The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-05
SUDDEN WORK BY FIGHTING C FOX ODDS
Belair Stud Horse Under Wraps in Drill - Now
 2Iz to 1 FavOrite
BY HENRY McLEMORE

D1 HEN Nkb N1CAtHNxOk66 United Press Staff Correspondent)
 Louisville, Ky, May 5.-(UP)-He came, he was seen, and he con- quered.
 That's Fighting Fox, the strap ping son of Galahad III and Mar guerite, and the Belair studs solid hope in Saturdays 64th running of the Kentucky Derby.
 Yesterday this time he shared the post of favorite with Stagehand, the Sande trained colt whose smashing runs down the stretch won him $150,000 in California dur ing the winter. But today, when- ever horsemen studied the probable field of ten which will go to the post in the Derby, they always wound up with one conclusion:
 "The Fox is the one to beat"
 For a bit of quiet, yet tingling drama, you need not go past the manner in which the Fox elevated himself to the post of favorite. It happened yesterday, between the third and fourth races on the card at Churchill Downs. The track was deserted, and the some 15,O00 fans, their bets on the third collected, and their bets on the fourth made, were sitting quietly in the stands, or lettering at the bars.
 Then, with no fanfare, no an- nouncement, horse and his jockey logged slowly along the backstretch. No one paid any attention to them, because between nearly every race some stable boy gallops a horse around the track.
 The boy and the horse took 1t easy and ambled into the far turn; no one gave them more than a passing glance.
 Then the boy must have said something, for in one great bound the horse was transferred from loafjng, easy striding animal into a Pegasus who seemed to fairly fly. No, Pegasus isn't quite right, be- cause he didn't seem as If he had wings; he gave you the impression of tremendous power, endless vital ity, and the will to run over any SAAAAA6 AA AAOAlt OA HILL
 The horse was Fighting Fox, with his man, Jimmy Stout, up.
 The Fox hadn't run fifty yards before every eye in the place was on him. Men laid down their juleps and rushed to @ place where they coul dsee. In the press box, type writers stopped clicking as the ex- perts ran to the outside. Bartenders and walters crowded to the win dows.
 And the Fox gave lem a show. He worked 8 mile and an eighth in 1:55 4-5 but the time doesn't mean anything. It was how he made that time. Save for a brief moment at the start, Stout never gave his mount his head. In fact, as the Fox came boiling down the stretch Jimmy was standing up, pulling up on the reins as hard as he could. But that didn't bother the Fox. His head was turned al- most around by the yanking, but on he went, magnificent picture of everything a race horse should be.
 The Fox's great showing ham, mered his odds down to 2 1-2 to 1 and made him the favorite. Next in line, at 3 to l, was the Maxwell Howard entry of Stagehand and the Chief. Bull Lea was 5 to 1, and Menow and Dauber 8 to 1. Lawrin was held at 10 to l, Can't Wait at l5 to l, Co-sport at 25 to 1, and Elootc at 30 to 1.
 Louisville is rapidly becoming a municipal madhouse. The biggest derby push in history is in full swing, and before post time on Sat- urday this town will be overrun' by fully 75,000 visitors.
 Every day from now to the derby Is New Years eve.
 In my quiet way I say: Let the Joy be unconfined.