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i Sketches of Kentucky Derby Trainers JOHN M. GAVER Capot and Wine List John M. Gaver is a Princeton alumnus, but he took a sort of post graduate course in horsemanship from Jimmy Rowe and now is one of our most learned trainers. Gaver was born October 29, 1900, in the village of Mt. Airy, Md. He taught romantic languages French and Spanish at a school near Baltimore for a time after leaving Princeton and went in for breeding fancy game bantams and other exotic fowl. But he was exposed to a great deal of racing and soon caught the virus. "Princeton Johnny" first was a horse agent, then made a connection with the Whitney stables, which was to chart the course of his turf career. That was when he became stable agent in August, 1929. Later he was assistant trainer of the Greentree horses, and in 1939 he was appointed chief trainer of this string. A short time later he saddled his first winner, Jamboree, at Hialeah Park. He has been saddling the Greentree horses ever since, and among others, he developed Hash, Third Degree, Tangled, Shut Out, Devil Diver and Expression. He still is fonder of Third Degree than any other horse he ever handled, perhaps because the horse had to overcome so many misfortunes to race at all well. Gaver is H. P. Headleys brother-in-law and makes his home in Garden City, L. I., N. Y. The Gavers have two sons. For several years the Greentree trainer was president of the American Trainers Association. He has saddled three horses in fast Kentucky Derbys, winning with Shut Out in 1942 and finishing third with Stir Up in i944. JOHN MILTON GOODE Ky. Colonel Perhaps one of the greatest of American turfmen, John Milton Goode, who is to saddle Joseph Goodwins Ky. Colonel for the Diamond Jubilee running of the Kentucky Derby, raced and developed some truly fine thoroughbreds. His horsemanship is often compard to that of the late Sam Hildreth and Andrew Jackson Joyner. Goode will send his fourth charge postward in Saturdays three-year-old classic. His previous starters were unsuccessful. Isaiah ran twelfth in 1933, Dellor finished seventh in 1937 and Dark Jungle was unplaced in the 1946 Derby renewal. Goode was born August 15, 1880, at Nicholasville, Ky., and now makes his residence in Louisville. Because of his gift at handling horses, the veteran turfman left his farming duties in 1908 and saddled Elysium, his first winner, at Churchill Downs, the same year. During his long and colorful career, Goode trained for such highly regarded patrons as Rogers Caldwell, Tennessee utilities magnate; the late John W. Parrish, who was well known in the Blue Grass sector as a Midway banker; Lucas B. Combs and Sewell Combs, prominent Fayette County thoroughbred owners and breeders. Goode put the tack on such fleet performers as Jacks Jill, Miss Dogwood, Lady Broadcast, and the immortal Sands of Pleasure, who carried Goodes own silks and those of James T. Looney. The "dean of Kentucky turfmen" presently is enjoying improved health and he and Mrs. Goode are daily visitors at the track where the Goode -trained horses campaign. The Goodes son, John Geordon Goode, serves as steward at Churchill Downs and several other major tracks. DAVE HURN Lexfown; Dave Hum comes from a racing family. His father, Dave Hum, Sr., has trained horses for more years than most people can remember and is still active on the West Coast as a conditioner. Hum was born 42 years ago at Granby, Mo. He started out as a rider at the age of nine, when he began active competition at fairs and similar competitions. After a thorough seasoning on the bull rings, he embarked on the major circuit. Oddly enough, he broke the maiden of two Derby horses, Flying Ebony and Bubbling Over, but he did not ride either in the Blue Ribbon classic. He had one Derby mount, Revenue Agent, who was seventh to Black Gold back in 1924. Hum continued to ride until 1927, his last mount being aboard King Nadyr in a stake at New Orleans. At one time he rode for the late Col. Edward R. Bradley. He began his training chores in 1929, first racing his own string, later accepting the stable of W. R. Reid of Houston, Tex. After six years with that stable, he resumed training for his own account. He accepted the Lexbrook Stable post in the fall of 1947. Hum is still active in the saddle. He weighs only 128 pound- today and works Lexbrook himself in all but morning trials. Hum had two other brothers who were Continued on Page Ten Sketches of Kentucky Derby Trainers Continued from Page Two jockeys, Marion, who is now a foreman in his stable, and Paul, who was killed in a tragic spill in Havana in 1925. Lextown is the first horse he has ever saddled in a Kentucky Derby. HIRSCH JACOBS Palestinian Hirsch Jacobs, 45, has been Americas leading trainer in point of winners saddled for 11 years. Seven of those yeajs, from 1933 to 1939, inclusive, were consecutive. He also led the "league" from 1941 through 1944, inclusive, his all-time high mafk being the 177 winners he saddled in 1936. That remained as the record until last year when the Californian, Willie Molter, saddled 184. It can fairly be pointed out, however, that the year Jacobs rolled up his