While the weather was cloudy and hot and looked threatening, the rain held
off during the day. The track while not so fast as we have seen it, was in
capital condition, safe and good. The attendance was very large, fully ten
thousand people were on the grounds. The populace availed themselves of
free entrance to the inner field, which had a large number of people, on
foot and in all kinds of vehicles. The inside or training track was lined
with people from the timing stand to near the three-quarter pole. The
Grand Stand and betting ring was crowded to overflowing, and the ladies
were out in large numbers. For the twelfth Derby, ten started, Ben Ali was
the favorite, Free Knight second choice and Blue Wing third. Ben Ali won
it is true, but we doubt whether he was up to concert pitch, but we
confess Blue Wing is a much better colt than we gave him credit of being,
and think he ought to have won the race. He ran wide on the turn; his
jockey let him swerve just at the critical point of the race, and was only
beaten three parts of a length. Free Knight ran a good race--indeed it is
the best field we have seen since Aristide's year. There is hardly a
starter in the race but what will pay his way and be a useful horse. This
is the third time the race has been won by a son of Virgil--Vagrant,
Hindoo and Ben Ali--and Vera Cruz would have won save an accident at the
start. Seven of the starters were bred in Kentucky--Ben Ali, Blue Wing,
Free Knight, Sir Joseph, Grimaldi, Harrodsburg and Masterpiece; and
Lafitte and Jim Gray are by Kentucky owned stallions, and the sire and dam
of Lijero were bred in Kentucky, showing the State still holds the highest
place in the production of the horse. Take it all through it was the best
race, so far as interest and contest are concerned, ever run for the Derby
or any other race, and we doubt if such a field and such a contest will be
witnessed again during the year. Every year seems to add interest to this
great race. It will be seen by the time made that the pace was a hot one
from start to finish, and few such races from the time standard have been
run so early in the year with 118 lbs. up and by the way this is the first
year the weights have been 118 lbs., and is the fastest run race.
The start was a beautiful one, the ten horses going away on even terms,
Blue Wing in the lead, Grimaldi second, Masterpiece third, followed by Sir
Joseph, Ben Ali, Free Knight, Jim Gray, Harrodsburg, Lijero, and Lafitte
in order named. Masterpiece took the lead as they entered the main track,
Grimaldi second, Blue Wing third, rest well up bunched. Passing the stand
Masterpiece still led, Harrodsburg second, Jim Gray third, Free Knight
fourth, rest in close order. There was no change at the quarter, but the
pace was still hot. Nearing the half, Free Knight was a head in front of
Harrodsburg second, Jim Gray a head behind him third, with Ben Ali, Blue
Wing and Masterpiece close up and bunched. At the three-quarter pole,
entering the homestretch, Free Knight was a half length in front of Ben
Ali second, Blue Wing third. Now commenced the real struggle for the race.
All three were driving, Ben Ali and Blue Wing were head and head at the
furlong pole, Free Knight a half length behind. Blue Wing swerved to the
outside and lost some ground, and Ben Ali gained a length or more when he
entered the stretch. Fitzpatrick rode wide on the turn, carrying Blue Wing
out, which enabled Ben Ali to take the rail. After a driving race home,
Ben Ali won by a scant three parts of a length, Blue Wing second, two
lengths in front of Free Knight third, followed by Lijero, Jim Gray,
Grimaldi, Sir Joseph, Harrodsburg, Lafitte and Masterpiece in the order
named. Time--half 50, three-quarters 1:16, mile 1.43, mile and a quarter
2:10, race 2:36-1/2.