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Hove Mounts in Big Race WILLIAM HARTACK Fabius FabiusThis This is William Hartacks first Derby The best you can make at Louisville today 5s that it wont be his last Bill a 23year old Pennsylvanian who rides Fabius this afternoon has had a meteoric career Con ¬ sider this In his first full season as a rider 1953 he won 350 races second only that year to William Shoemaker In 1954 lie won an impressive 323 but Shoemaker topped him again Last year he took his best hold and rode more races than any other U S rider ever has 1702 and won the national title with 417 wins Thus in three years he has won 1090 races for an average of 363 per season seasonHartack Hartack hardly has what is generally known as a classic seat he bounces on a horse But he says he feels comfortable land the horses run for him and thats what counts Bill believes strongly in keeping a horse out of trouble and consequently is often on the front end Hes a strong boy who can stand a drive with our best riders and is a powerful lefthanded sticker stickerBilly Billy the Kid came on the race track for the Mrs Ada L Rice stable for a while now freelances He is a serious student of the sport and is one of the most articulate and intelligent riders in the world Trainers of long experience have commented favor ¬ ably on his postraces analyses as the acme of completeness and iccurateness Off the track he loves high powered automobiles skin diving potato chips and gin rummy and is always on the move WILLIAM SHOEMAKER Termng TermngWilliam William Shoemaker the tiny Colossus of California will try to make it two Derbys in a row today for Rex Ellsworth and Meshach Teriney with Terrang Shoe got the rancherhorsemen to the winners circle 3iere in Kentucky last spring with Swaps and while they didnt quite make it in the Washington Park Match last summer none of this trio are particular strangers to that charmed enclosure particularly Willie the Shoe ShoeThe The 25yearold Shoemaker has had a remarkable record since he began riding some seven seasons ago In 1950 he tied Joe Culmone for the national crown with 388 victories in a duel that went down to the final day of the year In 1953 he set an alltime standard for U S riders with 485 wins a mark that may never be broken He stands seventh on the alltime list of American jocks and being a natural light ¬ weight stands an excellent chance of even ¬ tually reaching the 5000 win mark one of racings Mt Everests EverestsShoemaker Shoemaker is an institution in California where he rides the majority of the good horses can have his pick of daily mounts and almost annually has the countrys best winning percentage Hes known in the trade as an icy rider wont be rushed into making a move until hes good and ready Off the track in contradiction of some re ¬ ports hes a friendly gregarious person yery popular with his fellow riders and has a quiet goodnatured sense of humor PAUL J BAILEY Ben A Jones JonesPaul Paul J Bailey or Peejay as he 5s known to his jockeys room associates is making his third Derby appearance this afternoon with Ben A Jones Previously Bailey rode Royal Mustang who finished second in 1951 and Admiral Porter fifth in 1954 1954Bailey Bailey whos quite short is one of the most popular riders in the country His infectious smile and consistent good humor makes him the life of the party wherever he rides And Peejay is no slouch as a pro ¬ fessional reinsman either No less an au ¬ thority than the great Australian rider Rae Johnstone watching Bailey work at Jamaica last fall called him one of the best hed seen in this country countryBailey Bailey was born on a farm near Buffalo Ky some 65 miles from this city in 1925 but now makes his home near Chicago He started riding in 1947 after a couple of sea ¬ sons of experience around county fair tracks For a number of years he rode in Canada and was frequently the leading jockey in the Dominion Hes also cam ¬ paigned quite a bit in New Orleans and in Chicago ChicagoLast Last spring Bailey came to New York with the Texas horseman T P Morgan and had a brilliant year He rode in Cali ¬ fornia and Florida this winter resuming in Gotham with the opening of the New York season April 2 ERIC GU ERIN Career Boyj BoyjEric Eric Guerin has tasted sweet victory and bitter defeat in other Derbys so that what ¬ ever happens this afternoon with C V Whitneys Career Boy is not likely either to highly elate or terribly depress the soft spoken serious Louisiarian In 1947 riding his first Derby mount Guerin beat Eddie Arcaro and Phalanx a head with Maine Chance Farms Jet Pilot for all the money Six years later in 1953 he was to drop a head decision aboard the oddson Native Dancer to Henry Moreno and Harry F Guggenheims Dark Star StarGuerin Guerin ranked by his colleagues and by professional horsemen as one of the coun ¬ trys really outstanding reinsmen is 31 From the time he scored with Fred Wyses Sweety Shop at Narragansett Park on Au ¬ gust 29 1941 his ability ha increased with Americas top horses in the past 15 years Under contract to the A G Vanderbilt stable Guerin frequently receives calls from trainers throughout the country for a mount in stakes when he is free freeGuerin Guerin who weighed only 100 pounds when he came up has been battling the scales for the past eight or nine seasons and now rarely slips below 114 This does not interfere with his professional skills