[Rarebooks] FS: THE KENTUCKY DERBY STORY Inscribed by the Owner of the Winning Horse to its Trainer in 1951

[Charles Agvent]

BUCHANAN, Lamont. THE KENTUCKY DERBY STORY IN TEXT AND 140 
ILLUSTRATIONS. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1953. First Edition. Quarto (8" x 
10") profusely illustrated. An interesting copy of this book INSCRIBED 
and SIGNED to the Assistant Trainer for the 1951 winner, who trained the 
horse that day, by the owner of the winning horse, New York restaurant 
owner Jack Amiel: "To Slim Sully/who saddled 'Count Turf' 1951/'Kentucky 
Derby' winner/my best wishes & Hoping he/saddle his 'get' in 
future/Kentucky Derby's." Also INSCRIBED "with grateful appreciation/for 
the greatest win of all time--/your sound advice turned the track" by 
Nat Sobel, "County Judge." There are several pages devoted to this race 
with a photograph of Slim Sully with Count Turf. The main trainer was 
not able to get to the racetrack that day, so Sully saddled the winner 
ridden by Conn McCreary. Here is Jimmy Cannon's take on the events as 
published in the EVENING RECORDER on 2 May 1956: It could be that Count 
Turf's derby was the most dramatic of all. The books list Sol Rutchick 
as the trainer but he wasn't there. The owner was Jack Amiel, who owned 
a Broadway hamburger stand. The colt was named after the restaurant and 
he was Amiel's first stakes horse. Slim Sully, a stable foreman, and 
Amiel got Count Turf ready. The jockey was Conn McCreary. Things had 
gone badly for McCreary. He had dropped his whip and figured he would 
never ride again. Trainers had lost confidence In him. He couldn't get 
mounts and he was In Miami where there was no racing when Amiel called 
him. Count Turf was a field horse and no one picked him but McCreary, 
coming from away out of It, won easily. Afterward at the derby party, 
big and famous people lined up to shake the jockey's hand. He was amused 
by the fuss and he turned to a reporter as they drank champagne to toast 
him. 'Funny thing,' McCreary said, 'I had to borrow the fare to get 
here.'" Near Fine in a Very Good dustwrapper. (#017355) $75.00

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