Imperial Valley press., 1940-04-14
SPORTS PARADE
BY HENRY MCLEMORE-

-'I' W LINN. Ap4lI 10. iOPl-
A tip on the Kentucky DERBY horse
travels faster than a humming bird
hurrying for home. Three years ago
the public choice was Billionaire
He finished Goth and last to War
Admiral. Two years ago the smart
boys whispered the name of Bull
Lea. He trailed in eighth place. Is
lengths behind Lawrin. Last year
the wise money was on Technician
This bold bucko ended fifth behind
JohnStown.
Still II seems. the suckers never
learn. This year. q new hot thting
L riding the crest of the winter
books. The name of this beauty is
Midland, the Brenda Diana Duff
Frazier of 1910. In the short space
of a single month this one-hor5e-
incident has dropped from 1O0-l to
40-l to Isl to l2-l-and still is
sinking.
The boys in the back room call
Midland an international incident
because he is the closest thing the
turf can offer to parallel a Rome
Berlin axis He is the son of D'AreZ-
20, an italian stallion who did most
of his early racing in Germany. Mic
D'AreZzo was a hclluva horse. He
won at six furlongs and he won at
mile and a half, carrying up to 1873
pounds in doing it. He won in Ger
many and he won in Italy. and
finally. BY some Sleight of hand
which still IS regarded as skulldug-
gerry by tho German government.
he was imported to the United
States by H. w Ray of Hillsboro,
Ore.
Since immlgratlng. MILO DArezzo
has produced several sons. All of
them were ordinary until Midland
came up 10 the races and began to
run. Run he did In act to date,
/ he has run faster than any Oregon
horse ever bred But this fact alone
can hardly be considered as a true
qualification for the derby. the big
geSt race in the country.
Mloland is a solid third choice
for the derby. Although hc lags
somewhat behind Blmellch and
ANDY K. hc is tied with Carrier
Pigeon. In cvorv bookio shop you
Lear his name and IN southern Cal
fornia he Is hotter than the forrest
fire which swept Santa Monica. But
what I would like to know and, in
cidentally. what most of the real
turf experts want TO know, is why
Midland IS getting this tremendous
| backln2.
Racing conservatives say that
/ Mlcland's eyes arc too narrow fof
am roallq great horse. As well, his
record IS merely mediocre, The
oregon bred mas run II times to
date. Although IN 1893 he won three
Of his five trips 10 the post and
never was out nf tho money, this
season he has Won but tTo of his
six attempts But after his third
start this vcar. he was purcha 5ed
for SIS 900 b. Charles S Howard OF
San Francisco the owner of Sea-
biscuit ana Kayak II and WAS given
INTO the hands Of Trainer Tom
Smith.
These Two gentlemen may not be
actually miracle men but apparently
ther are 50 regarded by the betting
public In his first race under the
Howard banner. Midland finished
18th. In hls ncXt, the $4,000 Santa
ANITA Derby. he closed a dozen
lengths from the half 20 finish a
flvIng fourth. The nc#t time out he
won.
This was in the 10000 San Juan
Capistrano Handicap the getaway
dav feature at the great grrrn Call
fornia plant. In that race Mloland
defeated every top horse who had
whipped him IN the Santa Anita
Derby. He finished the mile and
a sixteenth III :42-tWO-flithS, a
length and a quarter IN front The
winter book parade has dated from
there.
Where tins parade VIII end, I
frankly don't know. We do know
where Billlonalrc Bull Lea, and
Tcchnician ended, We know as vel.
where my choice usually end. After
all was on BlIhOnairc Bull Lea
and Technician. | gave them 10 you
aa mOncy-bac sure things This
year however. I'm doubtful about
Mioland IN fact, I don't think I
like him. So better climb aboard.
suckers before | aiVc you my four
star special for 1870 II you do it