The Master's Last Ride

The Sunday Age

Sunday November 16, 1997

CHAMPION United States jockey Eddie Arcaro, who rode Whirlaway and Citation to Triple Crowns and won the Kentucky Derby five times, died on Friday at the age of 81.

"The Master", born in Cincinnati, the son of an Italian immigrant cab driver, quit school at 13 to work at the tracks.

Despite repeated refusals by trainers to allow him to ride, Arcaro got his chance in 1931. He rode his first winner at Agua Caliente, Mexico, on 14 January, 1932, and went on to ride 4779 winners from 24,092 mounts for purses worth $43,636,649.

He continued near the top of his profession until his retirement in 1961 and was the only man to guide two horses to the US Triple Crown.

Arcaro wound up setting the derby record for winners - later equalled by Bill Hartack - and won the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes six times each.

"But I don't kid myself," said Arcaro, who became a television racing analyst, when asked to sum up his career. "I've been on many of the best horses. Take the best horse in any race and put any one of a dozen or more riders on him, and he'll come through."

Other jockeys sometimes devised ways of stopping him and his simple riding philosophy was: "Never go outside of two or inside of one."

So sure was Arcaro that Citation would win the Belmont in 1948 - the year he won the Triple Crown - that he boasted before the start: "The only way I can lose this race is if I fall off my horse."

Citation stumbled coming out of the gate that day, almost unseating Arcaro. But he regained control and won by eight lengths.

In addition to Whirlaway and Citation, Arcaro won the Kentucky Derby on Larwin in 1938, Hoop Jr in 1945 and Hill Gail in 1952.

He won the Preakness aboard Hill Prince in 1950; Bold in 1951; Nashua, who also won the Belmont in 1955, and Bold Ruler in 1957.

His other Belmont winners were Shut Out in 1942, Pavot in 1945 and One Count in 1952.

Arcaro rode other great horses, such as Jaipur, Jewel's Reward, Round Table, Sword Dancer, Traffic Judge and Kelso. But he was partial to Citation and Nashua.

His loss on Nashua in the 1955 Kentucky Derby - to Swaps and Bill Shoemaker - was a stunner. The two jockeys met later that year with the result dramatically reversed in a match race at Chicago's Arlington Park.