At 15 to 8 Washington M. G. Singer's bay colt Orwell was the shortest priced Derby favorite since 1906, probably the most heavily backed in history. Bettors had wagered $10,000,000 that he would win. Of the 20 other horses that went to the post, twelve were at odds of 50 or 100 to 1 and only five had any substantial backing. They were Lord Rosebery's Miracle, the Aga Khan's Dastur, Cockpen, Hesperus, and April the Fifth, owned by an actor-manager named Tom Walls. Tom Walls had bought April the Fifth—named for its birthday, which...
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