Imperial Valley press., 1940-08-19
Big Bin
Retires
by JACK GUENTHER-
United Press Racing Editor

Aug. 10 (UP)-The story of the old
man and his young horse is fin
ished-but the gods of the turf
forgot the happy ending.
Instead of closing on note OF
happiness, the story ends in heart
break. Instead of closing in victory
it ends III the wake OF defeat. And
instead of proudly riding the breeze
like a banner of triumph, the green
and white silk of Idle Hour Farm
droops sadly at half-mast today
Bimelich has said goodbye to the
tracks.
Bimelech, of course, is the young
horse. u year ago lie was hailed as
another Man O. War. The satin
coated son of a royal thoroughbred
family was great then; he had
raced to six consecutive wins with
out a defeat. he had earned $135, ,090
in 10 minutes work and he was the
shortest future book favorite in
Kentucky Derby records.
Only once in a lifetime does such
a colt come along, and the old man
Col. Edward Riley Bradley-knew
his good thing when he saw it. The
colonel had waited 40 years for
this dream horse. He had watched
his bright hoops roll home four
times at Churchill Downs and doz-
ems of times in the richest races
in the lanG but always he had wait
ed and watched for the one who
would be the best of them all
Bimelich was that one. He started
life when the colonel was flat on
his back on a sick-bed, his heart
weak and his health failing. Each
time tfe colt went to the post the
colonel grew a bit stronger All
through the summer it went that
way and finally when the red and
brown shades of autumn coated the
the aged Kentuckian
left his bed for good.
This is the greatest horse I ever
have owned" he said at the end of
the year. He is faster than Blue
Larkspur and Bubbling Over and
Burgoo King and Behave Yourself
He is so fast that now I challenge
any horse in America at weight for
age and the owner can name his
bet"
Nobody took that offer but Bim-
elich's derby odds went down and
down. He started the year with
two triumphs and soon it was whis-
pered firm Del Mar to Hialeah that
here was the horse of the ages. Then
the old man was battered with a
double shock. First he suffered a
relapse and couldn't go to Church.
Ill Downs. Next a long-legged beauty
named Gallahadion ran his baby
down in the stretch and the vic
tory streak was snapped at last.
The colonel climbed off the floor
from that one and a week later
he sat in box high above Pimlico
and saw Bimelech win the Freak
ness in a runaway. His 80-year- -old
face crinkled to frightent away a
tear, the colonel told the world he
had known his colts ability all the
while, and that the derby was Just
an accident-pure and simple.
Even as late as this, the story
could have ended happily. But it
didn't. Instead Bimelech was beaten
twice in his next three races and
instead of a second Man O War
he became just another good horse.
But the cosoneI still held the title
in the Wrinkled palm of his hand
and he planned to take it for good
in the Travers. Then the gods turn
ed away and frowned, and there the
story closed.
Bimelech stepped on a pebble
Saturday morning. A short time
later he was withdrawn from what
might have been his climax race
Two hours later the colonel told the
news. Bimelech had seriously iniur-
ed his foot; he would not appear on
the tracks again this year and he
might not appear again ever.
The old man said the retirement
was just temporary, but as he said
IL ne knew that they seldom-if
overcome back. So today in a barn
on the fringe of Saratoga the
Whlstllng Of the darkies was stilIed.
Bimelech went back into the shad-
oWS, ms quest for glory over. With
nm went an old mans dreams that
MS last horse would be king of them