European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 02, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday May 5,1991 the stars and stripes Page 21 saturdays Kentucky Derby shaky times Call for sizzling race there re years when you want the Kentucky Derby to be More than just a grand horse race. This is one of them. The Way things have been happening in the racing business encouraging news is harder to come by than a solvent savings and loan. Bad things have been happening to Good people and Good horses with such regularity that trouble visits the track More frequently than a Retiree with a pension Check burning a Hole in his pocket. A a a it a been a helluva stretch Hasni to it a 78-year-old Charlie Whittingham the preeminent Trainer of this time and perhaps any other said tuesday Over the Telephone from his California we were just talking the other Day and nobody could remember any other time when so Many horses got Hurt so close to the Derby. A then you go Back to what happened to the filly go for Wand that had to be destroyed after the breeders Quot cup last fall. The Accident with Bill Shoemaker and Laz Barrera a death and this looks like it might turn out to be a Busy season for the crepe thoroughbred racing a problems go Well beyond a handful of unfortunate individuals. At tracks across the land attendance is slipping betting is Down drug abuse rumours Are on the Rise and for Sale signs hang from the fences of some of the nations most prestigious horse farms. Indeed in a recent wide ranging assessment of the state of the Industry sports illustrated was moved to pose the question a can racing survive.?�?� in la a Al if Ever the thoroughbred game were in need of a Brilliant performance to disperse such shadows and such questions for a time at least to rekindle the Public a imagination and restore thie Romance of what was once Jim Litke referred to without irony As the sport of Kings saturdays Derby is it. A a there a so much Ballyhoo tied into the Derby now that you re certain to get a Good Story no matter who wins a said Whittingham who is sitting this Derby out. A but Well have to wait until saturday to see if its a great one a lasting one. A and personally for it All the Good horses that Are still around in a not sure there a a hero anywhere in the Bunch. On the other hand lets Hope in a modesty prevents Whittingham from going on about his own contributions to the legacy of memorable thoroughbred champions but so fresh Are the images that even a casual fan of racing could recall the last two. In 1989, it was the smallish dark Bay Colt sunday silence and his furious duels with easy goer Down the stretch of the Derby and the Preakness echoing the great affirmed Lydar rivalry and holding out the Promise of the first triple Crown since 1978. In 1986, it was an improbable 17-1 shot named Ferdi hand finishing first for a supposedly Over the Hill jockey Shoemaker age 54 at the time and his Geezer of a Trainer just a few weeks after another Golden Oldie then 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus blitzed the youngsters at the masters. a. For sheer Impact those two and countless other memorable champions have to slip into a Parade behind secretariat. The kind of malaise that afflicts the horse racing Industry had seeped into much of the nations daily life amid watergate in 1973 when the strapping Chestnut Colt came to Churchill Downs As a made to order hero. A it was almost like people needed something to take the heat off Nixon and he was such a big horse a so much in a class by himself a that there was no Way you take notice of him a Whittingham recalled. A and once you saw him run the Only thing you wanted was to see him run again.�?