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John Ralph Adams7 First Derby Mount MountWill Will Ride Shan Pac This Afternoon as His Father Guides Better Bee in Race RaceCHURCHILL CHURCHILL DOWNS Louisville Ky May 3 John Ralph Adams youthful and successful saddlesmith son of veteran jock ¬ ey Adams will have his first Kentucky Derby mount tomorrow on Shan Pac and in so doing could be starting on a path parallel to that of his famous father who up until now has ridden in no less than 12 Derbys DerbysAdams Adams literally grew up around the race track as the saying goes as his par ¬ ents took him with them around the coun ¬ try as the senior Adams followed the big meetings from coast to coast and border to border Born in 1934 at the ancestral home of his father J R Adams never got big arid when he was in his early teens it seemed a foregone conclusion that he would school for a saddle career His father and other riders among his fathers many friends taught him well and the youngster rode his first winner on a recognized track on May 21 1953 on Nathan L Rafflemans Microwave in the first race at the Lincoln Fields meeting at Hawthorne HawthorneRode Rode Well at Downs Fall Meet MeetIn In the fall of that year Adams rode for the first time at historic Churchill Downs where he not only was successful but racked up a substantial percentage of winners At times past he has made news when he has hooked up against his father in the same race and it goes without saying that in such races both father and son rode to their utmost to win It will establish a real Derby precedent to see father and son ride against one another in this 83d Derby with father John Adams slated to ride Better Bee son J R Adams Shan Pac Nothing remotely approaching this situation has ever been a Derby happening before