impressive 177 victories there were but six races a day, as a rule, on the New York tracks. The story of Jacobs advent to the turf is well-known. He was a member of a pigeon club in his native Brooklyn and one of the members in the club had an interest in the ! j I horse, Purchase. Jacobs became interested j in horses, abandoned the pigeons and | launched out on the turf as a trainer in ; 1925. His success seemed assured almost from the start. While Jacobs has a band of 21 broodmares at Dr. George Hagyards farm, near Lexington, Jacobs had never been to Churchill Downs before he arrived with Palestinian. The Jacobs-trained horses have campaigned almost exclusively on the East Coast, notably in New York and Florida, although he did race in Chicago for three summers and in Ohio one summer. Jacobs considers that Stymie was the best horse he ever trained, beyond any shadow of a doubt. Jacobs has no illusions about the Derby. He feels that Olympia is strictly the horse to beat, but Palestinian has trained so well, coupled with a bold showing to the Fred W. Hooper horse in the Wood Memorial, that Jacobs feels he will give a good account of himself in the seventy-fifth running of the famed Kentucky classic. LESTER L. JENKINS Jacks Town Lester L. Jenkins comes by his ability with horses naturally, it would appear, for his father was a race rider at Old City ! j I j | ; Park, New Orleans. Lester, whose home is in the Crescent City, himself started out as a rider on the Kansas-Oklahoma bush circuit in 1923, and rode around the so-called "jungle" circuit until 1930. During those formative years, he learned the horse business from the bottom up, so to speak, and from master horsemen. In 1930, he abandoned the saddle for a new career as a trainer, and it is recorded that he was a success from the very start. For a spell, he trained for the Ferrera brothers of Detroit. In one meeting at the Motor City, he had 31 horses finish in the money in 38 starters. Jenkins became manager of the South Kenner Farm, which is owned by Afton Villa Farm and is situated across the river from New Orleans. He helped develop the farm, built a half-mile track and wintered all of Afton Villas thoroughbreds there. When Cliff Porter gave up the position as trainer for the Afton Villa horses, Jenkins took ovej". His best horse, before Jacks Town, was Flying Doug and until Noble One broke down at New Orleans the past winter, Afton Villas colors were prominent in many of the important races at the Fair Grounds. Afton Villa Farm, 35 miles from St. Francesville, La., is one of the showplaces of the South. An ante bellum plantation, it is so famous for its gardens and general beauty that tourists flock there by the thousands winter and summer. Jenkins began to dream of the Derby as a possibility when Jacks Town defeated the rather highly-regarded Model Cadet in a five and one-half furrlongs sprint at Arlington Park last year. He had seen a number of Derbys and, while he had never been fortunate enough to have a Derby starter, he believed that from what he had observed, Jacks Town had enough merit to warrant his being trained for the Diamond Jubilee edition. BEN A. JONES Ponder Ben A. Jones is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby, having won four in previous runnings. It may be said that perhaps Jones is the best known American trainer. As "head man" for the famed Calumet Farm, he has had a galaxy of stake stars Continued on Page Sixteen Sketches of Kentucky Derby Trainers Continued from Page Ten under his wing for the past several years. In the training, his son, H. A. Jimmy Jones has been associated with him. The younger Jones currently is in Maryland with a division of Calumet, and Ben has personally been conditioning Ponder for his Derby efforts. Jones reached the top of his profession" the hard way, i. e. in the true American tradition of success. He is what might be termed a "born horseman." It is said that when he was a small child, on the ancestral farm near Parnell, Mo., his parents had a sure fire way of keeping him out of the way when he got on their nerves, i. e. by putting him on a pony and letting him ride. The mainstay of the Jones family income was cattle, but, as in most farms of this size, one invariably encounters horses. While eminently successful in the cattle business, Jones interest gravitated toward the horses and he quickly became interested in the impromptu racing then flourishing in the area. He began his career as a trainer by starting his stock at unrecognized race meetings, winning his first race of that type at the old five furlongs track at Fort Worth, Texas. His first winner on a recognized track came just forty years ago at Oklahoma City, when he saddled Errant Lady to win a 00 purse. He became a thoroughbred breeder at Continued on Page Seventeen Sketches of Kentucky Derby Trainers Continued from Page Sixteen Parnell, perhaps his most successful stallion being Seth. His first post of consequence, other than with horses owned by himself, came with the Woolford Farm of Herbert M. Woolf of Kansas City. Woolford gave Jones his first Derby winner, Lawrin. With- his present Calumet connection, he has added three