Evening star., 1949-02-20
Rich Derby Won
By Old Rockport.
Santa Anita
1871 Outsider Beuts
: WeII-Bocked Olympic
By Length and Half
BY the Asseeiotsd Press

ARCADIA, Calf, Feb. 19.-Old
Rockport, a rank outsider. and
youthful Gordon Glisson, an ap-
prentice rider, teamed today to
score a resounding upset victory
in the 100000 Santa Anita Derby
Running over the heavily backed
Olympia IN a drive to the wire as
$4,000 fans watched in amaze
ment, Old Rockport tucked away
the 18th edition of the Santa
Anita sophomore special with a
decisive length and a half triumph
over the Florida ace.
Third behind Old Rockport and
Olympia came Admiral Lea, and
fourth in the field of IA 3-year-
olds was Alfred G. Vanderbilt s
Stone Age.
Old Rockport, a 80 to / shot,
won $94.700 net for his jubilant
owner. Clifford Mooers of Lexing-
ton. KY, who witnessed the race.
Biggest howl came when Old
Rockport's payoff in the betting
was flashed on the giant tote
board-$68.l0 to win. $17.70 to
place and $3.50 show. The win
was the second highest return in
the Derby history.
Wins Second OFF Record.
The time for the mile and one
eighth was 1:50H, one-ffth of a
second shy of the Derby record
hung up by Bymeabond in 1945.
The flnishers behind the first
four in the mad scramble for the
record gross purse of $141 300
were, in order:
Hayseed, So La CT, Ocean Drive,
Olympia's stablemate; Swap Out,
Duplicator, Pedigree. Bolero, Black
Fox II, Audacious Man and Count
Victor.
For a time it appeared that
Olympia. owned by Fred w.
Hooper of Montgomery, Ala,
would do a repeat job on his
wire to wire win in the $4,000
San Felipe Stakes two weeks ago.
Willie Garner broke him on top
and wheeled off into a command
ing lead by the time the pack hit
the clubhouse turn. Travelling
down the backstretch, wheeling
along in a ground hugging fog
that all but obscured the race
from the roaring crowd, it still was
Olympia in lead that once rolled
up to four lengths.
Old Rockport Makes Drive.
Admiral Lea. Mrs. Ada L. Rice's
spanking brown colt, was the
nearest thing to Olympia. with
Bolero running in the third spot.
Old Rockport and 18-year-old
Glisson. racing his first big stake,
stayed up around fifth or sixth,
and then came with a rush as the
turn into the stretch loomed into
view.
He came on, running past Ad-
miral Lea and then collared the
game. but tiring Olympia some so
yards from the finish.
Olympia tried to hang on. but
there was no stopping Old Rock
port in his drive for the winning
wire.
Old Rockport. making the 18th
start of his young career, had
won four minor races and a
trifling s21,985 going into today.
After running ninth to Olympia
in the San Felipe, he was all but
overlooked in the pre-race cal
culations.
Owner Mooers maintains a
farm in Kentucky, but made his
money in oil in Texas.
"No Excuses" Garner Says.
The amazing apprentice, Glis-
son, riding sensation at the cur
rent meeting-he's leading the
pack-put it this way as he
climbed off Old Rockport:
What a thrill: l laid about
sixth in the backstretch. had 10
take back at the far turn, but I
had a lot of colt under me in the
drive for the wire"
mo excuses, we just got tired, ="
said Garner.
You just can't stop anything
like the winner when he goes past
you," said Eddie Arcaro, who had
the leg on Admiral Lea.
Johnny Longden, on So La CT
and seeking his third win in the
event, likewise had no excuses,
nor did Wayne Wright, whose
Hayseed ran second to Olympia
two weeks ago.
The total money bet on the
race was $574,087. a drop from
the $780, ,606 bet last year or the
record $751; 300 wagered when On
Trust won in 1947.
The eight-race program drew a
total mutuel wager of $3,047 ,301.