Louisville, Ky., May 10, 1910.—Weather clear, Track fast. 1¼ miles. Time 2:06?. Value to winner $4,850, second $700, third $300.

$5 mutuels paid $13.25. At post one minute. Start good, won driving second and third same.

Donau, b c, 3, by Woolsthorpe—Al Lone. Owned by Wm. Gerst, Nashville, Tenn., trained by G. Ham.

DESCRIPTION OF RACE

An enormous crowd gathered from all points of the compass saw and cheered the victory of the bay colt Donau in the thirty-sixth running of the Kentucky Derby, now truly the “Blue Riband” of the American turf, at Churchill Downs this afternoon. It was the largest crowd that ever graced this historic battle ground of the thoroughbreds and that crowd saw the keenest contest and the most thrilling finish that ever attended the winning of the prize, which has been annually coveted by owners of three-year olds in all the land since Price McGrath first took it with game Aristides in 1875.

The winner is owned in Tennessee, but he was bred in the Blue Grass of old Kentucky, as were also each of the half dozen that went to the post with the son of Woolsthorpe and Al Lone and came back behind him.

Derby Day dawned clear and warm. There was not a fleck in the sky when the sun peeped over the Eastern horizon. The track had dried out rapidly after the severe rain of Saturday and was fast.

When the bugle called the horses to the post, Donau, accompanied to the paddock gate by his piebald pony companion was the first to step on the track. He was No. 1 on the program. After the post parade, the horses cantered to the starting point one quarter of a mile up the stretch. Starter Milton was ready for them, and after they had lined up about twenty yards behind the barrier, gave orders to walk up. They came in good alignment and sprung the barrier at the first attempt. They were off to a good start four minutes after they left the paddock.

Joe Morris was first to show and Donau next, then Boola Boola and Gallant Pirate, Fighting Bob fifth, John Furlong sixth and Topland last.

Herbert had Donau well in his stride and he lost no time sending him to the front and when they passed the stand at the end of the first quarter of a mile in :24, he was leading Joe Morris by half a length and was at the rail with Topland third a head back and the others close up. Around the clubhouse turn, Joe Morris swerved outward and carried the others with him, giving Donau a lead of about three lengths as they straightened out for the run down the backstretch, having passed the half in :48?. Joe Morris was here two lengths in front of John Furlong and Topland, they on nearly even terms, with Fighting Bob two lengths back of them, a length in front of Boola Boola and Gallant Pirate a neck apart.

Herbert took a restraining hold on Donau, passing the three-quarter ground in 1:14 and steadied him around the turn out of the backstretch still three lengths in front of Joe Morris. Here Stanley Page made his move on Fighting Bob. The son of Knight of Ellerslie was in third position in a jiffy and less than two lengths back of Joe Morris. Coming around the turn into the homestretch, Boola Boola made up ground rapidly and the pace seemed to quicken. At the end of the mile in 1:39?, and heading for home, Donau led by half a length, with Joe Morris a head in front of Fighting Bob, and he four lengths better than Boola Boola, the others clearly out of contention. There it looked as any one of the first four might win, for Boola Boola was carrying the Camden colors with the speed of the wind and loomed up big and strong. Down the stretch they came, whips whirling and resounding even above the roar from the stand and the field, and those jockeys rode desperately for the prize that hung at the end of the tiring, heart-breaking journey now less than a sixteenth of a mile away. On and on they came near to the black mark of the white board that should proclaim the finish; flying, yet struggling gamely and determinedly under the punishment of the bending striving riders to be first to that goal where hung fame, glory and gold.Donau though tiring fast, was still able to hold the lead. Unshaken, his nose shot first past the finishing mark, with Joe Morris at his withers, Fighting Bob at Joe Morris’ throat-latch, and Boola Boola beaten only a nose for third money. Topland was fifth five lengths back, and two lengths in front of John Furlong, eight lengths better than Gallant Pirate a trailing last.

It was a great finish and any human being with a drop of sporting blood in his veins was to be excused for giving over for the moment to the feelings of ecstasy that well up from the soul of man at such a contest. It was beyond question the most thrilling finish ever seen in a race for the Kentucky Derby.