Kentucky Derby Sidelights, Daily Racing Form, 1957-05-06

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JOCKEY WILLIAM HARTACK The nations leading rider the past two sea ¬ sons put up probably the best ride of his career to land Iron Liege home in front in the 83rd Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby Sidelights By JOE HIRSCH CHURCHILL DOWNS Louisville Ky May 4 Greying skies and chill penetrat ¬ ing winds greeted the throngs which Stormed this historic Downs throughout the morning and early afternoon Top coats and even gloves were de rigeurjvhich can be roughly translated as darn handy to have around If colors were absent above the solid phalanxes of derbygoers could be dazzled by the gleaming appearance of the ram ¬ bling old stands and the attractive beds of multitinted tulips s p r e a d about the grounds with a lavish hand by track super ¬ intendent Tom Young Possibly because of the weather which would have been more appropriate to the opening of Fort Erie in Canada the vast throng seemed a bit more subdued than usual However there was intense interest in the Derb itself a race which many ob ¬ servers predicted could be one of the great ejst ever run The crowd was thoroughly cosmopolitan special trains bringing groups of notables from every section of the nation The air ¬ lines and highways also carried their share of the passenger load However Louisville has not been particularly jammed during Derby week More and more persons seem to be Staying in Lexington or neighboring towns and motoring to Derbytown for their afternoons racing racingThe The backstretch was relatively quiet this morning in sharp contrast to the assault landing of turf writers throughout the week Most horsemen were too cold to do much talking and a typical comment mut ¬ tered from deep in the folds of a heavy jacket or coat was who turned the heat off Willie Shoemaker who flew in from Cal ¬ ifornia Friday night was chatting with Gallant Mans trainer Johnny Nerud at an early hour The Shoe who looked com ¬ fortable in a light blue sweater said his golf game was never better due to a daily round each morning morningJames James Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons as usual hosted the biggest crowd of scribes who surrounded the grand old man of the American turf in his rented auto Bold Ruler is coming up to this race in excellent condition Mr Fitz noted Well have no excuses if he loses Earlier this week Fitzsimmons told this reporter that he had been pushing for the 48hour entry system for over 20 years as a means of insuring that a trainer wouldnt work for a race that didnt fill as an aid to the racing secretary and as an aid to the press He distinctly praised Gordon Morrow secretary at Lincoln Downs and Suffolk Downs in New England for the latters persistent campaign in behalf of this plan during recent seasons Bryan Field of Delaware Park who was to telecast the color of one of the most colorful of all Derbys reminded that the picturesque Stanton course would once again feature its Distaff Big Three high ¬ lighted by the Delaware Handicap worlds richest race for fillies and mares Mister Jives 26 year old trainer Bud Carter one of the youngest men ever to saddle a Derby starter was leaning against his colts stall just a few doors down from Bold Ruler whose conditioner is now work ¬ ing on his 83rd birthday If Mister Jive would only rate kindly Carter said He could be dangerous over a distance of ground He wants to run after the leaders and uses himself up too early Thats why were trying a ring bit in the Derby It should give Hedley Woodhouse a little more control of his horse It was a day of carrying coals to New ¬ castle with numerous visitors representing other tracks throughout the country At ¬ lantic City had perhaps the largest dele ¬ gation including president John Kelly vicepresident Frank Fiore general man ¬ ager Phil Baker publicity director Lou Cunningham and superintendent Harold Johnson Monmputh Parks group included secre ¬ tary Townsend Martin general manager Ed Brennan and drumbeater Barker Seeley who reported that Blue Sparklers full brother High Sparkle is training well at Garden State under Harry Wells He is being pointed for the Preakness at Pimlico on May 18 Lou Smith and his wife Lutza represent ¬ ed Rockingham Park and Mrs Smiths great non sectarian fund for crippled children Joe Cohen Bay Meadows vice president was another visitor while TRA president Jim Stewart also flew in from California where he is a vicepresident and general manager of Hollywood Park John Letellier president of the Fair Grounds in New Orleans muttered some ¬ thing about Yankee weather while hud dling in a box with general manager Gar Moore and some guests Woody Erwin sec ¬ retary and manager of La Mesa Park in Raton New Mexico was on hand for his first Derby Herman Cohen and Lou Pond field president and executive director of Pimlico shared a box with their wives publicity director Charley Johnson and members clubhouse director Molly Collum Among the onlookers spotted in the stands were Diamond Jimmy Moranthe famed New Orleans restaurateur together with his son Bobby Brocato The boy who is studying to be a veterinarian selected a colt which Joe Brown named after him Turned out to be a pretty fair sort of horse too earning over 500000 Georgie Jessel complete with pretty girl former fighter Billy Conn Ohio Rac ¬ ing Commission chairman Zoltan Gombos Mrs Dodge Sloane of Brookmeade Farm FarmConffflvtrf Conffflvtrf on Pate FiftyThr Kentucky Derby Sidelights Continued from Page FiftySix FiftySixand and Bob Considine of INS took in the 63rd derby Eddie Arcaro flew down from New York Friday night for his 18th Derby accom ¬ panied by Father Melton a close personal friend intimate of the Fitzsimmons family and an excellent jumping rider himself Father Melton who helped prepare Eddies son for his confirmation was elated at the prospect of seeing his first Run lor the Roses Another highly excited onlooker was Ralph Lowe the Gallant Man The Mid ¬ land Texas oil well developer said that he had never been phased by bringing in rich gushers but was stallwalking plenty now that his colt was considered a prime contender for the Derby


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1957050601/drf1957050601_56_3
Local Identifier: drf1957050601_56_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800