The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-05
TEXANS GO WILD
AT THE FINISH
Greatest Crowd In Ameri-
can Racing History
On hand
By SID + EUEk

spaces of Texas, struck lightning
on the stretch of Churchill Downs
today to win the Kentucky Derby
like his daddy did - and the great
est crowd in American racing his
tory saw him do it.
Lanky, come = from : behind As
sault found a hole to slide through
the quarter mile stretch ct heart
freak highway. He then ;ust came
home swinging on the oit, by eight
lengths, the first Texas bred-and-
born-and-oWned three years old
ever to win the run for the roses.
And as he hit the wire far in
front of the sagg4ng Spy Song, the
hundreds OF Texans in this vast
throng - estimated by Colonel
Matt VIM, the derby impressario,
as easily over 100, 000'' - let out
the yippee-yi-yay yell Of the South
west SO loud you could hear it like
gunfire over the roar of the finish.
1t was a Texas victory all the
way in this End running of the
Blue Grass Classic, as the high :
speed Spy Song faded to second at
the stretch and the fancy favorite,
Lord Boswell, could only get fourth
Wrecking Jockey Eddie Arcaro's
hopes of setting a new high of rid
ing four derby winners. Fox Catch
er Farms Hampden was barely
back Of Spy Song, but far behind
Assault.
For, this chocolate cnamp-the
son of Bold Venture - was running
in the brown and white silks of
Robert J. Kleberg, Jr., from the
Lone Star State, and he was born
there March rs, 1913, on the wide
ranches of his owners king ranch,
SO vast no one is quite sure whether
it covers 800, 900 or 900, 900 acres.
And most of all it was Texas
Make Hirsch, the training wizard
who was born in Fredericksburg,
Texas, 66 years ago and who began
his career as a 68 pound jockey at
the Gillespie County fair in his
home town.
It was Make who saddled As
sault's daddy, Bold Venture, and
sent him out to win the big blue
grass heat just ten years ago. And
it was Make who took over Bold
Ventures lanky son, Assault after
Kleberg had bought the '36 derby
winner for $1,000 to start a family.
About the only thing in Assaults
victory that didn't come from deep
in the heart of Texas was the little
hot-horse rider on his back-Tiny
Warren Mehrtens who did just
about the perfect job as he held the
usually-lagging colt close up all
the way, then shot him through to
the wire and that SO, 400 pay check
waiting for the winner there.
Warren halls from horse-country
of Brooklyn, N. Y, to the 26-year
old booter it was Gust about the
easiest victory 1 ever rode"
Finishing behind Assault in this
order were: Spy Song, Hampden,
Lord Boswell, Knockdown. Ala
mond, Bob Murphy, Pellicle, Per
feet Bahram, Ripley, Jooar. Dark
Jungle, Alworth, With Pleasure,
Marine Victory, Wee Admiral and
Kendor.
Getting back on q %reace-time
basis after struggling to keep going
through four years of war, the
derby put on its richest and most
spectacular show today, indication
that sports anticipated post war
champagne and caviar era is here
to stay.
The huge throng, jamming every
inch of the picturesque downs from
| stretch turn to clubhouse bend and
giving the infield its usual sardine
can effect, went along with the
"bigness" of this 72nd running of
the historic run by tossing a new
world record ST, 202, 474 into the
mutuels on the derby alone, much
more than the old high of $805, 082
chalked up in the Santa Anita
handicap last winter.
And from there they rounded out
the program by treating the iron
men to a new derby-day record
handle of So, sos, 208, well over a
million dollars more than the old
high of So, $50. 796 the rs, 1000 custom
ers wagereo a year ago.
From here, Assault can make
some more history repeat. He
climbs on q train Monday and
heads for Baltimore and the preak-
ness, which his daddy also won
before he was injured so badly
he had to retire.
The field Of II, 500, was the larg-
est in nine years to go to the post
to the strains of my old Kentucky
homa,"-largest since war admiral
whipped 10 others in 1887.
And few O.: them had any alibis
once Assault cut loose on them,
although the sleek, sturdy Lord
Boswell couldn't get through a
| switch he ran into on the back
stretch just as he appeared about
to start his move.
Son of Igual, a daughter of Equi-
noise. and resembling the great
Chocolate Soldier more than he
does his daddy, Assault and Mehr-
tens were the big team.