled were trebled for everything
a Derbygoer might need. Hotels long
since had curtly announced that no
accommodations were available and
space in the better eating places was
at premium. Thousands spent the
night in the nearby 600 Pullman cars
assembled in the Louisville yards and
still more thousands. turned away by
hotels and private homes, curled up.
in their automobiles or simply kept
open the town hotspots all night.
Those fortunate enough to get hotel
accommodations at anywhere from $40
to s25 for single room were by no
means assured of sleep tonight. be-
cause the carnival spirit still ran high
and embraced singing. usually bad
and always loud. My Old Kentucky
Home" reverently rendered until the
10 horses in the smallest Derby field
in l6 years had reached the track
this afternoon, was murdered tonight
in hotel lobbies, in bars and on the
streets.
Derby day dawned clear, but as the
morning wore on the skies clouded
slightly. This did not disturb the
enthusiasm of the throngs, however.
as they jammed their way over the
devious route to the track Out of the
clouds swooped mainliner airplanes.
unloading hundreds of newcomers
from the East, West, North and
South.
Thrills for Natives.
The natives worshipfully gathered =
at the depots and landing field to re-
gard with awe the visiting celebrities.
who included Postmaster Jim Farley
and Movie Actress Joan Bennett.
Scores of late trains wheezed into
the overtaxed railroad stations, pour
ing forth thousands more. and all
highways into Louisville were one way
and packed with cars with varied IL
cense plates.
There was nothing the 1888 Derby
lacked in the way of color, gayety.
and enthusiasm. Bathed for weeks
in the warm Kentucky sunshine. the
infield Of the Churhill Downs course
presented picture to rival the land
scape Of beautiful Santa Anita in
California and the tropic beauty of
Hialeah Park in Florida. The grass
Of the infield furnished a brilliant
green background for the poppies.
Gala lilies. hydrangeas and sweet
peas assembled in pattern, and for
mellowed dignity and stateliness there
IS no beating the historic backdrop
of the Churchill grandstand. with its .
high steeples and yellowed wooden
structures.
The first six races were inconse-
(see DERBY. Page 1-s.)