Evening star., 1942-05-02
Field Is Reduced
To IS Starters;
First Prize0ut
Requested and AIsub
Second Choices, With
Greentree at z to
By ORLO ROBERTSON,

Associated Press Stan Correspondent.
CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louis
vile, May 2.-Sun Again, owned
by Warren Wrights Calumet
Farm, was scratched from the
Kentucky Derby this afternoon,
reducing to Is the field for the
66th running of the $4,000,
mile -and-a- quarter turf classic.
The scratching of Sun Again was
not entirely unexpected although
1t was believed this morning that
Trainer Ben Jones would make an
effort to win his second straight
Derby for the master of Calumet.
WhirlaWay won in the famous devil
red and blue silks last year.
Jones said Sun Again was short
of work and that he preferred to
give him another week so as to
be at his oest for next Saturdays
Preakness Stakes rather than take
a chance Of knocking the colt out
of condition.
First Prize Also Out.
Previously, E B. Johnson of Los
Angeles had withdrawn First Prize,
but the field of IA colts and one
gelding still, remained the largest
since War Admiral whipped 10
rivals in 1887 The winners share
of the richest Derby was reduced
to S64,225, with the purse aggre-
eating $36,250
First Prize had been considered a
doubtful starter ever since he was
entered yesterday.
After the first five races, Col. Matt
Winn, head of the Downs, estimated
that TIE mutuel handle was per
cent above last year, when the crowd
was estimated to be the largest in
the history. Observers who have
seen many of the classics estimated
the crowd at about $4,000 Thou
sands of sweltering people, many in
shirt sleeves, milled around the
infeld.
The lawn back of the stands was
packed like a New York subway
while long queues waited in front of
the mutuel windows to get a wager
down
The early betting on the Derby
favored Devil Diver and Shut Out
with the result that the odds on
Mrs. Payne Whitney's pair dropped
to less than to l. AT the same
time, the quotations against Re-
quested heightened, placing Ben
Whitaker's little Texas chestnut in
the same bracket with AL Sabath'S
Alsab at to l.
Neither did the combination of
Valdina Orphan and the Irish-bred
Hollywood draw much of the early
money.
Five in Mutuel Field.
The withdrawal of First Prize left
these five remaining in the mutuel
field: Fair Call, First Fiddle, Sweep
Stlnger, Sir War and Boot and Spur.
The crowd was only slightly below
those Of recent years, but there was
decided falling off of celebrities
from the political and movie fields.
Noted in the clubhouse we're Sec
retary of Agriculture Wickard, Gov.
Keen Johnson of Kentucky, Gov.
Murray Van Wagner of Michigan,
Gov. Frank M. Dixon of Alabama
and Senator (Happy) Chandler of
Kentucky. There was plenty Of mil
itary braid present, however, as
officers from nearby Fort Knox
and Bowman Field mingled with
the mob.
Haas Wins First Race.
Those hunch players who leaned
toward Requested, received en-
couragement from the first race
when Leon Buddy Haas of Fort
Gibson, Okla, the Whitaker colts
rider, brought Herbert M WoolfeS
Adulator, a first-time starter, home
with plenty to spare over II other
2-year-oldS. Adulator covered the
Al furlongS in 81 second without
being pushed. This is one and three
fifths off the track record.
George Wallace of Toronto, who
was to have ridden First Prize.
started the day on the wrong foot.
The 20-year-old Jockeys mount,
Jump Bid. was disqualified in the
second race after humping Nor
sweep in the stretch. and then fin
ishing first. The race was given 10