view raw text
Deserts Harness Racing to Manage Kentucky Thoroughbred Stock Farm [ Marvin Child s, One-Time Driver on Grand Circuit, In Charge of Almahurst LEXINGTON, Ky., May 2.— Marvin Childs, manager of Henry M. Knights Almahurst Farm, was once a harness horse driver. During the twenties he was one of the top reinsmen of the Grand Circuit, and it was during that time he met Knight. Childs comes of a horse family. His father, Lou Childs, now retired, was a successful harness horse trainer and driver in the old days, and his brother, Frank Childs, distinguished himself with the trotters and pacers before he switched to the thoroughbreds. The manager of Almahurst was born at Spokane, Wash. About this time twenty-four years ago, the little westerner was en route to France. He was not going there for horses. He was going there as a buck private in the American Expeditionary Forces. After the first World War Childs returned to his homeland, returned to the spoTt of trotters and pacers. Soon he was sweeping the Grand Circuit with a hobble pacer named Hal Mahone 2:0iy4. Dangerous Horses to Drive Childs developed and raced other champions. A quiet, soft speaking little fellow, he gives the impression he is a trifle timid, but in a heated race he was one of the most courageous of drivers. Hobble pacers are dangerous to drive, but right up to his last ride in a sulky he still liked to pilot them. The manager of Almahurst Farm was a top "catch-driver." In harness horse racing a starter is generally driven by his trainer. When a trainer has more than one entry in a race, he engages other drivers for the other. The drivers thus engaged are called "catch-drivers." In 1927 Childs won the Kentucky Derby of harness horse racing, the Hambletonian Stakes, with a catch-mount, Iosolas Worthy. While he was with harness horses, one of the chief patrons of Childs was Henry H. Knight. For him he raced such good performers as Renolda, Raider and Spencer McElwyn. When Knight acquired Almahurst Farm and began building it into a nursery for trotters and pacers, he persuaded Childs to retire from the sulky and become its manager. Switches to Thoroughbreds Several years ago, when the future of the harness horse industry did not seem bright to Knight, Almahurst Farm was converted to a" thoroughbred nursery. Childs, although he had no knowledge of the new venture, was retained as manager. Childs does not profess to know a lot about the pedigree and training of a thoroughbred, but he does know horses. He was raised with horses; has been with them all his life, with the exception of his intermission with the army. The yearlings who go from Almahurst Farm to the Saratoga Springs sales each year testify to the horsemanship of Childs. The first consignment taken to the Spa included the Arlington Futurity winner Swain and the consistent stake winner Cape Cod. The 1940 consignment averaged ,344, a high price as most of the yearlings were by the virtually untried sires Ladys-man and Sun Teddy. Childs is a "stay-on-the-farm-manager." He detests braggarts, loafers and station wagons. He enjoys playing rummy.
