The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-05-02

y
the blue grass classic.
test of speed and stamina start
ing at about $50 pm, Central
War Time. To the winner will
go S65,225 net, a garland of
roses and recognition as the No.
l candidate for three-year old
turf honOrS in 1912.
SOME MAY SCRATCH
In all probability not more
than Is of the overnight entries
will parade to the post as the
band strikes up the Derby's
theme song-"My Old Kentucky
Home" Trainers have until AS
minutes b efo post time to
scratch, in which case the size
Of the purse TO the winner will
be reduced $500 for each horse
withdrawn.
EllWood B. Johnston of Los
Angeles was doubtful whether
he would pay the $500 necessary
to start first prize, one of the
geldings, while trainer Roy Wal
drOn said he would scratch Mrs.
Ethel V. Mars Dogpatch if it
came up mud.
There also was remote posi-
bility that trainer Ben Jones
would d g c d e that Warren
Wrights Sun Again was not
quite ready for the gruelling run.
The master Of Calumet farm,
however, would like nothing bet
ter than TO bid for his second
straight Derby victory, having
won with Whirlaway last year.
VIM CONFIDENT
Meanwhile, high in his sane
tum overlooking the vast Downs,
Col. Matt VIM predicted that
his dream would finally come
true and there would be a crowd
of 100000. Far be It from this
corner to contradict the man
who saw the first Derby from
grocery wagon and then build
L into a world famous turf clas-
sic.
AS late as "a hours ago there
were indications the crow
would not measure up to that
Of recent years, but overnight
the people Came-by train, air
plane, cars, buses and even Ohio
River steamboats,. They thronged
the hotels, jammed the streets
and taxed the hospitality of the
home folks who have been ac-
cuStomed to seeing their city TAX
en- over once a year by a fun
loving, free-spending throng.
Col. VIM, in predicting a
crowd that would hit six fig
ures, said he based his opinion
on yesterdays attcndance-the
largest pre-Derby turnout in
many year. The mutuel handle
was upwards of 100000, indi-
eating also the endangering of
the Derby wager record Of ST.
O96,6l3 established in 1926 when
bubbling over won for E. r.
Bradley.
The Downs itself was dressed
in all its best bib and tucker,
but by nightfall therell be lit
tie of its beauty left, with the
mob over-running every nook
and corner in an effort to get
glimpse of the horses as they
start at the head Of the stretch, !
dash past the grandstand the
first time, pound their way down
the baCkstretch and then turn
in the last quarter-mile - the |
quarter-mile that has broken
the heart Of many a good horse.
In fact, there is little indca-
ton off past performances just |.
how far and how fast any Of the |
field can 90. As a result the ex-
perts have been up in the air for
weeks. Al Sabath's AlSab won ten |
straight "a CeS last year and |
headed into his three-year-old |
campaign, apparently unbeat-
able.
But the little Chicago-owned |
colt has yet to have his nose in
front i'm 1912. with the result |
he was no better than 4 TO |
in the early betting. In his stead |
at the top of the books was the
)ne-two punch Of Devil Diver
and Shut Out from Mrs. Payne
Greentree stable and |
Ben Whitaker's game little Tex
an.
Requested, who yielded only .
20 Alsab as the bargain colt of /
l94l, started the season Ike Sa-
baths pride and joy-by losing
But he came back TO win the
Flamingo at Hialeah lark, was
third behind Alsab i'm the CheS-
,peakc Stakes a Havre De Grace
and then wound up by taking
the wood at Jamaica. Conse-
luently he was held at 3 TO l. !
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