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. ■ Johnny Heckmann Waiting Six Years to Ride for the Roses Churchill Regular, Among ; Top U.S. Jockeys; Will Pilot Hasty Houses Can Trust CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville. Ky., May 2. — Johnny Hackmann has been riding regularly in Kentucky for the past seven years and has been among the leading reinsmen on the circuit, but his mount on Hasty House Farms Can Trust will mark his first appearance in the Derby. Only 26, Heckmann is rated a clever, quickwitted jockey who can get the best out of his horses. He is familiar with the Churchill Downs course, too. In fact, he was the leading rider at last falls meeting here, winning 25 races, including five on one day. Seven Winners in One Day Actually, Heckomann is an old hand at booting home a batch of winners on one card. He tied the world record for such a remarkable performance on October 1, 1956, when he scored with seven of his eight mounts at Hawthorne. Born in New Orleans on December 14, 1932, Heckmann got an early start in racing, going from his home town to Detroit to hook up with Harry Trotsek, who promptly sent him down to Kentucky to help break" yearlings on Doug Davis* farm. He later served a hitch with Dave Womel-dorff and then was put under contract by Emil Denemark. He rode his first winner aboard Joe Graves on August 1, 1951, at Washington Park. In 1953, he went out on his own as a free lance and has been highly successful since. Among his major stakes victories were the Widener on Landlocked in 1954, the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Royal Sting in 1955. the Princess Pat at Washington Park in 1956 and the Spinster in 1956. Heckmann is rather tall for a jockey, standing five feet, five inches, but he thinks this works to his advantage, giving him a better seat on a horse. Though he handles front runners skillfully, he seems to prefer coming from off the pace. He can rouse a horse with either hand and has shown excellent judgment when it comes to either hand-riding or whipping his mount to the wire.
