RACE DAY AUTOMATIC TRADITION FOR SPARTAN DERBY CONTINGENT “Mike Durkin and Mac probably have the best overall record of the group when it comes to picking winners,” according to Bill Murphy. “With us, it’s mostly about bragging rights, nothing more.” Murphy continued, “And somehow, Mike has ended up in the Winner’s Circle on several occasions. He just manages to get in and acts like he belongs there.” Murphy recalls a St. Agnes eighth grade field trip to Hawthorne Race Track that started him on his path of nearly 40 years in and around the horseracing industry. “Father McKiernan took a bunch of us because we had heard that Hawthorne was nicer than Washington Park. We’d been riding our bikes to Washington Park and wanted to see another track.” At 15 and 16 years old, the guys decided to go to their first Kentucky Derby, taking a $36 flight from O’Hare to Louisville without their parents’ knowledge. None had flown before, and a nervous Pat Eagan was looking in the seat-back pocket in front of him and asked Murphy what that little paper bag was for. Murphy explained that it was for passengers who got sick during take-off or landing. Eagan looked at the bag, then asked the elderly woman sitting next to him if he could have her bag too, saying “This one just won’t be big enough!” Back at Marian, Murphy, a self-described “wise-guy,” was reprimanded by Sr. Frances Clare for reading a racing form in Religion class. He couldn’t help it; it was in his blood. Having started out as a hot-walker and groom, Bill Murphy’s love of horseracing has evolved into a 35-year career. He is currently the President and General Manager of Gulfstream Park in Hollywood, Florida. Gulfstream is where the last three Kentucky Derby winners (including Big Brown) have been raised and trained. Murphy has missed only three Kentucky Derby races since that first trip as a teen. In 1970, he was stationed in Viet Nam and later, he was working at a track in Florida and couldn’t make the trip. Even today, Bill would rather be with his Marian friends at the Derby than in any fancy box seats. “We’ve been together all these years, looking out for one another the whole time. I have the best time with these guys!” Though probably not a complete list of all the guys who have made the trip at one time or another, these are the Marian grads and friends (and even one former faculty member) who have participated over the years: Joe Buishas ’69, Tom Chemasko ’70, Dan Corradetti ’70, Dan Cull ’70, Mike Durkin ’70, Pat Eagan, Gary Finnin (former baseball coach), Jim Flamini, Jeff Goss ’69, Mark Helsel ’69, Rich Klupchak ’70, Steve Kubisak ’70, James Lupien ’69, Tom Martello ’78, Bill Murphy ’68, Peter Palanca ’69, Mike Pauley ’76, Tony Perozzi ’76, Frank Pignotti ’70, Rodney Ross ’70, Frank Santilli ’71, Frank Santori ’69, Scott Scampini ’70, Mark Schrementi ’70, Ray Schulze ’78, Jack Sims ’70, Bill Slavin ’76, Bobby Towle ’73, Dan Towle ’69, George Towle ’71, Gilbert Towle ’67, James Towle ’78, Mike Ward ’70, Tom Zager ’70, Mike Ziegler ’70.
Displaying their Marian Catholic spirit from the clubhouse box on the first turn at Churchill Downs on Derby Day 2008 are (left-right): Dan Ekhart (Mike Durkin’s son-in-law), Gordon “Mac” McKerral ’70, Bill “Murph” Murphy ’68, Michael “The Governor” Durkin ’70 and Dan “Dan-O” Corradetti ’70. Group members later signed the banner which will be displayed at various events throughout Marian’s 50th Anniversary year.
Friendship. History. Tradition. For nearly 40 years, a group of Marian grads has been making an annual pilgrimage to Churchill Downs, site of the first jewel in the Triple Crown of horseracing, the Kentucky Derby. This year was no different, with a number of Spartans attending the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby. Two things remain constant with this group of alumni – everyone knows where to find each other at Churchill Downs among the 150,000 spectators without so much as a phone call, and their ties to Marian Catholic remain as strong as ever. They didn’t start out going to the Derby, though. During high school, members of the group got the racing bug when Bill “Murf the Turf ” Murphy ’68 would take a carload of guys to the old Washington Park track in Homewood. They would stand outside and watch harness racing and thoroughbreds through the fence because they were too young to get in. But, to get a sense of the history behind this group, one has to just sit and listen to the stories. “I met Mike Durkin ’70 when we were first graders at St. Agnes,” says Dan Corradetti ’70. “We’ve been close friends all these years, through marriages, jobs, kids and everything else.” Gordon “Mac” McKerral ’70 first met Mike in the caddy yard at Idlewild Country Club when they both were Marian freshmen. “There was this guy sitting apart from the rest of the caddies who were playing cards, rolling dice, and pitching nickels, gambling with their earnings. I noticed he was reading a racing form. Mike said to me, ‘How much did you lose over there with those guys?’ I told him I’d lost five of the ten bucks I’d earned that morning. He said, ‘What if I could take your five bucks and turn it into fifty?’ I was hooked. Whether it was Washington Park or Balmoral, we always found a way to get to the races and place our bets.”
Alumni Office Note: This is only one example of MCHS groups that consistently reunite year after year. We are sure there are others…care to share your stories? Email them to alumni@marianchs.com.
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