Evening star., 1939-05-05
Fortune Smiles
On New Star
0f.Sadd|e
Gets Mount Despite
Trainers Protest;
Rain Forecast
By GAYLE TALBOT,
Assc c,atAd Press Sports Writer.


LOUISVILLE, May 5.-A spec
tacular switch in riders, placing
Johnny Adams astride Technician in
tomorroW's 65th running OF the
classic Kentucky Derby, supplied the
chief topic of mint julep conversa-
ton today as every train, car, bus
and airplane poured the horse pill
grims into this temporary Mecca OF
the equine world.
The news struck the bars and
bistros last night that Herbert M.
Woolf, owner of the Vests hope IN
the IL mile scramble, had hired
Adams, boy wonder from California,
to replace Ira Hanford on Tech
nician's broad back, and from then
on there was talk of little else.
Adams, hero Of the last winters
Western campaign, rider of the vic
torious Kayak II in the 100000
Santa Anita Handicap, had been
given the ride on Technician, and
that made big difference. 1t took
the talk away from Johnstown.
which for two days had monopolized
the conversation. Without much
doubt, the shift in jockeys will make
Technician' firm second favorite to
Johnstown by the time they face the
barrier tomorrow afternoon.
Trainer Protests Switch.
Woolf, they say, brought in Adams
over the strong protests of Ben
Jones, trainer of Technician. Jones
finally told him: All right, you own
the horse and you're shooting at the
$50,000." In the opinion of most Of
the experts here. however, Woolf's
move was smart one.
Hanford rode Technician to his
important triumph in the Flamingo
Stakes at Hialeah Park this winter,
but there were many present who
thought the stout son of Insco would
have won with anybody aboard
Hanford still had the Derby mount.
though, until late Tuesday, when
Technician finished second to Wis.,
county in the mile Derby Trial
Stakes here.
That apparently made up Owner
Woolf's mind He didn't think that
Technician, who is by the same sire
as LaWrin, last years Derby winner,
had any business losing to a beagle
like Viscounty. So yesterday he Of
fered the Derby job to Eddie Arcaro
who rode Lawrin into the winners
circle last year. Arcaro, under con-
tract to another stable and Alreaoy
assigned to ride at Jamaica tomor-
row, had to pass up the big oppor-
tunity. But Adams was ready and
rarin' when Woolf got around to
him.
Big Break for Adams.
For Adams it is a break he
couldn't have hoped for. Up to few
months ago he didn't even have a
contract. He rode when and where
the opportunity offered. Then he
was signed up by w. E. Boeing. the
airplane manufacturer, who brought
him here to ride Porter's Mite in the
Derby. The Mite, gone stale from
long training, was withdrawn from
the big race two days ago. leaving
Adams a forlorn little boy without a
mount.
From the tenor of conversation, it
would appear that the three horses
actually in the big race are Johns
town, Technician and Challedon,
with the others, including Ell Chico
and Heather Broom, only out for an
expensive airing.
The prophecy is that it will rain
tomorrow, breaking a run Of three
straight sunshiny Derbies. Johns
town is known not to like muddy 60
ing very much. and If it really rains
his owner, William Woodward the
New York banker, will have another
of his horses, Challenge, in there as
insurance. Challenge, a horse as big
as barn, likes to get his hooves
wet.
Technician doesn't mind the mud
very much. Challedon revels in the
sticky going. Xalapa Clown is the
best mud-runner among the dark
horses. And when it rains for the
Derby, anything can happen, and
usually does.