Evening star., 1950-05-07
battle-ground
Wins Derby in
Brilliant Run
Hill Prince Second;
Favored Your Host
Finishes Ninth
By ChorIes M. Eeon
SPORTS Editor Of the StoY

Texas colt named Middleground
handed Hollywood its stiffest jolt
since the Fatty Arbuckle case by
winning the 18th Kentucky Derby
with a brilliant stretch run at
Churchill Downs this afternoon.
Middleground of King Ranch
won by length and quarter in
2:0125, just one-fifth of a second
slower than Whirlaway's 1941
track record. Second was the
pride of Virginia, Christopher T.
IChenery's Hill Prince, who didn't
seem to get one of Eddie Arcaro's
best rides. while third was c. ".
Whitney's Mr.. Trouble, the horse
that really was responsible for the
bursting of the California bubble.
Your Host, owned by w. M.
Goetz, son-in-law of L. B. Mayer
and a movie tycoon in his own
right, finished discouraged ninth
after setting most of the early
pace. Your Host. the hot favorite
at 8 to S, never was able to estab-
lish a long lead as he had done
in his previous races and tired
badly in the stretch. Mr.. Trouble
just gave him too much trouble.
Hirsch's Third Derby Win.
Middleground, whose victory
brought Trainer Max Hirsch his
third Derby win, was very impress
sive, but many in the crowd of
100, ,000-it's always 100000 ac-
cording to Churchill Downs pub
licists-thought that Hill Prince
might have won if he hadn't got
in trouble on the backstretch and
again in the run for the wire.
The Preakness and Belmont will
determine if they are right.
Middleground was ridden by
Willie Boland, an 18-year -old kid
from Corpus Christi, Tex, the
second apprentice ever to win the
Derby. The first was Ira Han
ford, now riding at Pimlico, who
won on Bold Venture back in
1896. Bold Venture. owned by
Morton l.. Schwartz, also was
trained by Make Hirsch and, to
stretch the coincidence business
a little further, Bold Venture was
the sire of battle-ground.
Like his sire. who paid $43 when
he won In 1896. battle-ground
was a bit Of a. longshot. Your
Host got all of Bob Hopes money,
Hill Prince was backed by most
of the Fasteners, and Mr.. Trouble
also was heavily supported, SO
the King Ranch colt went off at
7 to /. He paid $17.80, $40 and
$3.50, while Hill Prince paid
$3.50 and $500 and Mr.. Trouble,
$3.50.
Never Far Back.
underground, who ran the last
quarter today in 243s, only three
f1fths of a second back of Whirl-
aways amazing finish of "a fiat,
never was far back in the run
ming and it was obvious at the
eighth pole that he was going to
win unless Hill Prince got racing
room and had the drive he was
supposed to have. Hill Prince
didn't and Arcaro had to scramble
for space in the last sixteenth.
Eddie earlier had to take up on
the back stretch after making a
bold move. yet, after the race,
Arcaro said he had had no trouble.
From the press box, it looked as
though the firing Your Host had
bothered him plenty in the
stretch, so much so that Eddie
had to take up and go to the
inside in the last sixteenth.
There is still plenty of doubt as
to which is the better horse. Mid
dleground or Hill Prince, and Mr..
Trouble is no donkey either.
The Whitney colt, whose owner
admired him before White House
correspondents when he resigned
as Undersecretary of Commerce a
| Continued on Page B-1, Col. A.