view raw text
Shoemaker Suspended 15 Days for Derby Ride Grounded for Gross Carelessness Misjudging Finish on Gallant Man CHURCHILL DOWNS. Louisville. Ky.. May 6. — Churchill Downs stewards today handed jockey Willie Shoemaker a 15 -day suspension for "gross carelessness in misjudging the point of finish while astride Gallant Man during the running of the Kentucky Derby." Shoemakers suspension, the first 15 -day ruling handed down to a rider in several seasons here, is effective from May 8 to May 22 and deprives him of a chance to ride in the Preakness, which will be renewed May 18 at Pimlico. Shoemaker was closing ground fast through the stretch aboard Gallant Man in the Derby and Daily Racing Forms veteran chart caller, Don Fair, thought that he enjoyed a narrow lead momentarily between calls. It was just past the sixteenth pole that Shoemaker raised up in his irons, with his mount at Iron Lieges throatlatch. The Calumet ace, racing smoothly, seemed to spurt for an instant and went on to .score by a nose, while Shoemaker resumed his seat almost instantly and rode his horse out. Shoemaker, national riding champion in 1950, 1953 and 1954, was questioned by stewards Lincoln Plaut, Jack Goode and Lewis Finley immediately after the race and admitted that he had raised up in the irons through misjudging the finish line. Photos in the Louisville papers the next day clearly depicted the incident while this reporter and chart caller Fair reviewed the films this morning for further confirmation. Shoemaker, generally regarded as one of Continued on Page forty-Fir* Shoemaker Suspended 15 Days for Derby Ride Grounded for Gross Carelessness Misjudging Finish on Gallant Man Continued from Page One i the outstanding saddle developments of the last quarter century and holder of the all-time single season mark of 485 winners tl953, was involved in a similar incident I last year. Last spring at Hollywood Park I in the 00,000 Californian, he was astride the leader Swaps, when he raised up before the finish line and permitted Llangollens Porterhouse to register a head victory. The odd part of the Gallant Man incident was that owner Ralph Lowe had a dream last week "before Johnny Choquette was suspended and Shoemaker named to replace him that such an occurrence would happen. Lowe reported his dream to trainer Johnny Nerud who told reporters here Sunday that he had distinctly discussed it in detail with Shoemaker the evening before the Derby. To add another bizarre touch to the entire episode, todays fourth race, named The Dreamer, was won by a horse owned by Lowe — a two-year old filly named Blen-zie, trained by Norman McMaster, who has a division of the Midland, Texas oilmans extensive turf empire. The last time a Derby rider "got days" was in 1954, when Howard Craig bore to the inside fter the start, causing a jam aboard Dr. A. L. Birchs Timely Tip. He was set down" for 20 days on that occasion.
