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ihik j — HMMMBflWMNMHBMMMIflHHIHillPlIN — • -.1*1*9 x - - Lincoln Road Packs Derby Surprise ISAAC BLUM6ERG — Chicagoan whose Sunny Blue Farm colors will be earned by Lincoln Road in todays Derby. Second Downs Try For Isaac Blumberg First Starter for Trainer Sovinski; Jockey Rogers Accepts Mount in Classic CHURCHILL DOWNS. Louisville, Ky., May 2. — It is ironic that Isaac Blumbergs biggest racing thrill came when his horse lost a race. That happened, of course, a few weeks ago when his Lincoln Road, the 75-to- outsider, just missed pulling one of tlie biggest upsets of the year in the Florida Derby, bowing to Tim Tam by a half-length after setting all the pace. Off that race, Lincoln Road stamped himself a Kentucky Derby contender and gave, his owner and. trainer- a degree of prominence they have not enjoyed since entering the sport a number of years ago. Trainer Vic Sovinski says Lincoln Road is the best horse hes ever handled. Rogers Had 55 Mount This will be the second Derby for Blumberg, who races under the name of Sunny Blue Farm, while Lincoln Road is Sovin-skis first starter iri the classic. Chris Rogers, -who will -pilot Lincoln Road, also has made only one previous appearance in the Derby, riding Blue Lem, who was unplaced in the 1955 renewal. Blumbergs other Derby starter was Admiral Porter, who ran a creditable fifth behind Determine in 1954. Probably his best other horse was the mare Supreme Joy, who carried his silks to second position in a couple of stakes and later brought 0,000 as a broodmare. Blumberg, a 71-year-old retired machinery manufacturer from Chicago,, entered racing a dozen years ago when he built the Sunny Blue Farm in Des Plaines, HI. Previously, he owned and trained many well-known show horses. Born in Lithuania, he came to the United States via Ireland in 1912, settling in Chicago. He declares he is in racing just foe fun and health and has no intention, of breeding any of his own horses. During the Florida season, he commutes between Des Plaines and Chicago and makes annual ■ = : trips to Keeneland, where he buys about 10 yearlings each year. , Sovinski went to work for Blumberg more than, two years ago. Previously he campaigned a public stable, including the horses of Tilyou Christopher and C. S. Handleman. Sovinski, 50, had his first association with racing in 1937K when he bought a plater who won a few races for him though trained by someone else. After leaving the Army in 1943, Sovinski began training himself and has enjoyed fair success since racing mainly in Chicago and New England until he joined forces with Blumberg. He has lived in Miami since 1944. His wife, Eleanor, is an ardent racing fan and is a frequent race track visitor during the season. At present. . Sovinski has about. 20 Sunny Blue Farm horses in his care.- His only previous view of the Derby, before this year, was via television, but he feels that a couple of the Sunny Blue two-year-olds may make the trip" to Louisville next year; Sovinski was probably the least surprised person at Giilfstream when Lincoln Road nearly upset Tim Tanurecently, as he had been high, on the colt ever since he first broke him. Rogers is a veteran jockey who had ridden throughout the East in the past 17 years. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 1924, Rogers broke nnto racing at an early age and rode his first winner aboard Bon Marche at Fort Erie in 1941, when he was just 17 years old. Rogers has been, aboard many fine horses during his career, but believes the best runner he has ever handled was Royal Governor, whom he booted to victory in the Widener Handicap in 1950. He also has done well in his native Canada, winning the classic Queens Plate three times. He scored in the race then, the Queens Plate in 1949 and 1950 with Epic and McGill and in 1954 with Collisteo. Rogers is married and has three children.
