In the presence of one of the largest crowds ever seen at Churchill Downs
race track the thirtieth renewal of the Kentucky Derby was decided on
Monday. The winner turned up in Elwood, a son of Free Knight and Petticoat
by Alarm, and the outsider in the betting. Elwood was bred by Mrs. J. B.
Prather, Marysville, Mo. Proceeds, the favorite, took command just after
the start, but began to quit before five furlongs had been negotiated. The
Talbot horse, Prince Silverwings, who had been in second place, now took
the lead and led the way until well in the stretch, where lack of
condition told and he gave way to Elwood who had trailed the field to this
point. Ed Tierney joined Elwood at the paddock gate, and from there on the
race was between the two, Elwood winning by half length. Elwood was a
seasoned horse and this probably gave him the race. According to our way
of thinking, Prince Silverwings would have won easily had he been fit.
While a small horse he is well made and showed he possessed more speed
than anything in the race. Take it all in all, one cannot help but say
that they were a bad lot of Derby horses, and if such a horse as Ben
Brush, Ornament, Halma or Alan-a-Dale had been there they would have
looked like $200 selling platers. It was a nice race to look at, every
horse looked to have a chance the entire route, well bunched they
struggled hard and did their best. The time, 2:08-1/2, was good when you
consider the time made in previous Derbies. Judge Himes won the Derby in
2:09, Alan-a-Dale in 2:08-3/4, His Eminence in 2:07-3/4, Lieut. Gibson in
2:06-1/4, Plaudit in 2:09, Typhoon II., in 2:12-1/2 and Ben Brush in
2:07-3/4, all carrying the same weight, 117 pounds.