Evening star., 1939-05-04
Only Six Horses
Now Declared
Sure 10 Go
Smallest List Since
War Looms; Choice
In Fast Workout
BY SID FEEDER.
Associated Press Sports Writer.

LOUISVILLE, KY, May 4.-The
family jewels were riding right on
Johnstowns white-marked nose to-
day, so strong was the conviction
that Jamestown's big boy would be
the horse to beat Saturday in what
shapes up now as the smallest
Kentucky Derby field since the
World War.
Astonished at the sparkling 1885
mile he worked yesterday in his
first crack at the Downs cuppy
footing, the folks already on hand
for the big doings and those pour
ing into town in every sort of con-
veyance outshouted supporters OF
all other contenders to such an
extent the chances are he will be
less than even money by post-time,
and may come close to the all-time
payof bottom, the $40 Hindoo
returned in 1881.
Only rain-and there was a slight
chance Old Man Weather might
try that trick-could make him
anything but the top-heavy choice
against field that figures to con-
tain no more than eight other
horses in the march to the barrier.
T. NJ. Dorset Has Fever.
With Joe w. Browns T. M. Dor
sett suffering from slight fever
and a very doubtful starter, w. E.
Boeing's Porter's Mite showed no
inclination for the mile and quar-
ter distance and several other eligi-
bles lacking Derby class, the Is
earlier possibilities were falling of
in punches.
Six only are definite: Johnstown,
Herbert NJ Woolf's Technician, w.
L. Brann's Challedon, William zieg-
Ter, jr.'s, Ell Chico, Valdina Farms
Derby trial winner. Viscounty, and
Heather Broom, the chestnut colt
Earl Sande brought to Derbytown
for J. H. Whitney.
Mrs. Bessie Franzheim's Xalapa
Clown may go If it comes up mud
and if there's nothing wrong with
his condition, factor about which
you hear rumors here and there.
Mrs. Ethel v. Mars probably will
have one starter, either On Location
or No Competition, as much from
sentiment as for any other reason.
Junius w. Bells Steel Heels is an
other possibility, rated OF his third
place finish in the trial.
And that's about the size of 1t,
although where the Derbys con-
cerned, anything can happen be-
tween now and the time the entries
are dropped in the box tomorrow
morning. For that reason, you
can't definitely declare out such
others as Tom Taggart's Yale o.
Nine, w. H. Whitehouse's American
Byrd or Shady Brook Farms Time
full. But if they come along at all
it can't be for more than just the
ride. And the $500 entry fee is a
lot to pay for that privilege.
Weather Outlook Gloomy.
Only the oldest Derby-goers re-
member as small a field. That was
the great Exterminator's year, 1918,
when only eight answered the bugle.
Since then, there have been at least
10 each year and 20 or more half
a dozen times.
Weather possibilities for the end
of Derby week weren't anything to
write home about. The Weather
Bureau predicted showers for Fri
day and added, unofhcially, that
there might be more of the same
on Derby Day. Even if Derby Day
is clear, however, the Downs oval
is slow to dry out, and rain Friday
may take the edge off the surface.
If it should be slow, Technician,
Challedon and Xalapa Clown might
make it tough for Johnstown.
And here again Owner William
Woodward, seeking his third tri-
umph in the Blue Grass classic, has
the jump on the Others For, in
addition to the jamestown colt, he
has brought along another and even
bigger eligible, the Challenger II
offspring, Challenge, which likes
sloppy stepping and which showed
with a 1:55 workout for the mile
and-an-eighth yesterday that the
Downs footing offers no fear for
him.