Louisville, Ky., May 3rd, 1900, weather fine, track fast. One mile and a
quarter. Time 2:06-1/4. Value $4,850, second $700, third $300.
Lieut. Gibson, 117, D. Boland 1 by 4 lengths
Florizar, 122, Van Dusen 2 by 2 lengths
Thrive, 122, Winkfield 3 by 1 length
Highland Lad, His Excellency, Kentucky Farmer, Hindus also ran. Betting 10
to 7 on Gibson. Good start. Won easily, place same. Gibson made his field
look common.
Lieut. Gibson, br c, by G. W. Johnson--Sophia Hardy, owned by Charles H.
Smith, trained by Charles Hughes.
There was little delay at the post. To a perfect start, His Excellency was
the first to show, closely followed by Lieut. Gibson and Kentucky Farmer,
with the field well bunched. When all were straightened out and the race
had begun Lieut. Gibson took command from the momentary leader and began
nodding off fast quarters with wonderful regularity. The pace rate of
speed was terrific the first quarter, being run in :24-1/4, at the end of
which the gallant pacemaker let out a link and running the third eighth in
0:11-1/2 was at the seven-eighths pole in :35-3/4. Boland now steadied the
big colt by letting him rate right along. The fourth eighth in :12-1/4
carried him to the three-quarter pole in :48, a heart-breaking clip of the
first half-mile of a mile and a quarter race.
Carrying 117 pounds as lightly as a feather, Lieut. Gibson still going
easy, traversed the first three-quarters in 1:13-1/2. The conservative
element among the backers of the favorite became uneasy at this stage of
the race, fearing the horse would be unable to withstand the tremendous
strain of the fast pace. A second time Boland took hold of the flying
leader that with measured strides seemed to be annihilating distance and
defying time.
A second glance at the field and all cause of doubt as to Gibson's ability
to live at the flying clip was expelled. He was going easy, much easier
than any horse behind him, and seemed only a horse out for a good stiff
breeze. Passed the mile ground in 1:40-2/5, he was only rating along three
lengths in front of the tired His Excellency, with Scoggan's pair Florizar
and Highland Lad, going well, but in no danger of overhauling the
galloping leader.
Into the stretch, a novice could see that Gibson was going easy, and
coming on the gallant colt passed first under the wire by four lengths in
front of Florizar that Van Dusen had most sensibly not driven to his limit
when he found it impossible to overtake the great son of G. W. Johnson.
The time was 2:06-1/4, one and one-half seconds faster than the Kentucky
Derby had ever been run.