The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-23
COLONEL WYNN GREAT BOONTO
 HORSE RAGING
Kentucky Derby Will Be Run; Would Have Helped
 Florida HOrsemen
BY JOE WILLIAMS

lucky Col. Matt W1nn meant lC when lle said the Derby would be run even if only two horses go to the post and only six persons sit in the stands.
 "Of course if the government says we can't run we won't, but that's the only thing that can stop us," the colonel added, routinely.
 You see the Derby is something more than just commercial prof ect to the colonel; it's something in which he has an intense pride, 8 parental pride. The Derby and the colonel grew up together. The one has been Identified with the other so long it's hard to split them out.
 The colonel's sentimental attitude toward the Derby is understandable and we aren't overlooking the hard fact 1t has made him mill lionaire. He saw the first Derby ever run from the inf1eld in his fathers wagon. It was just a coun- try fair race in those days. Since 1t has developed into the picture race of America |. the only race in this country which truly has national appeal. Over this long stretch of years the colonel watched the race grow in impor- tance, dignity and color; what is more to the point, he gave 1t these qualities through his shrewdness and soundness as promoter and a snowman. It is little wonder he is known as MT. Derby, himself.
 Should Survive
 The Derby has survived other wars. There is good reason to be- lieve 1t. will survive this one. Noth- ing has been able to stop 1t up to now. The Hun was pounding Paris by long range guns and American Doughboys were being conditioned for battle back of the lines when a field of eight answered the call for the 1918 war-tinae Derby at Churchill Downs, even then an aIl- tiuue among racing courses.
 The colonel sat in his box at the finish line that May day and watched one of the greatest horses of the American turf come down in front, W. s. Kilmer'S Exterrninator. War Cloud, appropriately, was the favorite but had foul racing luck and finished fourth. Exterminator was ignored by the innproverS of the breed and went of at 30 to l, the rank outsider.
 The Kilmer gelding was fifth at the half, took the lead at the mile, lost 1t at the stretch turn, collared K. D. Alexander's Escoba near the finish and pulled away to win by a zoot sut length. That was his first smashing victory. From then on he went to even more historic honors. He won at all distances from 5 1-2 furlongs to 9 IA miles. It got 80 they practically conceded the Sara toga cup to him; he won 1t four times in a row. He was still win- ming at nine when he was retired.
 That wartime derby was worth only. $l5,O00. This one will carry the modern tag, or $75,000 - even If "only two horses start and only six persons see it." If there ever was year when the Colonel would be justified in hedging this is 1t. And conditions being what they are he could lose himself. a large sheaf ot Morgenthau markers. But that's where his pride in the Derby would come in: It would be worth taking loss, in his philosophy, even a major loss, to maintain the tradi- ton the Derby must go on and 1t must go on in the big league man. ner. You read much about the gentlemen of the turf" It's a classification that covers multi tude of sins but reveals few Winns.
 The Colonel is a good business man, or else he. never would have built the Derby into what it is to- day. At the same time he has genuine affection for the thorough bred and something more than casual feeling for the horsemen. It is regrettable this can not be said for all parties who run race tracks
 No Quitter
 Just as an off-hand guess, we don't believe those horsemen down in Florida would be stranded now if the colonel had been in charge, Unless the government told him point blank not to run he would have found some way to finish what was left of the Tropical Park meet ing, anyway, a meeting that had only few more days to go; he would have felt he owed 1t to the horsemen who shipped south in the face of growing war time restraints to try to see them through. It's for sure he wouldn't have quit cold Nothing dislocateS the over all pattern of nations life like war, vet the closest the Derby ever came to being stopped was by a political wrangle which resulted in a ban on betting. in Kentucky. This was in 1908, and 1t was the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Colonel which saved the continuity of the race. The Colonel was telling us about this several years ago as he sat in front of his desk discussing the contemporary derby. It was the LawEin Derby if we remember rightly.
 Ives. they stopped betting thai year and it looked as f we were sir against it. But fortunately for li lt turned out the new laW wasn't fOolpro0g; it made t illegal 70 bel with h0lEomakefH, but it didn't aas anything about betting through tho maehlnes. It 70 happened machine betting in Kentueiy had been legal lrod Way hack in 1878 end that laN had never been repealed, 70 thil