Too Much Horse

In shirtsleeves, sun-back dresses and shorts, 24,636 Chicago racing fans last week crowded into Washington Park, for the 38th running of a famous Midwest race, the American Derby. Only five horses were entered in the race: Calumet Farm's Citation just looked too good to beat.

Trainer Jimmy Jones was not as cocksure about Citation's chances as everybody else seemed to be. It was the Triple Crown winner's first major start since he pulled a muscle two weeks after the Stars & Stripes Handicap (TIME, July 19), and Trainer Jones figured that Citation was still "ten days away from his best race." The morning of the Derby, Jones warned Jockey Eddie Arcaro: "Watch out for Papa Redbird," the horse that had just won the Arlington Classic. To be on the safe side, Jones entered another Calumet horse, Free America, a big, flashy, but unseasoned three-year-old whom Calumet is getting ready for the fall stakes.

Papa Redbird got away first, and for almost six furlongs set the pace, while Arcaro was content to lag behind. (Says Eddie: "Citation's a great competitive colt. He wants speed out in front of him.") On the far turn Citation overtook and easily passed Papa. Jockey R. L. Baird gave Papa a breather around the bend. Most of the fans, and Citation himself, seemed to figure that he had Papa licked. But in the stretch, Baird sent Papa up again. Said Baird later: "For a couple of seconds, I was an optimist. We got up within a half length of him. But when we came alongside, he took one look and ran away from us. He's just too much horse."

Added Eddie Arcaro: "Citation sort of waited for him and when he saw Papa he began to eat himself up. You're always a little worried, but I was never worried that I didn't have enough horse under me. He can beat any horse in any part of a race."

Citation's stablemate, Free America, was second by a length as Papa faltered into fourth. Calumet Owner Warren Wright was richer by $78,450 in first and second place money.

Citation's victory in the American Derby was proof again, after no further proof was needed, that he was 1948's Horse-of-the-Year. What had become of 1947's golden names?

Seven-year-old Stymie, alltime top money winner ($911,335), fractured a bone in his right forefoot in July and has been "resting, just resting" since Trainer Hirsch Jacobs sent him to a Virginia farm. Armed, second money winner ($773,700), sprained his left foreleg last winter, lost some easy races, and was retired to Calumet Farm because Trainer Jones didn't want to see the seven-year-old "degraded." Assault was retired to stud (but proved impotent) after losing the Widener Handicap last February (TIME, March 1). Citation's victory last week put him ahead of Assault as the third greatest money winner ($651,750) of all time.

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