An enormous crowd gathered from all points of the compass saw and cheered
the victory of the bay colt Donau in the thirty-sixth running of the
Kentucky Derby, now truly the "Blue Riband" of the American turf, at
Churchill Downs this afternoon. It was the largest crowd that ever graced
this historic battle ground of the thoroughbreds and that crowd saw the
keenest contest and the most thrilling finish that ever attended the
winning of the prize, which has been annually coveted by owners of
three-year olds in all the land since Price McGrath first took it with
game Aristides in 1875.
The winner is owned in Tennessee, but he was bred in the Blue Grass of old
Kentucky, as were also each of the half dozen that went to the post with
the son of Woolsthorpe and Al Lone and came back behind him.
Derby Day dawned clear and warm. There was not a fleck in the sky when the
sun peeped over the Eastern horizon. The track had dried out rapidly after
the severe rain of Saturday and was fast.
When the bugle called the horses to the post, Donau, accompanied to the
paddock gate by his piebald pony companion was the first to step on the
track. He was No. 1 on the program. After the post parade, the horses
cantered to the starting point one quarter of a mile up the stretch.
Starter Milton was ready for them, and after they had lined up about
twenty yards behind the barrier, gave orders to walk up. They came in good
alignment and sprung the barrier at the first attempt. They were off to a
good start four minutes after they left the paddock.
Joe Morris was first to show and Donau next, then Boola Boola and Gallant
Pirate, Fighting Bob fifth, John Furlong sixth and Topland last.
Herbert had Donau well in his stride and he lost no time sending him to
the front and when they passed the stand at the end of the first quarter
of a mile in :24, he was leading Joe Morris by half a length and was at
the rail with Topland third a head back and the others close up. Around
the clubhouse turn, Joe Morris swerved outward and carried the others with
him, giving Donau a lead of about three lengths as they straightened out
for the run down the backstretch, having passed the half in :48-4/5. Joe
Morris was here two lengths in front of John Furlong and Topland, they on
nearly even terms, with Fighting Bob two lengths back of them, a length in
front of Boola Boola and Gallant Pirate a neck apart.
Herbert took a restraining hold on Donau, passing the three-quarter ground
in 1:14 and steadied him around the turn out of the backstretch still
three lengths in front of Joe Morris. Here Stanley Page made his move on
Fighting Bob. The son of Knight of Ellerslie was in third position in a
jiffy and less than two lengths back of Joe Morris. Coming around the turn
into the homestretch, Boola Boola made up ground rapidly and the pace
seemed to quicken. At the end of the mile in 1:39-4/5, and heading for
home, Donau led by half a length, with Joe Morris a head in front of
Fighting Bob, and he four lengths better than Boola Boola, the others
clearly out of contention. There it looked as any one of the first four
might win, for Boola Boola was carrying the Camden colors with the speed
of the wind and loomed up big and strong. Down the stretch they came,
whips whirling and resounding even above the roar from the stand and the
field, and those jockeys rode desperately for the prize that hung at the
end of the tiring, heart-breaking journey now less than a sixteenth of a
mile away. On and on they came near to the black mark of the white board
that should proclaim the finish; flying, yet struggling gamely and
determinedly under the punishment of the bending striving riders to be
first to that goal where hung fame, glory and gold.
Donau though tiring fast, was still able to hold the lead. Unshaken, his
nose shot first past the finishing mark, with Joe Morris at his withers,
Fighting Bob at Joe Morris' throat-latch, and Boola Boola beaten only a
nose for third money. Topland was fifth five lengths back, and two lengths
in front of John Furlong, eight lengths better than Gallant Pirate a
trailing last.
It was a great finish and any human being with a drop of sporting blood in
his veins was to be excused for giving over for the moment to the feelings
of ecstasy that well up from the soul of man at such a contest. It was
beyond question the most thrilling finish ever seen in a race for the
Kentucky Derby.