Evening star., 1960-05-03
WIN, LOSE OR
GNAV By FRANCIS STANN
Not Quite q True Barometer

LOUISVILLE, MAY 3-As authentic barometric
instrument the Derby Trial, which to be run of
today, is suspect rule, and this is exception
II the winner of Saturdays 86th Kentucky Derby in
the field 1t will come as surprise to hardboots and ten
derfeet alike.
When the Trial was inaugurated in 1924 it was won
by Black Gold who went to win the Derby, but "a
years to pass before Citation followed precedent
In the interim the 1-me Trial became what it is
today, namely final prep to eliminate of the culls
from the big
Altogether, five horseback Gold Citation Hill
Gail Dark Star and Tim Tam-have won both the Trial
and Derby but today there is little likelihood of sixth
member in this exclusive fraternity. Tompion Baly
Ache the two favortes Saturday in their barns
leaving the honorS mostly to a group of 3year-ods
who of the fringe variety far class concerned
In the first place the Trial is weak because it is at
mile and does little to exploit the potential of
horse which in the Derby must call something extra
to that last heartbreaking quartermile stretch
Secondly most of the bonafde Derby threats are as
ready they'll ever be.
THE TRIAL is TREACHEROUs gauge unless the
winner is of those overpowerng things like Ca-
ton, who could go any distance short long Olympia
in 1949 for example the Trial neatly and with dis
patch and, although most turfmen knew this wasn't
distance horse, many amateur punter fooled.
In the Derby, Olympia was exposed sprnter when
he folded after mile and Ponder, who had finished
second to Olympia in the Trial. to win This
of several similar
Todays main point of interest centered on the Cau-
met pair of HilSborough and Pied dor both of
whom may win start in the Derby be eliminated.
modern Derby without Calumet horse scarcely is COM
plete but up to post time Trainer Jimmy Jones not
convinced that Calumet had anything worth running
Saturdays classic.
Pied dor is pretty much of goofball, a faky colt
and the barn doesn't put much dependence him. Of
the pair HiSborough rated the likely Derby
colt although Jones has been insisting all along that it's
tWohorse and that everything else will be shoot
ing for third and fourth money.
IF you separate Tompion and Bally Ache you've
got the winner Jones insists The rest of us are lust
sucking around in the Derby This would highly
acceptable appraisal if Jimmy and his daddy him
Ben, hadn't sung the refrain often-and then
turned around and picked up the marbles.
AS AN ILLUSTRATION of how lightly the Trial is
taken Dark Star went off at $2 80 81 in the 1853 Derby
after having captured the Trial The of Royal Gem
II looked very good in the prep, but that was Native
Dancers year and the great gray was in his barn
awaiting Saturday With Native in the Derby field
it followed that Dark Star matter how impressive he
looked would go off at price.
AS it turned out, Dark Star administered Native
Dancer his only defeat, with the inadvertent heu of
Money Broker, who had finished to Dark Star in
the Trial Money Broker bumped Native Dancer at the
first turn, forcing Eric Guerin to take up favorite
in order to find racing The Dancer lost
valuable ground and while he put strong finish and
undoubtedly was best, it was Dark Star by head.
If all the previous preps did not open up the Derby
field it would be too much expect the to change
the nature of the classic which CalumetS Jones says
appears two-horse affair But it would help If
thing of sensational nature emerged today The think
See WIN, LOSE OR DRAW, Page Ca