Arcaro Picks a Winner

At 4 a.m. the morning of the Kentucky Derby, thunder tumbled and the rain splashed down on Louisville in buckets. Maryland's Ed Christmas, who was training a mud-horse named Escadru, woke up and grinned. So did Texas' Ben Whitaker, whose My Request runs well on a wet track. It was still raining and the racing strip was a quagmire when Christmas bumped into Ben Whitaker at the stables and muttered slyly: "Every flag in Kentucky's flying half-mast." The heavy rain was over by breakfast.

Mud, the great equalizer, was about the only thing that might upset Calumet Farm's powerful entry: Citation and Coaltown. They were such red-hot favorites that for the first time in 43 years no place or show betting was allowed. But, mud or no mud, as the field of six (smallest in 41 years) thundered by the grandstand into the first turn, Coaltown was out in front, bouncing along like a big brown tomcat. He had never been beaten in his life.

There was always a first time, decided Jockey Eddie Arcaro, up on Citation. He had it all figured out before the race, as he always has. Said he: "I wish those other horses would scratch out. Then I'd be breathing on Coaltown that first half-mile. Of course, if I go out and kill him off--and let one of those other horses come along and beat us both--they'd have a right to come after me with a gun."

Arcaro let Coaltown get a seven-length lead before he moved into second position. Looking back over his shoulder, Arcaro saw that the rest of the field was "too drunk" to threaten. He clucked to Citation and the gap began to close. The two Calumet horses entered the stretch noses apart, Coaltown on the rail and Citation taking a path ten feet out. Arcaro did not hit Citation with the whip until he was in front and then only because he "just wanted to keep him busy. He likes to loaf once he gets by horses." Arcaro steered Citation under the wire almost four lengths in front.

Afterwards Arcaro, who had lost out in the past two Derbies, said with a face-sweeping grin: "For once I picked the right horse." It wasn't the first time: last week's easy victory made him the first jockey ever to win four Kentucky Derbies. The time--2:05 2/5--was good over that kind of track.

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