more, Whirlaway. Pensive, and Citation. IVAN PARKE Olympic Ivan Parke is the fourth oldest of the six riding Parke brothers. Ivan left his native Declo. Idaho, to begin his career on the turf. He broke his maiden in 1923 and although he rode only until 1925, he earned the national title for two years, 1924 and 1925. He was, as may be imagined, a much sought-after rider and he made the most of opportunities. He rode Black Gold as a two-year-old in 1923, finishing third with the horse in the Lexington Futurity. He says one of the best horses he ever rode was Swinging, the daughter of Equipoise. He was contract rider for a spell with the Harry Payne Whitney Stable. Parke had two chances in the Derby, finishing ninth with Klondike in 1924 and 17th with The Bat, in 1925. But if his riding luck was poor in the Classic, his training record has been just the opposite. He has had but one Derby starter, the 1945 winner, Hoop Jr. Among the better horses he has trained have been Gay Edward, Our Mae and Scrappy W. Ivan Parke began to learn the ludiments of training in 1931, took out his license in 1935. He began to gain national attention as a trainer when Olympia and Ocean Drive, racing for his patron, Fred W. Hooper, the Montgomery, Ala., sportsman and breeder, scored impressively and frequently in stakes. Parke also became the first American trainer to rely upon air lines as steady, Instead of occasional transportation. Olympia flew from Chicago to New England in his two-year-old form, from Florida to California and back as a three-year-old. He flew from New York to Churchill and plans to fly Monday to Pim-lico. The "riding" Parkes are, in the order of their age, Gilbert, Vasco, Burley, Ivan, Monte and Chuck. Two other brothers never became associated with the turf. MONTE PARKE Johns Joy Idaho is proud of its position , as a "jockey" state, and In more recent years, it may be added, a "trainer" state as well. Monte Parke, trainer of Johns Joy, was born in Declo, a tiny hamlet, some 30 years ago. Inasmuch as his elder brothers had embarked upon a racing career, it was only natural that he should follow in their footsteps. Monte needed little encouragement to become a jockey, and once a rider, wasted little time in graduating from the ranks of the novices, winning his initial success at Lincoln Fields on Sept. 14, 1932 aboard a horse called Whipper Cracker. He won the first two races he ever rode on a recognized track on the first two days he was up, and on his third day, handled three winners. Monte rode for only two years, through 1934, being forced from the saddle because of weight difficulties. Monte was always a good "doer" at the dinner table, and tis said he had a fondness for the richer foods which put on the poundage at an alarming rate. If the riding colony lost a fine pilot, the training ranks gained an able coiicuuoiicr. He began his career as a trainer immediately after he had hung up his tack, and had a good degree of success with the horses of J. L. McKnight, prior to taking over the string of John A. Kinard. Monte has had in his ban* two Derby eligibles, prior to Johns Joy, Johns Pride and Etnom, the latter being Monte spelled backwards. But neither got to the post. Johns Joy is his first Derby starter, either as a rider or trainer. PHIL REILL«Y Old Rockport Phil Reilly, a veteran turfman, has an opportunity to climax a lifetime with thoroughbreds if Old Rockport wins the Derby. Reilly, now 75, has had a long and varied career. He was born in St. Paul, Minn., began as an exercise boy in 1891. He was employed by Fred Foster, a Minneapolis I restaurant man and stable owner. He later rode in the "bushes" and then at the Ham- _ lin Fair Grounds, in Minneapolis. Hamlin *«J was a "big meeting" in* those years, its Derby being won by such as Donatella, Prince Fonzo, Yo, Tambien and Oakwood. He gave up the saddle to become a trainer and in 1901 and 1902 raced and trained in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Belgium. He returned to the United States in 1903, acquiring a stable which he campaigned in — his own interests. He went to the Pacific - Northwest in 1909, served as an official when Brighouse Park, The Willows and other tracks were opened in Vancouver. He Q also served for a spell as a turf writer and z chart caller. Reilly raced at other times at! CD Coeur dAlene, Idaho, and at the old! -r, Meadows track, near Seattle. It was at thej O Meadows that he first became acquainted with Clifford Mooers, then a youngster. Reilly stayed in the Far West until 1915,1 then returned to the Middle West and East.l He held important training posts, among j ij them being for Otto W. Lehman, formerly head of Arlington Park; E. J. Lehman and O Fred M. Grabiner, as well as training horses 5 owned by himself. • Reilly had one previous Derby starter, Diavolaw, who finished fourteenth after setting the early pace in the 1944 running. ** Reilly has been a resident of Louisville ««4 * for the last 20 years. His home is adjacent to Churchill Downs. i MRS. ALBERT ROTH Senecas Coin Mrs. Albert Roth will be the second woman trainer to saddle a starter in the Derby. She sends Senecas Coin postward in the Diamond Jubilee running. The first