A more disagreeable day for racing could hardly been imagined. It was
intensely hot, and the dust so thick you could almost cut it with a knife.
The track was watered during the night, but with all the water it did not
lay the dust, still it was a great improvement. The attendance was the
largest ever known on the Louisville track except the Ten Broeck and
Mollie McCarthy match. The crowd was so great that it was really
uncomfortable and almost impossible to move about or get into the betting
ring. The free entrance to the field attracted an immense crowd of people
and vehicles, the home stretch being twenty or more people deep for its
whole length. Notwithstanding the discomforts of the day, it was great
racing, and it will be a long time before we shall see such another field
of high class three-year olds. Just imagine over a deep dusty track, not
fast, for four three-year-olds with 118 lbs., up to a run a mile and a
half as good as 2:34-1/2, and you can at once appreciate their high class.
It is our conviction that with a stout armed jockey up Proctor Knott would
have won the Derby. There is no complaint against Barnes's riding as he
did the best he could under the circumstances. Proctor Knott is a
tremendous big stout colt, heavy headed and no ninety pound boy can hold
him or keep his head up. Before going a quarter of a mile he overpowered
Barnes, nearly pulling him over his head, and before the race was half
finished Barnes was exhausted pulling to keep his head up. With such a
jockey as Murphy, McLaughlin, Hayward or Fitzpatrick up we do not believe
he could have lost the race. His future racing will tend to prove our
opinion. He made all the running as will be seen for a mile and a quarter
and then swerved to the outside and lost enough ground to have made him
win by two open lengths. We would not detract from the merits of Spokane,
the winner, as he is a great race horse, but we think Proctor Knott the
greatest youngster we have seen in years.
The eight went away on pretty even terms, Hindoocraft first, Bootmaker
second, Spokane third, followed by Proctor Knott, Sportsman, Once Again,
Cassius and Outbound. They had not gone fifty yards before Proctor Knott
rushed to the front and led by three lengths as they entered the main
track, which he increased to five as they passed the stand, Hindoocraft
second, Sportsman third, closely followed by Spokane and Once Again.
Proctor Knott held his lead past the quarter, but it was reduced three
lengths at the half, Sportsman second, Hindoocraft third, rest well
bunched. Coming round the lower turn Spokane took second place, and when
they neared the three-quarter pole Barnes was unable to control Proctor
Knott and hold his head up, bolted to the outside, and looked like he was
going up the chute for a moment. This lost him some three or four lengths
and before he could be straightened, Spokane came next to the rails and
took the lead. Inside the sixteenth pole Proctor Knott came again, and
after a driving race home in which Spokane swerved to the inner rail he
managed to beat Proctor Knott on the post by a short throat latch, Once
Again two lengths off third, he a head in front of Hindoocraft fourth,
followed by Cassius, Sportsman, Outbound and Bootmaker, in the order
named. Bootmaker broke down, pulling up quite lame. Time, first 24-3/4,
half a mile 48-1/2, three-quarters 1:14-1/2, mile 1:41-1/2, mile and a
quarter 2:09-1/4, mile and a half 2:34-1/2.