The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-06
Trial Run Showed Handwrit-
ing On Wall For Some But
Gallahadion Fooled Them
By SID FEEDER

LOUISVILLE, KY, May SIP
The sailors take a holiday now and
then on the theory that "aL work
and no play makes Jack a dull
boy Well, Bimelech's name isn't
Jack, but he probably thinks Jack
has really got somethin' there"
For the chances are that when
he shocked some 80, 900 to IS, 900
bowling fans at Churchill Downs by
finishing second to Gallahadion in
history's richest Kentucky Derby
yesterday he was just showing the
effects of working in three tough
races in a nine-day stretch and of
doing it so early in his three-year-
old campaign. To get a better pic
ture of the thing, imagine the in
experienced Joe Louis of the first
Max Schmeling fight taking on Der
Mox on a Monday, coming back on
Saturday to tangle with Tony Ga
lento, and finishing it off the next
Wednesday against, say, Gene
Tunney. It's a good trick even if he
doesn't do it.
AS a result, BIN looked like a
stale horse in that last long quarter
mile yesterday and when Gallahad-
ion looked him in the eye he just
didn't have his usual stuff. 1t was
Gallahadion by a length and a half
in the woefully slow time of 2:05.
So, what with the overwork final
ly catching up with the game little
colt, and Jockey Carroll Bierman
coming up with as fine a ride as
the run for the roses has ever seen,
that's all there was to it.
OF course, those who backed Col.
Ed Bradley's baby down to 2 to S
shortest Derby price on a favor
tie in many a year-didn't think
so. Neither did the experts" who
climbed out to the end Of the limb
in picking BIN, virtually unani-
mously, to have an easier time with
the seven other horses than he
does with his oats every day.
Several of the rival trainers,
however, saw the handwriting on
the wall in the last quarter mile of
Bimelech's easy win in the Derby
trial mile last Tuesday when, Incl
dentally, he was 2 IL lengths on
top of Gallahadion at the wire. Roy
Waldron, who trains Gallahadion
for Mrs. Ethel v. Mars of Chica-
go; Max Hirsch, who conditioned
third-place Dit for Arnold Hanger,
and a couple more pointed out
that it took Bimmie over 26 Sec
ends to run that last quarter on a
slow, but not too bad a track, and
held that was more like a $4,000
platter than the galloper who was
supposed to be potentially the
greatest horse since Man O. War.
Five days earlier at Keeneland he
had won the Blue Grass stakes.
That Gallahadion would be the
fellow to show him up, however,
was expected about as much as
you'd expect to find yourself walk
ing Times Square in your night
shirt when you wake up tomorrow
morning. He did bring with him as
fine a breeding and blood-line as
any in the race-better than most,
in fact, what with Derby Winner
Reign Count as his grandpappy on
his mothers side and Sir Gallahad
III, who sent son Gallant Fox and
grandson Omaha to the winners
circle, his daddy.
But he was just a bargain buy
at SIS, 900 two years ago at the Sara
toga sales. AS a result, he had vir-
tually no backing in the mutuels
and returned $72.40 for 81. Not only
that, but he brought back with him
the $50, $50 winners share of the
SIS, 900 added money, most valu-
able of all Derbies.
One thing is certain-all the boys
are going to show up for the
Preakness Saturday at Baltimore
and Gallahadion better do his brag-
ging early in the week. Because
they'll be shooting at him at the
Hilltops-and don't be surprised if
Bimmie, rested a week, hits the
bullseye.