KENTUCKY DERBY 63 



TWENTY-SECOND DERBY 1896 



The Kentucky Derby is over and Ben Brush wears the 

 crown, but his victory was obtained only by the narrowest 

 of margins, and while his neck was clothed with flowers after 

 the race, his sides were sore and bleeding from the marks 

 of the spur, and his giant muscles ached as they never did 

 before. Simms gave him the garlands, Ben Eder caused 

 the other things. Ah! it was a "hoss-race !" Such a field of 

 three-year olds had not met since the old standard of Spokane- 

 Proctor Knott Derby, in which Once Again, Bootmaker, Hindoo- 

 craft, Cassius, Sportsman and Outbound followed behind the 

 fighting leaders. And in the finish of the race to-day there was 

 the same desperate, hair-raising finish, which marked that most 

 famous of Derbies. Ben Brush was all out. Not only that but 

 he needed all of the skill and strength and vim of a jockey 

 famous on two continents to help his quivering nostrils first 

 under the wire. And withal he is the best horse in the race. 

 Not that Ben Eder with jockeys changed might not and probably 

 would have won, but it was a matter of condition. Ben Eder 

 was fit to a hair. Made fit in the only way to secure perfect 

 condition, i. e. in actual racing, and McGuigan, after three months 

 of constant care and thought, brought him to the post as ex- 

 quisitely adapted for this particular race as any modiste fitted 

 a Worth gown to a Parisian belle. There is now no doubt that 

 all of Ben Eder's "prep" and races down the line were made 

 with an eye single to this one race. And how artistically Bill 

 McGuigan managed it. Always racing, yet taking on no penalty, 

 and yet thanks to Lady Inez the only genuine "Umbrella" Mc- 

 Guigan still took down the money. Then came the time when 

 Lady Inez would no longer do. The finishing touches must be 

 given ; the razor edge put on. This was done, and when Ben 



