Evening star., 1960-05-08
BoIIyAche
Runs Second,
ompion 4th
BY CHARLES NJ. EGAN
Sports Editor Of The Star

LOUISVILLE. May 7-Vene-
tian Way, a Chicago-owned colt
ridden by the controversial Bill
Hartack, won the S6th Kentucky
Derby in rather hollow fashion
this afternoon after taking over
the lead from the pace setting
Bally Ache at the head of the
long Churchill Downs stretch.
Venetian Way, a 6-to-1 shot
whose owner, Isaac Blumberg,
names his horses after streets
in Miami Beach. won by 31a
widening lengths from the game
but exhausted Bally Ache, who
finished 7l2 lengths ahead Of
Victoria Park, the Canadian
champion. Tompion, the even
money favorite, wound up
fourth in another disappoint-
ment for c. W Whitney, who
has started IA horses in II
runnings of the Derby without
ever clicking.
1t was the second Derby
triumph for Hartack, who can
certainly ride horses, even if he
can't win friends among mem
bers Of the press. Bill, who
usually is ready to fight if any,
one calls him Willie, won the
Derby three years ago on
Calumet Farms Iron Liege after
finishing second the year before
on Fabius.
Hartack, who is we'll out in
front of Willie Shoemaker in
the race for the 1860 jockey
championship, rode an almost
perfect race today while the
usual crowd of about 100000"
yelled itself into a frenzy at
ramshackle old Churchill
Downs. The cocky little rider
from Johnstown, Pa, got We
netian Way off alertly and
never permitted Bobby Ussery
to get too far out in front with
Bally Ache.
Too Long For Bally Ache
Unlike the Florida Derby
when Venetian Way headed
Bally Ache in the stretch and
then couldn't hold his lead,
this Kentucky Derby left no
doubt about which was the bet
ter colt today. Bally Ache, an
unfashionably bred son of
Ballydam. got to the front early
and ran his usual game race,
but the mile-and-a-quarter
Derby simply was a little too
far for him.
I Venetian Way. whose sire,
Royal Coinage. was one of the
few that defeated the great
Nashua as a 2-year-old. ran
the classic distance in 2:02as
just l second off Whirlaway's
track record. The racing strip
today, however, was classified
only as good" after a heavy,
early morning rain.
Third choice in the betting
behind Tompion and Bally
Ache. who went off at II to 10.
Venetian Way paid $14.60,
$3.50 and $3.4O. Bally Ache
returned SO and SO. while the
show price on Victoria Park,
a 1911 shot ridden by fiery
Manuel Ycaza, was IS.
Today's triumph was a sweet
one for owner Blumberg, who
races his horses under the
name of the Sunny Blue Farm.
and his garrulous trainer, Vic
Sovinski. Two years ago the
same combination started Lin.
coin Road. a AL shot. in the
Derby and Jockey Chris Rog-
ers had the colt two lengths
in front at the eighth pole.
Then Calumet's Tim Tam came
along to win by half a length.
and the $26.80 place price and
$25, 900 in second money con-
stituted no solace at all to the
Chicago manufacturer.
Trainer Predicted Victory
Sovinski hadn't made any
bones about predicting a Derby
victory for Venetian Way, even
though Bally Ache had beaten
his colt five times in six pre-
vious meetings. Only a week
ago, Bally Ache finished 3k2
lengths in front of Venetian
Way in the Stepping Stone
Purse at Churchill Downs, the
same margin as his own victory
today. But that race was seven
furlongs, three-eighths of a
mile shorter than the Derby.
Aside from the satisfaction
and the prestige. Blumberg will
I See DERBY, Page F-S