Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-12
BY JOHNNY CALLAHAN.

I'VE ridden 1900 winners and 5000
other races in the last 81 years, but
the greatest thrill I ever got from
A any of these contests was when I
got of the back of William Martins
great colt, Sunny Slope, after finishing
second with him to A. K. Macomber'S
War Cloud in the Preakness stakes OF
1918.
The realization of long cherished
ambition seemed at hand, for Sunny
Slope was entered in the Kentucky
Derby, to be run a few days later. and
I felt certain he could win the great
race I drew mental pictures of myself
returning to the judges stand at
Churchill Downs, to hear the tf1underS
of applause from the vast aSsen1blage
and TO receive the floral horseshoe with
which it is customary to reward the
winner.
I rehearsed in my mind every detail
of the coming struggle that was to
result in great triumph for Sunny
first flight-the mad rush to get
around the first turn-then placed in
good position along the backstretch.
there to await the turn for home, when
I would ask the colt the final question
ask him to show the proof of his
speed and stamina. It was vision OF
glorious victory.
I never allowed doubt to come into
my mind but that Sunny Slope would
give a convincing answer. The four
stakes in succession that later won
on him at Saratoga and Belmont Park
are proofs of the royal chance that he
had in the Derby.
It was a pleasant dream while 1t
lasted. For few hours I walked on
air. only to come back to earth with
a dull tnud when Martin told me that
it would be impossible to run Sunny
Slope in the great classic A foot that
had been source of trouble once be-
fore was found to be badly infected.
AS result. starting the colt in the
Derby was out of the question.
X X -
THE great thrill turned to the bit
= terest disappointment of my riding
career. The golden opportunity to ride
the winner of the Kentucky Derby had
slipped by. The unfortunate accident
to the colt was Just another instance
of the glorious uncertainty of the turf.
It was a hard blow to Martin, but
think I took it more to heart than he
did
For the ambition of every aspiring
Jockey is to win the Derby, which will
be run for the flfty-fifth time next
SATURDAY.. The great race for three
year-olds is surrounded with a glamour
anu lIldG puLS 1t III q I1dSo NY
itself among all the other great races
we have on our American turf. There
isn't a rider today who wouldn't love
to see his name on the list of jockeys
who have won the Kentucky Derby.
They'd all like to equal the accomplish
ment of Johnny LOTUS, Earl Sande and
Albert Johnson if they could.
Each of those three has won the big
race twice in the last Is years. But
their feat does not constitute record.
Isaac Murphy, the BLACK Archer,
won the Derby three times-first in
1884 and later in 1891 and 1892. And
WINFIELD, last of the great colored
riders, rode the winner two years in
succession-in 1901 and 1902.
I've ridden in it twice and watched
the contest many times, but my eX-
tremely light weight precluded my get
ting many mounts in the big race. The
weights for the Derby are 1875 pounds
for colts and 121 pounds for fillies. No
trainer likes to put up 20 pounds of
lead on his horse If he can possibly
avoid it, for dead weight sits heavy.
And in my case it was necessary to
put that much lead in the saddle. for
even now weigh only O. little over mo
pounds. That's the best alibi I can
offer, and / live in hope that now I've
become a trainer 1 may saddle up
Derby winner some day, even if I've
never ridden one.
* x X
IT isn't altogether the honor and
Il glory that inspires jockeys with the
hope of winning the Derby. Big fees
are often the reward of success. For
winning the Derby with Norwich in 1922
Albert Johnson received $4,000 from
Mr. Ben Block
When Earl Sande won the Derby for
the second time in 1925 on Flying Ebony
he must have realized that it is better
to be born lucky than rich for he made
a strenuous effort to get the mount on
Quartrain that year. In his eagerness
to get the ride on Mr.. Fred Johnson's
colt, which had won the Louisiana
Derby in a gallop, he offered Jockey
Breuning $4,000 to step down in his
favor Breuning was obstinate and
declined Sande's offer. Yet Breuning
finished with Quatrain among the
"also rams" while Sande. accepting the
next best mount he could get, won the
classic and received $4,000 from Mr..
GifforIl Cochrane. Sande was $4,000
Ia 8oGslet by Breunipg's refusal.