Evening star., 1949-05-03
Derby's Leading Men
Facing Test in Mile
Trial al Louisville
gr the Assoe,a,ed Pre.,

LOUISVILLE, KY. May 3.-This
Kentucky Derby business really
begins to warm up today with eight
candidates for Saturdays Slo0. 900
jamboree squaring off in a race
worth 500, 900 less-the Derby trial.
Several of the leading men" in
the world famous classic are slat-
ed for action in the l-mile trial.
1t Is the final test before Satur-
days colorful show. Then some
100000 turf customers will jam
Churchill Downs TO the limit and
make Col. Matt J. Winn exceed
ingly happy that the thing got
started rs years ago.
The three big horses in this aft
ernoon's race appear to be Fred
wv. Hooper's powerful combination
Iof Olympia and Ocean Drive and
Greentree Stables ever dangerous
Capot. Each will carry 1lS
pounds.
Then there is the Calumet Farm
pair of De Luxe and Ponder. II
they belonged to other than Calu-
ment and canny Ben Jones, they
probably wouldn't rate much con-
Slderation. But when Trainer
Ben gets a horse ready for the
Derby. you just have to look twice
because Of Calumet'S great record
in the last eight wears
Daily Double Troubles.
The rest of them in the trial,
Mrs. H. J. Damm's Roundeleer
Arthur P. Cotter's Petey Cotter
and Alton Villa Farms Jacks
Town. could be in there just for
the ride. Ponder. Roundeleer and
Jacks Town are in with ITO, and
Petey Cotter and De Luxe have
112 each.
Olympia, who has been favored
for the Derby since Blue Peter
dropped out, and Ocean Drive
undoubtedly will rule the public
choice this afternoon. with Capot
not far off in the mutuel depart
ment.
If you're a horse player having
difficulties with the daily double
and who doesn't-pauSe and con-
slider the double perplexities here
l. Jockey Ted Atkinson. Theo-
dore will ride Capot today and
whatever happens he'll have to
decide by Saturday whether to
take that one or Greentree's other
barrel. Wine List. Doug Dodson
will ride the one Atkinson passes
up.
2. Jonder and De Luxe. Ben
Jones has been nursing the pair
along since the winter season in
Florida. Neither has done much,
but remember Ponder's papa,
Pensive? In 1914 Pensive hadn't
set any worlds afire. So Ben put
him in the Derby and came out
with the roses, o gold cup and a
little matter of s64,675.
Check on Ocean Drive.
3. Trainer Ivan Parke, with
Olympia and Ocean Drive.
Olympia would like a fast track
Saturday and the weather man
won't guarantee anything yet.
Ocean Drive still is under treat
ment for sinus. He wasn't ticketed
for the Derby, but ran such a good
race at Jamaica last Friday Hooper
decided to fly Ocean Drive down
for another chance.
obviously we want to win the
Derby" Atkinson said, land I want
to be on the right horse. I prob
ably won't decide between Capot
and Wine List until Saturday. but
at least I'll know more after to-
day."
Calumet Ben doubted he had
much Derby prospect" bit
added:
I'm going to find out today.
If one of them runs a creditable
race, he'll start in the Derby. If
not. then we'll just have to try
and get ready for next year"
Calumet won it all in 194l with
Whirlaway, with Pensive. and
again last year with Citation. Pot
OLuck was second in 1945 and
FaultleSS third in l947.