Evening star., 1949-05-05
Senecas Coin,
ky.CoIoneIP Put
In DefiniteList
Only Old Roekport
Conceded Chonce
To Beot Olympic
By the Assoeioied Press

! W WV ~S@S$fSsN1 ffSsp
| LOUISVILLE. KY, May 5.-The
potential Kentucky Derby field
shaped up today as bigger than
most observers have anticipated.
| Mrs. Albert Roth, owner of
Senecas Coin. said she definitely
expects to start the chestnut colt.
And Trainer John Goode, encour-
aged by Kentucky Colonel's snappy
workout today. said the j. A.
Goodwin colt would run.
That brings the number of
probable starters to around IL,
out few Of the owners or trainers
expect anything in the field to
beat Olympia in Saturdays Ia
mile classic.
| Among the smart guys" along
Shed Row. Old Rockport was
ranked as the only horse with q
chance to catch Olympia.
Old Rockport is the one horse
other than Ocean Drive-a stable
mate of Fred w. Hooper's Derby
favorite-to hang 1t on Olympia
this year. Rocky" did it in the
Santa Anita Derby February 10,
collaring the front-running Olym-
pia about so yards from the finish
to win by a length and q half.
Ocean Drive beat Olympia in the
Hibiscus Stakes at Hialeah a
month earlier.
Sharing the opinion of several
Derby veterans that If he did it
once, Old Rockport could pour it
on again was Plain Ben Jones.
the Calumet Farm trainer.
Ben Still Keen on Olympia.
Il still believe Olympia is going
to win," said Ben. but Old Rock
port appears to be the only horse
with a chance to beat him. If we
can take third with Ponder) I'll
be tickled to DEATH"
John Gaver, trainer Of the
Greentree Stable entry of Capot
and Wine List, wouldn't come
right out for Old Rockport, his
own pair, or any other horse, in
cluding Olympia.
He has been beaten. you know"
the Princeton grad declared.
| Clifford Mooers, who went to
Alaska to find gold but didn't and
finally got the stuff through Texas
oil wells. is high on Old Rockport.
But he refused to predict Derby
triumph.
Our horse is not q fast breaker,
but when he starts rolling he's
got the speed. Tt1e Derby at Santa
Anita showed that. He likes to
come from behind"
Mooers. who saw Olympia easily
trounce six others in Tuesdays
mile Derby Trial. was among those
who will find out If Olympia can
carry his blazing speed a mile and
one-quarter. When Old Rockport
won at Santa Anita, 1t was just a
mile and an eighth.
1--WE think the Derby is going
to be a horse race. and nobody's
got corner on it." Mooers added.
That. apparently. is the opinion
of lot of others, for Olympia is
expected to get at least IL op-
ponents in this 18th diamond
jubilee Derby.
Ocean Drive Declared Out.
"I still amt worried" said
Trainer Ivan Parke. To show 1t,
he declared Ocean Drive out of
the race and said he'd leave it up
TO Olympia and Eddie Arcaro.
The others, in addition to Pom
der, Old Rockport. Capot, Wine
List, Senecas Coin and Kentucky
Colonel. are j. A. Kinard. jr.'s
Johns Joy. Woodvale Farms Halt,
Isidor Bieber's Palestinian. Mrs.
Ada L. Rice's Model Cadet, Lex
brook Stables Lextown. j. H.
Seley's Duplicator, and Alton
Villa Farms Jacks Town. The
final decision on A. p. Cotter's
Petey Cotter is expected to be
made today.
With a dozen horses facing the
starter at 4::30 pm. Central
standard time-6:30 Washington
time) Saturday. the race would
gross $l17,650. The winner would
collect $S9, 500, third largest purse
in Derby history. Assault got
500, 400 in 1916, and Jet Pilot $92,-
600 a year later.
Meantime. Derbytown--swelter-
ing in 93-degree temperature
was beginning to fill with thou
sands of visitors for the gala rae
| ing show. The casual traveller
was getting politely but firmly
put out OF his hotel room or
motor court so those with reser-
vations could take over.