Evening star., 1943-05-01
Ocean Wave0ut
Of Derby; Only
10000 on Hand
Twoses Also Cut From
Field, Giving Edge
To Count Fleet
Earlier Story on Page AIRY

Earlier Story on Page A-12.)
BY the Associated Press.
CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louis
vile, May 1.-Warren Wright,
Chicago and Lexington sports
man, announced this afternoon
that he had decided mot to
start" his Ocean Wave in the
69th Kentucky Derby late today,
a decision that left the $4,000
race virtually at the mercy of
the mighty Count Fleet.
Mr.. Wright made the statement
four hours before the scheduled
Derby post time $3.50 pm. EWT)
and before the colt. who has been
suffering with an injured left FORE
leg, had been officially withdrawn
through the secretary's office
The Wave, stablemate of Whirl-
away in the Wright string, won the
Blue Grass Stakes and the Derby
Trial in the last IL days and came
out of each with cracked left fore
heel. AS result of the two VIC
tories, he has been regarded as the
only horse in the field capable of
challenging Mrs. John D. Hertzs
Count Fleet for the big end of the
pot today.
Ten Left in Field.
With the Wave out of it. the field
was left with a total of 10 con-
tenders. since Twoses, one half of
the entry of w. E. Boeing, Seattle
airplane manufacturer, had been
withdrawn earlier. .-,,-
There had been rumors going
through the somewhate slim crowd
of about 10000 fans-compared to
the 10000 turnouts of other years
all morning that Twoses would be
withdrawn, but it was not until the
third race was about to be off that
Trainer Cecil Wilhelm turned up at
the racing secretary's office to Of
ficially enter the scratch"
Col. Matt Winn, head man of the
Downs, stayed with his prediction
that some $4,000 or $4,000 of the
neighbors would be on hand for this
"streetcar" Derby, but when the
card opened at noon there were
large patches of empty space where
thousands were jammed in other
years. AS the horses were led to
the paddock for the first race only
some 10000 were on hand.
Meantime, the chances Ocean
Wave, second choice to the fleet
Count Fleet, had of getting to the
starting post in the 5000 scramble
at $50 pm. (EWT) still were in the
yes-and-no stage because of his all
ing left foreheel.
Trainer Ben Jones had the husky
son of Blenheim on the track for
half-mile blowout" in 40 3-5 sec
onds and then walked him around
the barn, and in neither case did
the hope of Owner Warren Wright
OF Chicago appear sore or lame.
Delayed Decision on Ocean Wave.
Afterward, a veterinarian looked
over the leg, which was injured
when the horse won the Derby trial
mile last Tuesday Jones said, how
ever, that while things look better" :"
he would make no definite decision
about starting the Wave until the
middle of the afternoon.
Most of the other Derby dandies
also were on the track early for their
final pre-race "pipe-openers" Mrs.
Ethel v. Mars No Wrinkles and Mrs.
Vera S. Bragg's Gold Shower both
dashed five-eights, but were asked to
move with so little zip that the
clockers didn't even bother timing
them.
Count Fleet galloped once around
the brown, well-harrowed racing
strip, then went back to the barn
to take a nap and have lunch and
wait for his call to the post for
what 8 out of every 10 boys and
girls thought was going to be an
easy win for him.
Despite an Office of Price Admin
istration freeze of food and drink
prices at early April levels the an
nual Derby gouge was on.
Visitors found prices hiked way
up and OPA officials here said they
were besieged with complaints.
The local OPA staff was short
handed because most of the in
vestigators are in Harlan County
checking cost of living prices.