how ¬ ever and he is regarded as one of the strongest finishers In the business Hes proven that many times over with his work on such topnotchers as Next Move Social Outcast Summer Tan Boston Doge and now of course Career Boy Guerin a de ¬ voted family man is held in the highest respect by his fellow riders who annually reelect him to post of treasurer of the Jockeys Guild STEVE BROOKS Count Chic ChicSteve Steve Brooks wholl rideThe Californian Count Chic today is a real veteran of Derby wars This is his eighth Run for the Roses which he won in 1949 aboard Calu ¬ mets Ponder the sire of Needles who is expected to provide the principal competi ¬ tion this afternoon He also rode Star Re ¬ ward in 1947 Dooly in 1950 Fanfare 1951 Sub Fleet 1952 Allied in 1954 and Jeans Joe last year yearThe The 35yearold reinsman from McCook Ark is one of the winning riders on the American turf today He stands sixth on the alltime rankings after 18 seasons of active competition and had 2648 wins at the end of last season just a few behind Ralph Neves another veteran rider who is in fifth place placeBrooks Brooks broke his maiden at Shreveport La in 1938 had his biggest day on the race track right here at Churchill Downs when on May 15 1948 he won six races on an eightrace card He had an excellent winter in Florida where he finished second to blazing Willie Hartack in the Hialeah jockey standings DAVE ERB Needles NeedlesDave Dave Erb who has flashed to national prominence in the past two years used to be known as a twoyearold rider That is he was typed in many trainers minds in the same manner that many Hollywood actors and actresses are typecast to fit a particular role Then Willie Shoemaker was suspended in California on the eve of an important stakes race and Meshach Terniey put in a call to Chicago where Erb had been working Erb came saw and conquered putting up a beautiful ride on a horse he calls the greatest he ever saw Swaps SwapsActually Actually he was taking a chance by accepting the mount in the Californian because Swaps was meeting older horses like Determine and Mister Gus and had he lost the race the finger might have been pointed to Erb But Dave accepted and brought Khaleds best son to a length and a quarter victory over Andy Crevolins game little grey After winning with Swaps Erb scored scoredContinued Continued on Page 44 D Have Mounts in Big Race Continued from Page 41 D Dnotable notable victories in Chicago aboard Calu ¬ mets Mark Ye Well and Dogoon and Swoons Son He rode Needles to scores in the Flamingo and Florida Derby and now is taking dead aim on the big one oneErb Erb one of the most intelligent sensa tive and wellspoken riders in the country is taking part in Ms third Derby He rode Curragh King in 1953 and Gov Browning in 1954 both of whom finished 10th 10thA A 33yearold native of California he began his career at Oaklawn Park Hot Springs Ark in 1938 and has been active for 17 seasons Hes married has one son and calls Belmont Shores Calif his home W M COOK High King KingWilliam William McKinley Cook or W M as he is more popularly known is onehalf of the famous Cook brothers riding team of which Lois or L C is the party of the second part Billy Cook is taking in his first Derby with Joseph Gavegnanos High King Born in Kona Kentucky in 1929 he was the first of the Cooks to become a rider although Lois is five years older olderBilly Billy started his apprenticeship under Harry Trotsek in Detroit Trotsek one of the outstanding developers of riders on the American racing scene in addition to being one of Americas most astute trainers brought a large number of excellent riders out of this same Detroit school schoolCook Cook who has ridden largely in the East and Midwest during the past several seasons took part in an unusual racing incident May 17 1950 when he and brother Lois figured in the payoffs of every race that day at Churchill Downs ARNOLD KIRKLAND KIRKLANDCountermand Countermand CountermandArnold Arnold Kirkland is a pleasant even tempered Virginian who is riding his fifth Derby horse this afternoon in Brandy wines Countermand He rode Jeep in 1945 Alamond in 1946 Escadru in 1948 and finished third with Hassayampa in 1954 Born on Armistice Day 1921 Kirkland was 21 years old when he broke his maiden December 17 1942 with Claire Whiz at New Orleans OrleansKirkland Kirkland has ridden such good ones as Gallorette First Flight Beaugay and Star Pilot winning the Hopeful and Belmont Futurity with the latter Kirkland who is a keen student of racing and riding tac ¬ tics should know his mount today fairly well Hes been Countermands regular rider but in addition has also ridden the colts sire Greek Song and his dam Ever get for Brandywine BrandywineArnold Arnold is a familiar figure in Eastern and Midwestern jockeys rooms makes his permanent home in Mineral Virginia LARRY GILL1GAN Invalidate InvalidateLarry Larry Gilligan who is making his first Derby appearance on Alie Grissoms In ¬ validate looks like the kid next door far too young to be an experienced race rider But the boys been around for a while and is considered one of the keenest of recent riding developments He had a big summer in Chicago last year when he and Hasty Houses Johnny Sellers were the two lead ¬ ing apprentices and then rode well in California this past winter winterBorn Born on a farm near Dunlap Iowa Gilligan got an early start on his riding career by ponying to school