The White Falcon - 01.05.1943, Side 11

11
Derby Sleeper?
Wave
By Gene Graff
Matt J. Winn’s “street car Kentucky Derby,”
so dubbed because of transportation bans est-
ablished by the ODT to discourage out-of-town
horse fans from flocking to Louisville today,
may be a closed affair in more ways than one,
For when the nation’s fleetest 3-year-olds par-
ade postward this afternoon in the $75,000 ad-
ded classic, the smart money will be riding
on the whiskers of Count Fleet, a prohibitive
favorite.
To the mutuel-window addicts, the winter
book listing of odds is law. Count Fleet, they
point out, was quoted at no better than 5-2
in the opening figures, a more cautious cal-
culation than any other Kentucky Derby candi-
date ever warranted. Even Alsab and Whirl-
away failed to attract such an awesome atti-
tude from the betting commissioners who
“make book” on the thoroughbreds.
On his record, Count Fleet is deserving of
all the praise offered by veteran horsemen.
The big, bay colt, owned by Mrs. John D. Hertz
and trained by Don Cameron, uncorked plenty
of solid speed as a juvenile last year, and has
been dominating the ranks of 3-year-olds thus
far in the current season. The Count was a
four-time stakes winner as a 2-year-old, lead-
ing the field under the wire in the Wakefield
stakes, Cainpagne stakes, Pimlico Futurity and
Walden stakes. This year he’s already won
the Jamaica handicap, Wood Memorial, and
several other lucrative purses.
Count Fleet frightened his backers two weeks
ago when he suffered a slash above his right
rear hoof after winning the Wood Memorial.
But treatment at Belmont Park healed the
wound in a hurry and he was shipped to Louis-
ville in plenty of time for today’s mile-and-
a-quarter test. Any sane judgement points to
Count Fleet as the logical winner. But since
we’re proud of our record of ignoring winners
in favor of “under-dogs” who invariably re-
main under, our kiss-of-death rides with an-
other havburner.
The unfortunate colt who must navigate the
distance under this writer’s curse in addition
to the alloted 126 pounds is Ocean Wave, a
handsome speedster with plenty of class. Own-
ed by Warren Wright and sired by Blenheim
II., Ocean Wave was nondescript as a 2-year-
old, but sudenly blossomed forth lately to esta-
blish himself among the leading Derby candi-
dates. He registered two impressive victories
on the Churchill Downs strip last month, in-
cluding (he $10,000 added Blue Grass stakes.
A1 Simmons’ Blue Swords, sired by Blue
Larkspur, one of the 68 favorites who failed
to win, is another threat in today’s race. His
recent workouts have impressed horsemen. And
although he’s the "always-a- bridesmaid” rup-
ner-up to Count Fleet since the rivals began
campaigning, his stable claims he’s ready.
Assuming the horses all reach the post, we
expect them to finish in this order: Ocean
Wave, Count Fleet, Blue Swords. But don’t
pawn the family jewels. Matt Winn’s classic
is fabulous for its surprises,
Count Fleet, I -2 Choice,
Heads 69th Derby Field
Jovial Col. Matt J. Winn probably will lose plenty of $$$. . . .Racing patrons from other sections of
the nation will be conspicuous by their absence. . . And railbird dockers say owners are foolish to send
their thoroughbreds postward against a brilliant speedster like Mrs. John D. Hertz’ Count Fleet.
Nevertheless, the 69th
Kentucky Derby will be run
today as scheduled at Chur-
chill Downs, with a purse of
$75,000 dangling before the noses
of the fleet 3-year-olds. A slim
crowd of 25,000 fans is the
brightest prospect since the ODT
restricted attendance to the
Louisville district.
If cautious customers and
trembling bookies—the “back
room gents” will lose a tidy sum
if Count Fleet wins—needed con-
clusive proof of The Count’s sta-
mina and speed over the mile
and a quarter Derby route they
got it Thursday. In a workout
over the regulation course, The
Count turned in a sizzling 2:07
performance, practically fast
enough to win today.
With veteran Johnny Longden
aboard, Count Fleet will reach
the post at the prohibitive odds
oi 1—2 or less. Xo other Derby
candidate ever has been as high-
ly regarded.
Chief threats to The Count
loom as A. T. Simmons’ Blue
Swords, sired by Blue Larkspur,
and Calumet Farm’s Ocean Wave,
an offspring of Blenheim II. Both
have registered credible records
during the season, but a victory
(Continued on Page 12)
Fitzpatrick of Cods reaches for ball as two Dodger cagers shut out Harold
Fritz, star Cod forward, from action. Cods followed usual pattern, coming
from behind to conquer Dodgers, 37-36, in overtime thriller for the Ace of
Diamonds title.
