The Poor Relation

To the lady who sells face powder and buys horseflesh, Elizabeth Arden Graham, money is no object. She paid $34,000 for Colony Boy, $26,000 for Star Pilot, and with the help of her topflight trainer became racing's biggest pursewinner ($589,170) last year. Somehow, a horse named Knockdown, costing only $2,000, sneaked into her lush stables. Last week, in the richest race for three-year-olds ever run, the poor relation led all the way, and romped home the winner in the $100,000 Santa Anita Derby.

Knockdown had been assigned the job of making pace, and got out in front quick. His $26,000 stablemate, Star Pilot, moved up to threaten in the stretch, but instead of being awed by the competition, Knockdown went on to win by two lengths. The prize: 37 times Knockdown's purchase price. He thus became a good bet for the Big Three coming up (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont), whose purses have been boosted to $100,000 this year.

Elizabeth Arden Graham (they call her "Miss Mudpack" around the stables) needed Knockdown's win. Her prize trainer, shrewd old Silent Tom Smith, was suspended for a year for giving a horse ephedrine (TIME, Nov. 19), and three of her best horses have broken down since son Jim Smith took over. Last week, when Miss Mudpack's horses finished first and second at Santa Anita, old Tom was not there. He could not come near the track, but there was no law against a father talking to a son.

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