Evening star., 1944-05-06
Record Purse Likely
As $4,000 Gather
For Classic Today
BY CHARLES DUNKLEY,

Associated Press Sports Writer.
LOUISVILLE, May 6.-Come rain
or mud, sunshine and a not-so-fav-
orable track, 19 of the Nations out
standing 3-year-olds today awaited
post time for the running of the
10th Kentucky Derby with the list
of potential starters the biggest in
seven years.
Americas oldest and premier turf
classic, which brings together the
romance of tradition, color and the
thrill of sensational stretch finish,
probably will be witnessed by
crowd in excess of $4,000. It is the
greatest one-day color spot in sport.
Nothing in racing ranks with it in
adventure and breath-taking excite
ment.
Not all of the potential 10 starters
will go to the post at Sis pm, Gen.
trail war time, for the IL mile test,
but if all should, the race will be
the richest Derby in history with
gross value of $4,000. The owner of
the triumphant thoroughbred will
haul down q pot of $66,700.
The previous record purse was
$86,250 in 1912 when Shut Out gal
loped to victory to earn $64, ,225. For
each scratch the gross value and
purse to the winner shrinks by $500,
the starting fee that must be paid
As minutes before the horses are led
into the gate to face Starter Rueben
White.
Stir Up Remains Favorite.
Because of his performance in
winning the $25, ,O00-added Wood
Memorial and two other important
stakes this year, Stir Up, from Mrs.
Payne Whitneys Greentree Stable,
remained prerace favorite at odds
of 8 to S. His favoritism was fur
ther advanced by the fact that
he'll have Eddie Arcaro, the Ma
tons No. jockey, on his back.
Arcaro, twice Derby winner.
knows his way around the Churchill
Downs and the short cuts, too.
Almost everything worked out to
Stir Ups liking. He will start from
the No. s post position, spot that
will give him an opportunity to
break quickly and sweep into the
lead. The condition of the track,
even with welcome sunshine, does
not promise to be much better than
good" Furthermore, the Green
tree gelding can run on any kind of
a track, but favors one where the
footing isn't too firm.
After Stir Up, the winner becomes
strictly a guess. Warren Wright's
Pensive, Mrs. George Poulsen's
Broadcloth, M. B. Goff's Skytracer,
o. E. Breault's Challenge Me,
Alorter, Cramps Image, Autocrat
and Gay Bit all had their supporters
in what promised to be one of the
most open Derbies in years.
The track Handicapped made Stir
Up his No. / choice, with Skytracer
second choice, and Broadcloth
third. Challenge Me, Pensive,
Alorter, Cramps Image, Autocfat
and Gay Bit followed in that order.
Magic was being worked on the
racing strip to get it into the best
possible shape after nearly 36 hours
of rain. Crews with motor-operated
harrows kept turning the tracks
surface over and over, with the sun
and brisk breeze aiding in drying
in out.
Two Surprises in List.
When the entries were officially
closed yesterday there were two
in the list Of 10. The sur
prises were horses never before pre-
viously mentioned as Derby pos
sibilties. They were Comanche
Peak, which ran a corking sprint
race in the slop Thursday, and Peace
Bells, a filly which still has to make
Its first start. Neither probably will
go to the post.
It's typical Derby day in Louis
vile with hotels jammed and in
coming railroad trains loaded. The
sprinkling of celebrities was vastly
thinner than in prewar years, due to
the transportation problems and
of automobile travel.
The gates at Churchill Downs were
opened at 7 o'clock, although the
time of the first race of nine-race