Many Great Reinsmen Unsuccessful in Derby: Late George Woolf Tried Eight Times; Best Was Two Seconds, Daily Racing Form, 1958-05-03

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Many Great Reinsmen Unsuccessful in Derby . Late George Woolf Tried Eight Times; Best Was Two Seconds j CHURCHILL DOWNS. Louisville, Ky..! May 2. — Derby records quite correc,tly em- phasize the positive, and it is no trouble at; all to discover that Eddie Arcaro is the ; greatest Derby rider of all with five win- j ners,, that Isaac Murphy and Earl Sande each had three, although most riders con- j sider themselves lucky to won one in a] lifetime. j But a further check reveals that the Derby also has been elusive for some of the greatest of American riders. The ancient mile oval has even been nicknamed "heartbreak, highway" by some" who have 1 : given their best to win it, and found that even the best was not quite enough. Perhaps the classic example of the great rider who never was able, to win it was the late George Woolf, who had eight Derby mounts. The best he could do was two seconds, with Staretor in 1941; when he had the misfortune to hook a horse like Whirlaway, and Broadcloth in 1944. It was ironic that he should have been last 20th in 1937 with Billionaire, who carried the silks of Col. E. R. Bradley, undisputed kingpin Derby owner until only .recent times with four winners, a mark which was finally broken by Calumet Farm, which now has provided five winners, a record.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1958050302/drf1958050302_47_3
Local Identifier: drf1958050302_47_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800