Evening star., 1943-04-18
Hoof Cut Early,
But Hertz Colt
Breezes Home
Beats Blue Swords,
Discouroges Other
Derby Candidates
BY SID FEDER,.
Associated Press Sports, Write,


NEW YORK. April 17.-In spite
of gashed hind foot, Count Fleet
mopped up just about all the Ken
tucky Derby's Eastern delegation to-
day by taking the Wood Memorial
at Jamaica in waltz-without
music.
He came home swinging on the
bit by four lengths in front of seven
other Derby eligibles. after suffer-
ing the cut in his left hind foot
In scramble at the starting gate.
Although the injury bled consid-
erably. it was not regarded as seri-
GUS after a preliminary examina-
ton. So. tonight the tall son of
Reign Count pointed his long brown
"beak" at the $4,000 bank roll wait
ing at Churchill Downs on May l.
and the railbirds told you it
strictly was a case of shooting
blackbirds at midnight If you had
even remote idea of picking
against him.
Today the pride and joy of Mrs.
John D. Hertz pocketed a $40, $50
pay check and at the finish had left
Allen Simmons Blue Swords four
lengths behind, with Jockey Johnny
Lengden easing him up from the
eighth pole to the wire.
Mutuel Support" Is Record.
Although he had absolutely no
competition, he hit the wire in 1:43
for the mile and a sixteenth, just
two-f1fths of a second off the track
record. He ran, in fact, just as a
1-to-4 shot should run, and that's
exactly what the crowd of 24,074
made him-$250 for $2-as they
poured $196. 1892 into the mutuel ma
chimes on him. smashing all rec
ords for the support" ever given
one horse in New York. Previously,
the high had been $4,000 "in-
vested" on Whirlaway in the Su-
burban Handicap at Belmont last
May.
After letting Blue Swords cut out
the early pace. there simply was
nothing to it. The Count poked his
way in front before they'd gone half
a mile. From there on it was simply
a question of how much he'd win by.
Only two of the trainers said after
the race that they were sure they'd
go to the Derby. These were Don
Cameron, who keeps the eagle eye on
the Count, and Walter Kelley, Blue
Swords conditioner. They're plan
ming to ship the colts Monday, al
though Cameron pointed out that it
would all depend on the extent Of
the Counts injury.
Foot Gashed at Start.
From Cameron it was learned that
the cash had punctured to the
"coronet bone" of the Counts left
hind foot, with an area of about 3
inches affected.
The mishap occurred just at the
start. Mrs. Henry Finch's Modest
Lad ducked coming out and bumped
into w. L. Brann's Vincenttve. Vim
centive went over on the Count,
and the blood spurted.
The race also uncovered a fair dis
'Cance-runnlng prospect III w. T..
Boeing's Twoses, who came from far
back to finish third, six lengths be-
hind Blue Swords.
Except for those three, however,
the others might just as we'll have
stood in bed" Slide Rule, regarded
as the No. horse in Boeing's barns
since Devils Thumb was injured
stopped to walk and finished fifth.
length behind Texas Ben
Whitaker's Pops Pick. Bringing up
the rear were Modest Lad, Mrs.
Payne Whitney's Four Freedoms
and Vincentive, in that order.
With his victory, the Count not
only cut down the size of the Derby
field. but also boosted his earnings
to $98,345.
Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, six times
winner of the Wood, scratched both
his entries-Tp-Toe and Bossuet-
and announced he would ship
neither to the bluegrass.