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Arcaro/Guerin Resume Duel in Derb J The Master7 Still ► : Dubious of Nashua Classifies Citation As His L Top Mount to Date; Assault, • Devil Diver Right Up There j By BOB HORWOOD • Staff Correspondent 1 This comparatively brief account of the f lengthy career of George Edward Arcaro, ; 39-year-old president of the Jockeys Guild i and pilot of Belair Studs Nashua in to-■ days Derby, is directed exclusively at those I readers who first became aware of thor-■ oughbred racing within the past 24 hours, i Everyone else must know all there is to know about the career of "The Master," as well as a great deal that is not known j by anyone, including Arcaro. : The veteran, who rode his first winner i on the aptly named Eagle Bird at Tijuana, January 14, 1932, has added some colorful paragraphs to his history in recent weeks, however. After descending from the muscular back of Nashua the afternoon he won the Flamingo Stakes, he was quoted as saying that he did not particularly want to ride the son of Nasrullah in the Kentucky Derby; that he thought there might be" better mounts. Not Too Happy With Hill Prince This is not the first time that Arcaro has expressed his displeasure with a good colt. - He never seemed to be too happy with Hill Prince, the "Horse of the Year" a few seasons back, and it might be added that the feeling at times seemed to be mutual, notably in the Derby and Dwyer Stakes. More recently, Arcaro parlayed two 10-day suspensions in a week, which resulted in his being on the ground the day Nashua beat Summer Tan in the most breathtaking race of recent years, with the possible exception of the Butler Handicap of 1947, in which the veteran drove Assault between horses to snatch victory from apparently certain defeat in the final strides. Arcaro was outspoken after that race, as he has usually been, and declared that it was one of his worst rides. This propensity for the exercise of free speech has been a characteristic of Arcaros ever since he came on the race track back in 1931 and has, at times, proved embarrassing. Recalling Cowdin Stakes of 1942 Back in 1942, when he was aboard Occupation in the Cowdin Stakes, a horse ridden by Vincenzio Nodarse slammed into him soon after leaving the gate and Eddie believed that it was intentional. He went after his rival in the following furlong and slammed back, a bit harder. Asked for an explanation after the" race, far from alibing, George Edward said, "Id have ; killed the so and so if I could." That got ! him, not the book, but most of the library and it was a year before he rode again. , Most of this account of "The Masters" career has been slightly negative thus far. The record speaks for his positive achievements. ] Not only does he lead in Kentucky Derby winners with five, starting with [ Lawrin back in 1938 and continuing with , Whirlaway, Hoop Jr., Citation and Hill Gail, but he also holds the record in most other major fixtures, and has been the [ Continued on Page Tytenty-Two Duel With Guerin I [ " The Master Still Dubious J - Of Nashua; Rates Citation, I Assault, Devil Diver Best - Continued from Page Eight E leading money-winning rider for most of * the past 15 seasons. £ Such success, to paraphrase an old ad- 1 vertising slogan, must be deserved. Only % three other riders, Englands Sir Gordon - Richards, the Anglo-American Johnny C Longden and the Canadian-American Ted Atkinsdn" have ridden more than 3,000 c winners, which makes Arcaro the only * United States-born rider to turn the trick. 2 How did he do it? It seems that most observers agree that the veteran, who was 2 born at 414 Reading Street, Cincinnati, - Ohio, on February 19, 1916, combines a £ frequently uncanny judgment of pace, with a positive fury in a driving finish. Neither of these talents was inherited, since father m j Pasquale was in the music business, while his mother was an Italian immigrant girl a with no known racing background. Had Many Mounts Before First Winner No statistically minded historian has yet compiled the exact number of horses the young .Arcaro rode before he scored with Eagle Bird 23 years ago, and the estimates vary from 100 to 600, with* the veteran willing to accept either figure. "I know it was an awful lot," he says. He does remember vividly how he came to the race track. One day, he was caddying on the Port Thomas golf links, near Newport, Ky., and seemed unable to keep his eye on his patrons drives or bring out the requested club. Finally, the man said in exasperation, "Why doesnt a little runt like you become a jockey and- not bother serious-minded people on a golf, course?" Since then, he has plagued many rival golfers with a keen game of his own. That was in 1929 and George Edward soon got a job as a "hot walker, then as an exercise boy. He thinks that a mare named Aunt Kate, trained by Bill Brennan, was his first mount", but Clarence Davidson was his first real mentor. After racing in the Far and Middlewest and at Chicagos Sportsmans Park, he attracted the attention of the late Warren Wright, who was forming Calumet Farm in the early 30s, with that stables Privileged his first stakes winner of any moment. Arcaro later served several years with Greentree Stable, but now is free-lancing. His best mount, without hesitation, he says was Citation, but Assault and Deyil Diver are right up there. Maybe, some day, Nashua will join the veterans select list.
