The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-04
STACEHAND ION
 THE SPOT AFTER WEAK TRIAL RUN
Winter Book BettOrs Seem Due for Financial "GO=
 ing Over" Saturday
By HENRY McLEMORE United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Stan COrreSpOnucHt)
 Louisville, Ky. May 4-(UP)- He's known as Stagehand, but to- day he held the center of the stage and no hero or heroine ever stood under hotter spotlight.
 This is the city of horses, but to- day, with the Kentucky Derby only three afternoons away it talked Of but one horse-Stagehand, winner of the winters two richest races, conqueror of the great Seaciscuit, trained by the one and only Earl Sande, and the red-hot favorl5e ill pre-derby betting.
 There wasn't race track fan ill Louisville-and the town literally is running over with them already who didn't want to know the true explanation of Stagehands per- formance in yesterdays derby trial of one mile at Churchill Downs. As you know, Stagehand ran rather poor third as his less famed sable mate, The Chief, out-gamed and outlasted LaWrin in a head-to-head duel down the stretch.
 He had been expected to win it. The odds of 2 to on the entry proved that. The boys and girls weren't betting on The Chief. Fully 10 schools of thought sprang up as the winner of the Santa Anita Derby and the richer Santa Anita Handicap, crossed the line soundly beaten.
 One school has as its theory that that Sande simply sent Stagehand out for the exercise, after giving Jockey Westrope explicit instruc- tions to hold him well in check. Another school says this is foolish belief and gives as argument the undeniable fact that Westrope went to the whip. and soundly, at the top of the stretch.
 School No. 3 argues that when Westrope, at the top of the stretch. saw that The Chief was able to take care of Lawrin, eased up and con- tented himself with third money School No. 4 answers this by asking how Westrope, smart as he is, could tell that The Chief was going to win that bitter, stride for stride run down the payoff road.
 There are many who contend that Stagehand ran his usual race but was burned out by the terrific pace of his stablemate and Lawrin. It was a hot pace, too, because the winner had to tie the track record of 1:35 4-5, established by Peace Chance in 1885. Others expressed the opinion that Stagehand reached his peak in California and that even the great Sande hasn't been able to lift him again.
 It will be a sad day to tens of thousands of winter book players if Stagehand is pushed into the wings by his rivals on Saturday. Not for many 8 year has a derby eligible gotten the play that Stage hand has. A fortune will be riding on him when he answers the bugle.
 It looks now as if Stagehand will have Il or 12 rivals at the post. These are The Chief, Fighting Fox, Dauber, Bull Lea, Lawrin, Menow, Mountain Ridge, Can't Wait, Wise Fox, and Elooto. It would surprise no one, however, if Wise Fox, Elooto and Co-Sport were scratched.
 This group combines to make this years derby the toughest to figure in long time. In recent years one or two colts have dominated the field, but out of the II or 12 likely starters even the casual followers of the turf can name six or seven solid" horses, each with genuine chance to win. Stagehand's show ing yesterday hasn't lessened the trouble of naming winner. For a while he was the standout, but the recent showings of Fighting Fox, Bull Lea, Lawrin, and Dauber have made it wide open race.
 Only one thing about the 1886 derby is certain-all records for at tendance will be smashed to bits. Colonel Matt Winn, director gen. eral of the show. predicted crowd of 85,000 or more, and the hotel managers backed him up. Already the streets and taverns are packed. and rooms are at premium.
 By Friday night. when the Ken lucky colonels gather for their an- nual dinner and mint julep bout well, let's not think about that now.
 ~ ~ ~