was No Sir, owned and trained by Mary Hirsch. No Sir finished thirteenth to War Admiral in 1937. Mrs. Roth maintains a thoroughbred nursery, a 96 -acre farm, Rothland on Third Street Road, Louisville. For many years, Mrs. Roths main interest was in saddle horses but a few seasons back obtained a thoroughbred, Miss Seneca, and launched herself into a career as an owner and thoroughbred breeder. "I dont expect Senecas Coin to win top honors in the Derby," she added, "but I want to see him run, and I think hell make a good showing." SAM SECHREST Duplicator Sam Sechrest, 43, is saddling his first Kentucky Derby contender in the Louis B. Mayer-bred Duplicator. Sechrest is a former rider of the "Jungle" school. He was born in Tonganoxie, Kansas, moved to California at an early age, and as a youngster engaged in many kinds of riding, including quarter-horse, relay, pony express, and "lap and tap" at the California fairs and rodeo meetings. He also did some steeplechase riding at the swank Riveria Club near Santa Monica. Sechrest began his career as a trainer in 1937 when he took over a small stable of horses racing on the California Fair, or minor circuit. During the war, he spent three years as manager of a California farm. When racing resumed after the war, Continued on Page Eighteen Sketches of Kentucky Derby Trainers Continued from Page Seventeen he went in the major circuit with a public stable. One of his first horses and first winners was Nanby Pass, who accounted for the 0,000 Santa Catalina Stakes at Santa Anita. Sechrest acquired Nanby Pass for ,000 for the interest of L. E. Hutson, Los Angeles nut and bolt manufacturer. The horse won some 3,000 during his career. Sechrest currently is training a public stable on the West Coast. Sechrest is no stranger to Kentucky. His grandparents both resided in Lexington. Back in 1942 Sechrest brought Lums Pride to Churchill for a Derby try, but at the last minute he decided that Lums Pride, owned by Chet Lauck, the "Lum" of "Lum and Abner" radio fame, was not quite Derby calibre and the horse did not start. Lums Pride later won rather cleverly for him in Chicago. TOM SMITH Model Cadet Tom Smith, accepted on the turf and by the public as one of Americas No. 1 trainers, has spent almost a lifetime in racing. Derby fans will vividly recall when Smith saddled Jet Pilot as the winner in 1947. But in the public mind Smith is generally associated with the life and races of the great Seabiscuit. Smith always was rated an able conditioner in the West, but not until Seabiscuit came along did he attain national recognition. Smith left farming in Colorado at an early age to join the Wild West show of the late C. B. Irwin. It was his duty to keep the broncos and "Indian chasing" horses in condition. He later became stable foreman for Irwin. He launched on his own as a trainer in Seattle with an obscure horse named OReilly. George J. Giannini, a San Francisco banker and turf enthusiast, recommended him to Charles S. Howard, a recommendation which was accepted. Seabiscuit came along and Smith developed him into the leading money winner of all time, a position he has since relinquished. From then on, Smith trained a galaxy of topnotch horses, including Kayak II. Prior to the Jet Pilot score, he essayed his luck twice previously in the Derby. Mioland was fourth in 1940 and Porters Cap finished in the same position in 1941. After severing his connection with Charles S. Howard, he trained for considerable time for Maine Chance Farm and had marked success with the horses of Mrs. Elizabeth Graham. He later took over the stable of Mrs. Ada L. Rice of Chicago, the post he now holds. He is assisted in the training of the barn by his son, Jimmy. WOODFORD C. STEPHENS Halt "Woody Stephens is a product of the old Blue Grass country, having been born in Midway, Ky., and reared in Lexington. Although he is now only 32 years old, he may be deemed an "old-timer" with horses, having been directly connected with them since he was 14. Woody launched a career as a rider after -serving the usual apprenticeship, scoring his first winner on January 15, 1931, at Hialeah Park with a horse named Directly, owned by Fred Burton of Chicago. With increasing weight and with his widespread background, it was only natural that Stephens should take up training. He had an opportunity to study under some of the nations best conditioners and, being an observant and apt pupil, was able to branch out on his own after only a few years. He saddled his first winner in the spring of 1940, a horse named Bronze Bugle. Stephens went with Woodvale Farm as first assistant trainer to Steve Judge in the fall of 1940. He remained in this post through the fall of 1942. One of his first "big horses" was Our Boots, whom Stephens saddled to beat the immortal Whirl-away in the Blue Grass Stakes. To gain additional experience, Stephens went with Woolford Farm late in 1942 as assistant to Ross Higdon. In 1944, he took over as head trainer for Jule Fink of Cincinnati and had what the turf writers describe as "phenomenal success." He conditioned for a spell for Frank Frankel in 1947, and last year, in February, returned to Woodvale Farm as head trainer.
