Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-05
Iron Liege Noses Out Gallant Man
To Win Derby; Bold Ruler Fourth
Finish Line
Misjudgedby
Shoemaker
BY CHARLES M. EGAN
Sports Editor Of The Star

Sports Editor Of The star
LOUISVILLE, May 4.-The
two winningest jockeys in recent
American racing history - Bill
Hartack and Willie Shoemaker
waged a terrific battle down the
long Churchill Downs stretch
this cold, windy afternoon, and
Hartack triumphed by a nose.
He and Iron Liege teamed UP to
win the 83d Kentucky Derby for
Mrs. Gene Markey's Calumet
Farm.
The victory was the sixth in
the $152.050 Derby for Calumet.
a stable that is usually referred
to as fabulously successful. Today
it was fabulously lucky. too, for
Shoemaker might well have won
with Ralph loves Gallant Man
had he not misjudged the finish
line and started easing his
mount with nearly a sixteenth
OF mile still to 60.
Shoemaker got Gallant Man
going again in the wink of an
eye, but the Irish-bred colt
could not quite catch Iron Liege.
whom he had passed between
calls in the stretch. AS it was,
Iron Liege barely lasted.
Bold Ruler Flattens Out
Travis Kerr's Round Table.
the second choice at Is to 5.
finished third, 234 lengths back
OF the unlucky Gallant Man but
three lengths ahead of the 6-to-
5 favorite. Bold Ruler, who fat
tened out badly after running
second or third during most Of
the mile-and-a-quarter grind.
Iron Liege. who had to carry
all Of Calumet's hopes due to
an injury suffered by Gen. Duke
in Tuesdays Derby Trial, ran
the classic distance in 2:02M.
the seventh fastest of the SO
Derby runnings.
It was the first Derby triumph
for Hartack. who finished sec.
ond here a year ago when
Needles beat Fabius. The "a.
year-old youngster who now calls
Charles Town. w. Va, his home.
reversed the order of finish in
the Preakness. but he never rode
a better race or had a greater
thrill than this afternoon.
/ Victory for Shoemaker would
have been his second Derby tri-
umph in three trimmings as he
won with Swaps, two years ago
over the favored Nashua.
Shoemaker Confirms Error
After today's Derby, Shoe.
maker was called in by the stew.
ards and confirmed the press
box view that he had misjudged
the finish line and had eased up
on his horse. The stewards
viewed the incident as "just an
error in Judgment" but it was
a costly one to Lowe, a Texas oil
man from Fort Worth, and the
thousands Of fans who backed
the horse down to $40 to / as a
result Of his great race against
Bold Ruler in the Wood Memo
rial at Jamaica two weeks ago.
| Had Gallant Man, who was
pred by the world famous Aga
Khan at his estate in Ireland's
County Kerry. won the Derby, he
would have been only the second
toreign-bred ever to do so. The
first and only time the feat was
accomplished occurred in 1917
when Omar Khayyam won. Later
that year, Omar Khayyam and
HourleSs ran in a match race at
Laurel. Hourless won and his
track record of 200 for a mile
and a quarter still stands.
Because Of the late withdrawal
OF Gen. Duke, the pari-mutuel
payoff was a real bonanza for
hackers Of Calumet's Jones bows
PLAIN Ben, now general man
lager at Calumet Farm. and
Jimmy, who has taken over his
fathers duties as trainer. With
Gen. Duke, generally considered
the stables best bet to beat Bold
Ruler-he had broken even with
the Wheatley Stable ace in four
races last winter-out, even the
hardboots were hesitant about
backing Iron Liege. AS a result.
Iron Liege paid $3.50, $9.4O and
$500. Gallant Man returned IS
and 81, while Round Table was
81 to show.
The victory was worth SLOT.
$50 to Calumet. Gallant Man
earned $4,000 for second place:
Round Table. $l2,50O for third.
and Bold Ruler, $1,000 for
fourth.
Winner Son Of Bull Lea
! Iron Liege is a son Of the great
sire. Bull Lea, who ran eighth in
the 1898 Kentucky Derby and
then outbred himself a dozen
times with such champions at
Citation. Armed, Coaltown, Twi-
light Tear. Hill Gail and many
others. It was the third Derby
winner Bull Lea has sired. Iron