every morn ¬ ing When he was 11 his father perished in the tragic fire which leveled the family home and he his two brothers and sister moved to California and took up residence adjoining Hollywood Park He left school at 16 for his first love horses and got a job with Charley Whit tingham who has the Llangollen Stable of Liz Whitney Lunn He helped to break yearlings at Llangollen Farm in Virginia then returned to California where he went to work with Willie Molter MolterGilligan Gilligan rode his first race August 19 1954 at Caliente broke his maiden a short time later at Golden Gate Fields and has been moving at a pretty steady clip ever since Hes a pleasant friendly kid with a good seat on a horse and appears to have a fine future ahead of him himDOUGLAS DOUGLAS DODSON No Regrets RegretsDoug Doug Dodson is another Derby regular wholl be around again this afternoon for his tenth crack at all the money in Col Corums classic The closest Doug ever came was in his first Louisville appearance in 1945 when he finished second aboard Pot OLuck He also has handled Fault ¬ less My Request Wine List Mr Trouble Big Stretch Brown Rambler Ram OWar and King Phalanx PhalanxThe The 35yearold Dodson is a native of Alberta Canada where he gained a good bit of practical experience riding and han ¬ dling horses on the family farm Eventual ¬ ly he headed for Agua Caliente in Old Mexico and in 1938 there roo e his first race at a recognized track under contract to veteran trainer Harry Walters He broke his maiden shortly after on Drum Music MusicDodson Dodson campaigned on the West Coast until 1943 but has ridden largely through Kentucky and Chicago in subsequent sea peared on many of the nations top handi ¬ cap horses during the course of a long and distinguished career careerNICK NICK SHUK Besomer BesomerNick Nick Shuk who is making his first Derby appearance aboard Companos Sables Bes ¬ omer is considered Marylands most pop ¬ ular rider The 26yearold native of Chicago who has piloted such good ones as Pilaster and Laff ango broke his maiden at Delaware Park on May 31 1948 Hes done particularly well in Maryland and Delaware ever since was leading jockey in those states in 1951 arid 1952 and once onceContinued Continued on Page 47 D Have Mounts in Big Race Continued from Page 44 D rodfe five winners in a single afternoon during the lattej year at Laurel LaurelAn An excellent golfer he shoots in the low 80s Shuk has survived numerous spills at Eastern tracks to mature into one of the countrys most able professionals ROBERT LEE BAIRD Pintor Lea LeaBobby Bobby Baird is a 35yearold native of Huntsville Texas who had one of the big ¬ gest winters anybody ever had at the Fair Grounds Baird rode 112 winners during the meeting many for trainer Vester R Ten ¬ nessee Wright and the pair were almost sure to be bet down to oddson favoritism whenever their names appeared together on the program Pintor Lea is Bairds fourth Derby mount he handled Stranded in 1950 Anyoldtime in 1951 and Super Devil in 1954 never was able to finish better than seventh Baird who now makes his home in California rode his first winner at Aqueduct on August 9 1938 with St Moritz He won the Arlington Classic with Papa Redbird also handed Coaltown his first defeat in 10 races in Arlington Parks Equipoise Mile riding Star Reward JOHNNY ADAMS Bla ck Emperor EmperorJohnny Johnny Adams is one of the winningest jockeys in U S turf history The 41year old native of lola Kansas is now fourth on the list behind Johnny Longden Eddie Arcaro and Teddy Atkinson Black Emperor is Adams 12th Derby mount all in all its been a remarkable career for the squat solidly built Adams who was the national riding champion in 1937 1942 and 1943 One of the few riders who ever made good without the benefit of an ap ¬ prentice allowance Adams began riding at Riverside Park Kansas City Mo in 1934 He rode his 3000th winner in the spring of 1955 has won more than 8000000 in purses and was awarded the coveted George Woolf Memorial award last season Adams son J IRalph Adams is also a rider once claimed foul against his father in a tight finish x JIM NICHOLS Jean Baptiste BaptisteCowboy Cowboy Jim Nichols got his nickname by competing in match races aboard quarter horses on his fathers ranch in Las Cruces N M at the tender age of five years The 29yearold Nichols has been riding stead ¬ ily ever since first around the fairs in Ari ¬ zona and California then at major tracks in the East EastHe He piloted his first winner at Pleasanton Calif Fair came east in 1950 and has been campaigning at New York tracks with a good measure of success Hes known as a particularly able rider of twoyearolds Nichols says that rodeo riding is his fa ¬ vorite method of relaxation Every man to his own taste AL POPARA Come On Red RedAl Al Popara a 28yearold native of Hay ward Calif is riding Come On Red for Mrs Helen W Kellog in this 82nd Ken ¬ tucky Derby Popara came on the race track with Larry Kidd who has started a number of good riders including George Taniguehi Married and the father of four children Popara now makes his home in New Orleans He broke his maden at Tijuana on Christmas Day 1949 then moved to the Detroit circuit where he completed most of his apprenticeship He now rides principally in Chicago Ken ¬ tucky and New Orleans Popara won the Florida Derby in 1953 on Money Broker and won the Louisiana and Arkansas Derbys in 1952 with Gushing Oil