Anti-Tank Grabs
Ace Cage Title
SHORT SHOTS
Same Old Story:
Yanks Occupy
First|Place
If the opening brace of games
is any criterion, it’ll be the
Yankees and Dodgers when the |
World Series rolls around in
October. But with daily man-
power changes becoming the
vogue, anything can—and pro-
bably will—happen before the
154-gaine scramble is ended.
Joe McCarthy’s American lea-
gue champs, operating without
Joe DiMaggio, Red Ruffing, Phil
Rizzuto, Tommy Henrich and
George Selkirk, have turned up
with sufficient power among the
newcomers to present a formid-
able front once again. The Yanks
clipped Washington twice, then
grabbed two out of three from
the Red Sox to assume the lca-
(Continued on Page 12)
Anti-Tank added another tro-
phy to ils fast-growing collection
Saturday by photo-fiuishing the
Engineer Dodgers, 37-36, in a bit-
terly contested overtime thriller
which concludued the Ace of Dia-
monds basketball marathon and
ended local cage warfare for the
season.
With sharpshooting Harold
Fritz sidelined by a knee injury,
Anti-Tank encountered plenty of
opposition from the Dodgers in
the first half and lagged, 25-20,
at the intermission. But the Tank
Busters turned on the steam in
the last two periods, although
Nick Rocknick, peppery guard,
was ejected via personal fouls.
Fritz, bum leg and all, enter-
ed the game late in the third
quarter, and his teammates
launched an offensive spree al-
most immediately.
Less than a minute remained
when Fritz converted two chari-
ty tries to reduce his team’s de-
(Continued on -Page 12)
Major League Standings
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
W. L, Pet, GB
New York . . . . 4 1 .800 Vi
Cleveland . .. . 6 2 .750 . . .
St. Louis 3 2 .600 i a
Washington 4 3 .571 1 Vi
Detroit 3 4 .333 2/2
Boston 2 4 .838 3
Philadelphia 3 5 .375 3
Chicagq ...... 1 5 .167 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
w. L, Pet G,E,
Brooklyn . . . . . 4 1 .800
Cincinnati . . , . 3 3 .500 1/2
Chicago . 3 3 .500 1/2
Pittsburgh . 3 3 .500 1/2
St. Louis ,. , . . 3 3 .500 1/2
Boston , 2 2 .500 1/2
New York ,,, , 2 3 .400 2
Philadelphia . .. 1 3 .350 2/i
Even champion trotting horses are eccentric.
....Frank Sayers revealed that his victorious
trotter, Peter Guy, eats chewing tobacco and
inhales his owner’s cigar smoke... .Speaking of
eating, Mgr. Steve O’Neill has banned pre-game
hot dogs for his Detroit Tigers, saying a snack
before playing slows down athletes. .. .Regard-
less of what it is, something definitely has
slowed down the Tigers.
The American league reports more than 150
former players are now in the Services....
Henry McCann, president of Norfolk in the
Piedmont league and scout for the Yankees,
died in New York this week... .Robert Emelie,
retired National league umpire, died at St. Tho-
mas, Ont..... Emelie was 84....Lt. Arthur
Nehf Jr., Marine flyer and son of the former Na-
tional league southpaw pitcher, Art Nehf, re-
cently bagged three Jap planes over Guadal-
canal.
Rufus Gentry, veteran Buffalo pitcher, notch-
ed the fourth no-hitter of his career Sunday,
stopping Newark, 1-0, in 11 innings... .Henry
C. Paulssen, 39-year-old railroad conductor in
New York, also turned in a perfect perform-
ance. .. .Paulssen bowled two 300 scores in
three weeks....The Cincinnati outfield situa-
tion was jumbled as the result of Harry Craft
becoming a Navy ensign and Mike McCormick
leaving the Reds for California to await Army
induction. .. .Gee Walker has replaced McCor-
mick in the Reds lineup.
Pete Watkins oi Texas shattered the 21-year-
old high jump record when he cleared the bar
at 6 feel 8 inches ... .His leap broke the mark
established by Harold Osborne of Illinois....
Princeton nipped the Penn crew by two feet
in their annual meeting on the Schuylkill....
Rutgers finished third... .Capt. Eddie Ricken-
backer has accepted the chairmanship of the
National AAU track and field championship.