�., be assured that there is no horse of secretariats stature in the current Derby crop. There almost never is. But going in we already have been deprived of too much. A a. A a a a. A a a a a a a a a a. Begin with the traditional showdown Between the winners of the biggest Derby prep races from the West and the East. That wont come off because Santa Anita Derby Winner Dinard and Wood memorial Winner Cahill Road have been hobbled possibly for Good by suspensory ligament damage suffered just Days apart. The possibility of a filly winning for Only the fifth time went by the Wayside when Trainer Leroy Jolley a Meadow Star finished fourth in the Wood beaten by 10vi lengths. Gone too is the most intriguing Long shot a claimer out of Florida named Jackie Mackic who won nine straight starts then got hammered in the Florida Derby and sidelined by a virus and a bleeding to be sure there Are a few genuine stars left in the Galaxy a strike the Gold Fly so free Best pal a a and at least one horse with Promise a sea Cadet a who was born without a i i the race is so wide open just Hope that the winners name Isnit necessarily a Harbinger of things to come. One of the probable starters after All goes by the Moniker subordinated debt. A a Vtha associated press. A a a a a a. A Louisville by. Apr Hansel Winner of the Jim beam and Lexington stakes is Jerry Bailey a fourth Kentucky Derby mount and his Best Chance to bring Home a Winner. V a a he a by far my Best horse a Bailey said. A in 1988, i Rode proper reality a huh who was fourth. He was second turning for Home and he had a legitimate Chancel but just Wasny to quite Good enough that the 1988 run for the roses was won by the filly winning colors. A going into it i would say this is my Best Chance yet Quot Bailey said. On tuesday Hansel worked five eighths of a mile in 1 00 4-5 and galloped out three quarters in 1 15 1-5. His other Derby mounts were new discovery 18th in 1982 and Conquista Rose ninth in �?T87. Hansel is one of the big four at this Derby. Bettors will chose from among Hansel Santa Anita Derby runner up Best pal Blue grass Winner strike the Gold and 2-year-old Champion Fly so free for a favorite. A two late arrivals May boost the Derby Field to 16. A forty something Winner of a six Furlong allowance race april 26 at Keene land and Paul rus seventh in the Transylvania on april 6 at Kee Neland Are headed for cur Hill Downs. Forty something a Only stakes experience came in last years sapling at Monmouth Park where he ran fourth. Leslie Grimm a subordinated debt meanwhile is out of the Derby Field. A Trainer Ron Mcanally brought two horses to Kentucky sea Cadet and Arkansas Derby Winner Olympio. Olympio will not Start unless some of the favourites Are Hurt. The Arkansas Derby was Only Waves. A a Ofa a it Quot a v a it a y a Quot a. A Quot a Quot a a v Quot Quot. 1 1 a Quot i t jockey Jerry Bailey rides Hansel during tuesdays workout at Churchill Downs. Two weeks ago and Mcanally does no to Trainer Nick Zito said the Colt would want to run him Back on such Short rest. Work a half mile wednesday a shortly. A Blue grass Winner strike the Gold after Sun up with regular rider Chris galloped a i Miles tuesday. Exercise Antley up. A we did the same thing be rider Mary. Vannatta was in the Irons Blue grass a Zito said. Without Tail Louisville by a this is the tale of a horse with no Tail. His name is sea Cadet and he came1 to race in the Kentucky Derby l in was born on Catalpa farm in Paris ky., with All the attributes of a great thoroughbred a except a Tail. Both his father Bolger and his Mother Hattab Gal had tails his Grandfather Damascus and great Grandfather round table had Lovely aft appendages streaming behind them. But while he is very fast and aptly trained by Ron Mcanally sea Cadet has. No Tail just a stub that flops on like a stalk of May Corn in an Iowa windstorm v. _ a for years and years you study Quality. And conformation and when you see a horse without a Tail it does no to look very attractive a Mcanally admitted. A but you overcome it.�?�. It is said that a horse uses his Tail for swatting flies and balance. Obviously it has not bothered sea Cadet. Sea Cadet has won two of his last three starts including the san Felipe at Santa Anita and Al Camino at Bay Meadows. In his Jast Start he helped set the Pac it in the Santa Anita Derby before finishing third to Dinard and Best pal. A a he a a sprinter but if he gets an easy Lead there a a Chance he could do Well a Mcanally said. A i really done to like front runners Here co owners Verne Winchell the doughnut King and Catalpa farm sent sea Cadet to Mcanally As a 2-year-old. A they just told me a we re sending you a horse without a Tail a a Mcanally said. A a in be never seen one before let alone trained one. But a few years ago i brought a horse with me to Kentucky without one Eye and then one with a Gray Tail. Now in be got one with no Tail. Maybe someday ill have one with classic
