“Garner is proving himself a rider of fine quality. He is coaxing Typhoon. He is handling a colt with hand-riding, and it may be stated right here that no prettier bit of that same sort of riding has been seen on the Louisville track since the best days of Isaac Murphy, with the one exception of Simms’ finish on Ben Brush.
“Garner looks neither to right nor left. He has the race if he can hold. He swings Typhoon wide into the homestretch, landing him in the best and dryest path. Ornament must catch that colt if there is hope for him to win. He must get to Typhoon’s throat-latch and ask him the question of courage. Clayton takes a chance. He hugs the rail and saves at least a length. Then, wisely, he bears out toward the hard going. Ornament is closing on Typhoon.
“Clayton goes to the whip at the eighth pole and again Ornament comes forward from under punishment. He is nearing Typhoon. What is that boy Garner going to do? Every ounce in Typhoon is out! If Garner has not a wonderfully cool head he will drop the rein and lift the whip. He does not do it. He looks straight ahead. He is climbing forward on the leader’s withers coaxing him on, coaxing him always on. Typhoon is all out, but Ornament, too is staggering a length back and the wire is overhead.
“Ornament is gaining, gaining at every jump, running from the whip, ready to go on until he drops. But Typhoon, with that same steam-engine action with which he gained his lead, is holding it. The wire is reached. Garner is still climbing and coaxing, Ornament is still fighting a neck back, and Typhoon II., is winner of the Kentucky Derby of 1897.”
For three-year-olds (foals of 1894); $5 to accompany the nomination; $15 to be paid May 1, 1896; $30 to be paid March 1, 1897; $100 additional to start. The club to guarantee the value of the stakes to be $6,000, of which $700 to second and $300 to third. Colts to carry 122 pounds; geldings (at time of starting), 119 pounds; fillies, 117 pounds. Those not having won a three-year-old race of the value of $1,500, allowed five pounds; maidens ten pounds. One mile and a quarter. Closed with 159 nominations. One mile and a quarter.
| Index | Starters | Jockeys | St. | ½ | ¾ | S. | F. | Betting | ||||||||||||||||
| (325) | Typhoon II, 117 | Garner | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | h | 11 to 5 | ||||||||||||
| (186) | Ornament, 117 | A. Clayton | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 7 to 5 | ||||||||||||
| (404) | Dr. Catlett, 117 | R. Williams | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 4 to 1 | ||||||||||||
| Dr. Shepard, 117 | J. Hill | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3½ | 4 | 30 | 15 to 1 | ||||||||||||||
| (336) | Goshen, 117 | Wilhite | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 15 to 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| (284) | Ben Brown, 117 | Ballard | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 6 to 1 | |||||||||||||
Start fair; won with first 2 driving hard. Time—2:12½.
J. C. Cahn’s ch c Typhoon II, by imp. Top Gallant-Dolly Varden.