Evening star., 1941-05-01
-Four Of Likely II
Starters Now
Well Backed
Fost Workout Places
Dispose in Group
Coming Favor
BY ORLO ROBERTSON,


LOUISVILLE, KY, May War
news was all but shunted to the
sidelines today as this horse loving
community plunged headlong into
its annual guessing game.
The daily papers still headlined
the news from abroad, but along
the main drags, in hotel lobbies,
barber shops and taverns the No.
l question did not concern war. It
was: Who will win the 5000 Ken
lucky Derby over Churchill Downs
classic mile and a quarter late Sat-
urday afternoon.
Not in many years has selecting
the Derby winner so dumbfounded
hardbootS from the nearby bluegrass
county, experts gathered from all
sections of the country and the man
who backs his choice with two bucks.
Eleven 3-year-oldS, survivors of an
original field of 112, are expected to
answer the call to Boots and Sad
dies" around 5;45 pm. washington
| time) before some $4,000 fans. but
| there's not a Bimelech, Johnstown
or War Admiral among the lot.
Our Boots Well Liked.
True, there are two standout
juveniles of 1910 and the winners
of winter racings' big stakes among
the H. But picking one of the quar-
tet is almost as difficult as threading
a needle in the dark.
There's Our Boots. winner of the
rich 1910 Belmont Futurity which
never has sent its victor on to cap
ture the Derby; Whirlaway. top
money winning 2-year- old of last
year; Dispose, good enough to whip
F1orida's top 3-year-olds in the
Flamingo at Hialeah Park, and Por-
ter's Cap, who showed the way home
in the $4,000 Santa Anita Derby
and Chesapeake Stakes at Havre de
Grace.
All but Dispose figure to be high
in the wagering-Our Boots because,
OF his fine showing in the Bluegrass
| Stakes at Keeneland, Whirlaway be-
cause of his fast closing second to
Blue Pair in Tuesdays Derby trial
and Porter's Cap because of his
Santa Anita and Chesapeake tri-
umphs and the ownership of Charles
S. lucky Howard.
Porter's Cap Has Backing.
Lady Luck has been running for
Howard since the West Coast auto
mobile dealer purchased Seabiscuit
a few years back. and there are
many who think she'll be on hand
again to help Buddy Haas boot the
Cap home.
Dispose, however, picked up some
Of his lost support yesterday when
he stepped the Derby distance in the
fast time of 2:06s5 under the watch
full eye of Make Hirsch, who sad
| died Bold Venture to win in 1886.
But, in a Derby such as this, one
can't overlook Blue Pair, who
whipped Whirlaway in the Derby
trial despite a leg injury and sore
back; Market Wise, victor over many
of the EaSt'S best in the Wood Me-
mortal, and Robert Morris, son of
sprinting Jacopo. who whipped older
horses in the Excelsior Handicap
at Jamaica last week. Others strict
ly are outsiders unless it comes up
mud, in which case Cleaveland Put
mans Swain Is considered to have
a good chance.
| T.
Otherwise, the 67th running Of the
Derby appears much the same.
Louisville streets as usual are being
hung with bunting, windows are
decorated to remind one of the big
event and hotels are dotted with
many of the fans who make the
annual pilgrimage to Derbytown.
Additions have been made to the
Downs itself, but still there are beau
tiful flower gardens to help one for
get his losses at the mutuel win
dows, and rambling stands that ex-
tend from the top of the stretch.
a quarter mile from the finish line,
down to the first turn.
One of the favorites or maybe
one of the outsiders may come out
of this race to prove himself another
Gallant Fox, Twenty Grand or
Cavalcade, but until such time
Saturdays race will have to be con-
sidered one of the most uncertain
in long list of renewals.