Word: johnstown
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When William Woodward's Johnstown won the Kentucky Derby by six lengths last fortnight, horse-racing fans hailed an-other Man o' War. Turf experts reserved their opinions. They wanted to see long-striding Johnstown run in the mud, something he had not been asked to do this year. Last week there was lots of mud for the Preakness, second of the Big Three U. S. races for three-year-olds. So convinced of Big John's prowess were rival owners that only five were willing to risk the $500 starting fee (day before) to match their...
Through a grey drizzle, the shivering crowd watched Johnstown take the lead, just as expected. Down the backstretch he kept in front. But it was no runaway, like the Derby. Gilded Knight was on his heels, stride for stride. Coming into the homestretch, Challedon, who had been trailing the leaders, flew past them in a splatter of mud, crossed the finish line a length and a half-in front of Gilded Knight. Mighty Johnstown, with mud in his eye, strolled in next to last, almost ear to ear with last-place Ciencia, only filly in the race...
Last year, as a two-year-old, Johnstown won only seven of twelve races. Because Johnstown ate too fast and often made himself ill, his trainer invented a sievelike device to feed him oats slowly. Johnstown swiftly improved. This spring, in three starts, no rival could get within six lengths of his heels at the finish line. Last week, Owner Woodward saw Johnstown join one of the Derby's smallest fields as one of the shortest favorites in the history of the race...
After two magic minutes, for which 80.000 racing fans jampacked Churchill Downs last week, everyone, from the 50? standing-room to the $99 boxes, agreed with Owner Woodward that Johnstown was a great horse. Taking the lead away from speedy little El Chico (winter-book favorite) at the first quarter, long-striding Johnstown streaked farther away from the field at every pole, breezed under the wire in a common gallop, with ears cocked as if wondering what had happened to the rest of the gang. Six lengths behind was W. L. Brann's Challedon, one length in front...
...Derby winners. To "Mr. Fitz," as he is known to all racing folk, went 10% of the prize money. Another 10% went to Jockey Jimmy Stout, who had won his first Kentucky Derby al though he had ridden a favorite twice be fore. An hour later, while Louisville toasted Johnstown as another War Admiral, another Exterminator, another Man o' War, the big bay received his reward: three quarts of oats, a quart of carrots and three kinds...