Louisville, Ky., May 3rd, 1900, weather fine, track fast. One mile and a quarter. Time 2:06¼. Value $4,850, second $700, third $300.

Highland Lad, His Excellency, Kentucky Farmer, Hindus also ran. Betting 10 to 7 on Gibson. Good start. Won easily, place same. Gibson made his field look common.

Lieut. Gibson, br c, by G. W. Johnson—Sophia Hardy, owned by Charles H. Smith, trained by Charles Hughes.

There was little delay at the post. To a perfect start, His Excellency was the first to show, closely followed by Lieut. Gibson and Kentucky Farmer, with the field well bunched. When all were straightened out and the race had begun Lieut. Gibson took command from the momentary leader and began nodding off fast quarters with wonderful regularity. The pace rate of speed was terrific the first quarter, being run in :24¼, at the end of which the gallant pacemaker let out a link and running the third eighth in 0:11½ was at the seven-eighths pole in :35¾. Boland now steadied the big colt by letting him rate right along. The fourth eighth in :12¼ carried him to the three-quarter pole in :48, a heart-breaking clip of the first half-mile of a mile and a quarter race.Carrying 117 pounds as lightly as a feather, Lieut. Gibson still going easy, traversed the first three-quarters in 1:13½. The conservative element among the backers of the favorite became uneasy at this stage of the race, fearing the horse would be unable to withstand the tremendous strain of the fast pace. A second time Boland took hold of the flying leader that with measured strides seemed to be annihilating distance and defying time.

A second glance at the field and all cause of doubt as to Gibson’s ability to live at the flying clip was expelled. He was going easy, much easier than any horse behind him, and seemed only a horse out for a good stiff breeze. Passed the mile ground in 1:40?, he was only rating along three lengths in front of the tired His Excellency, with Scoggan’s pair Florizar and Highland Lad, going well, but in no danger of overhauling the galloping leader.

Into the stretch, a novice could see that Gibson was going easy, and coming on the gallant colt passed first under the wire by four lengths in front of Florizar that Van Dusen had most sensibly not driven to his limit when he found it impossible to overtake the great son of G. W. Johnson.

The time was 2:06¼, one and one-half seconds faster than the Kentucky Derby had ever been run.