The Wilmington morning star., 1947-05-03
BY SID FEEDER

LOUISVILLE, KY, May 2-P)
They are running the biggest
Kentucky Derby of them all at
picturesque Churchill Downs to-
morrow with Phalanx and Fault
less as the glamour g%allopers IN
a field of IA three-year-olds, and
a vast throng of 125, 900 expected
to sit in on the festivities.
This is the smallest field TO
run for the roses and the $4,000
since Count Fleet scared all but
nine others off just four years
ago. And you have to go back
ever farther than that. to Shut
Outs Derby five years ago, at least
to come up with a Derby as wide
open as this one is going to be
when MY Old Kentucky Home
drifts over the Downs at 4:45 p. m.
Central Standard Time) tomor-
row to call them onto the track
There were supposed to be only
Is in this field up to this morn
ing. Then the usual long shot
sleeper turned up in the entry
box in the form of the reformed
selling platter from Indiana, Bal
helm, a 200 to l winter book op-
portunitv and the field was full,
But it was not nearly as full as
derbytWon this time.
Back on its first f%ull-scale peace
time basis, with OPA price re-
strictions off, a visit to Col Matt
WINS Gaudy Gallop this time re-
ouired a healthy bankroll, which
will require important blood trans
fusions after the trip, what with
s25-a-day hotel rooms, dollar
sandwiches and coffee, $50 box
seats if you dealt with SPECTATORS
and even baby-sitters raising their
rates.
AS usual, though, the customers
were no more perturbed over
conditions than yer Phalanx, the
gentleman from Virginia." or
Faultless who could be trainer
Ren Jones fourth derby winner
were over their chances, IN the
run for the roses. -
They came by the hundreds anu
bv the thousands, by plane anu
train and car and wagons and plan
..shank's mare They had LOUIS
vile bullying at the seams as
one of the great crowds OF Amer.
ican sports history piled in for
The 73rd edition of the Derby.
There was the usual DeIps
glory waiting at the finish OF Ine
tongh acknowledgements grlno'
and there was a huge pot Of gold
second largest in Derby history, :;
An additional $3.50 in .sman
change" was even thrown ln1o Ine
Mt at the last minute today. max
mo # a gross of $121 ,21o and a
Winners VIII pay-check Of ss3, 100.
The $3.50, incidentally, was me
result Of a Kentucky Racing com
mission rule which requires dis
tribution among other races o.
y nrogram of any purse money
which would have been PAID loa
. race that does not I'LL IN lie
same program. Four Of the sens sd
,,1ed faces on the derby caro-
which gets underway at ll:So a,
NJ failed to fill and had TO pe
substituted with cheaper even.s .
The weatherman obliglngiy canie
IN with fair and warmer whisn
could make the going Iast ny
time starter Ruby White gives
them ..come on, now" 60
But it has been muddy mere .ol
two DAYS now, and it was threa,,
ening again today, a mater wt
was welcomed no END by oa, ha
Tom smith, the one-time COWBOY
from Georgia. n:,o the
Silent Tom trains Jet Pilot me
al 600 Cosmetics Kia" from utt
harm of lipstick princess "a -
(Arden) Graham, and tne 80. 4s;s
the high-speed front-runner Oh enl<
field. loves mud as much as aus
; He proved that on Derby das
last wear, right on this race track:
| when he valtzed in by nine lenetAI