Evening star., 1943-05-01
Fans Wondering.
Why II Others
Are in Race
Ocean Wave Granted
Slim Upset Chance
In Turf Classic
BY SID FEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

Associated Press Sports Writer.
LOUISVILLE, KY, May Minus
much Of its face paint and its fire.
works-and definitely a war baby"
this year-the Kentucky Derby will
be unfolded for the Goth time today
and from end to end Of Derbytown
the neighbors' children are con-
vinced it's a cakewalk for Count
Fleet.
In fact, the expected $4,000 fans
who are riding the streetcars, the A
cards and Shank's mare to pic
turesque Churchill Downs, because
OF wartime travel restrictions, are so
sure "the Fleets in" that many are
wondering why the II other 3-year-
olds who entered will even bother to
show up when the band takes aim,
at $50 pm. Washington time, and
lets my Old Kentucky Home" drift
out in that way that makes even a
Yankee bare his head.
Only one of these 11-Ocean
Wave, stablemate of Whirlaway in
Warren Wright's barn-is being
given even the faintest chance Of
sinking the Fleet and thereby spoil
ing the rosy hopes of Mrs. John D.
Hertz Of the Chicago cab and livery
service Hertzes, for her second
Derby triumph.
Jones After Third Victory.
But the Wave walked home with
a cracked left foreheel last Tuesday,
and it wasn't until this morning
that his trainer, plain Ben Jones.
the Parnell (Mo) magician of the
turf, could even decide about send
ing the husky son Of Blenheim to
the post. In the Wave, plain Ben
was after his third victory In the
run for the roses, to follow up his
conquests with Lawrin in 1898 and
Whirlaway in Al.
The rest of the field, in which
there is total of II colts and one
gelding-the high-speed Gold Show
er, owned by Mrs. Vera S. Bragg of
Greenwich, Conn.-appears to be
able only to give it the good old
college try for second or third place.
Allen Simmons Blue Swords, which
gets the Akron (Ohio) vote, and w.
E. Boeing's Slide Rule, one Of the
"Boeing Bombers" which make up a
racing ENTRY" for the Seattle air
plane builder, are given some slight
consideration by the long-shot
plungers, but only by those affiliated
with the society of 2-buck bettors.
This is a Derby in which war has
hoap on olIod CT ~ froy,, Tho 1,,orI
go, and which threatened for a time
to end the continuous run for Col.
Matt Winn's colorful May Day
merry
Usual Derby Mob Missing.
AS result, the cash customers sit
ting In on this years party are
drawn, almost exclusively, from the
Greater Louisville area, as Col. Winn
promised OF course, there are the
usual few who seeped in, but they're
not having much fun about it. Hotels
here are bulging at the seams with
uniformed men and defense workers,
so newcomers have about as much
chance of finding a place to hang
their hats as they have Of finding a
good bottle of bourbon in this vir-
tually whisky-less village.
You notice Immediately that while
Louisville Is loaded for its annual
rlp-snorting party, it's not the usual
Derby mob. The streets late at night
aren't Jammed as in past years with
celebrants. The decorations around
town, the welcome Derby Visi-
tors" banners-the icing on the cake
just isn't here.
But the race itself is. And while
the Count definitely is the Mr.. Big
and some say he's the greatest since
Man O War, stranger Derby things
have happened in this mile and a
quarter than for him to chase some
oat-burner home. It was only three
years ago that unbeaten Bimelech
was just as much the fair-haired boy
and along came the 35-1 shot Gala
had1on to burst the bubble.
Chance of Surprise Slim.
II there's going to be any surprise,
however, the Wave looks to be the
Fellow who can pull the snapper, off
his recent triumphs in the Blue
Grass Stakes and the Derby Trial
Mile and always providing his heel
injury won't trip him up. It might
possibly be Blue Swords and Slide
Rule, too.
Anything beyond these three, and
possibly Gold Shower, however.
strictly is smoking a cigarette on
the wrong end.
For instance, there's Amber Light.
from the Dixiana Farm of Charley
Fisher. the Detroit automobile body
builder. He's a nice young fellow
and he nipped Ocean Wave In the
Louisiana Derby. But now he's re-
garded as strictly out of his league
Nrunning against these gee-gees at
mile-and-a-quarter and carving
1875 pounds.
Then there Is No Wrinkles. whose
chief claim to fame is that he is The
hope OF Mrs. Ethel v. Mars Of Chi
cago and Trainer Roy Waldron for
their second Derby winner follow
Ing Gallahadion; and Modest Lad.
dark horse entry Of Mrs. Henry L.
Finch, wife OF a New York stock
broker, and Twoses, the other half
OF Beings one-two punch, and
Dove Pie, which sports the silks of
j. Warfleld Rodgers of Memphis.
and Townsend B. Martins Bank.
rupt, and finally, Burnt Cork, en-
tered by Eddie (Rochester Of the
radio) Anderson. Rochester insists
this Is not gag for Mr.. Benny.