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OnthTrot By MORRIE KURLANSKY KURLANSKYAyou Ayou in First 1953 Driving Triple Montana Horsemen in Sport 7 Years Has 14 Horses in Care at Maywood MaywoodMAYWOOD MAYWOOD PARK Maywood 111 June 6 A freak thunderstorm hit this oval last Thursday night just when the pacers entered in tne eignui race moved to the post Luckily for the partici ¬ pants the race was free of any accidents in spite of the tomado like wind that blew papers and programs on the track and horses and drivers were shrouded in a curtain of dust and sand The spectators hurried for cover underneath thp grandstand and inside the clubhouse and as soon as the field had crossed the finish line torrential rain came down The man ¬ agement lost no time of course in an ¬ nouncing the cancellation of the ninth and final race of the night nightThe The stormy race saw Highway Pointer with Ralph Ayou in the sulky as the winner to make it three victories out of four starts that night for Ralph The man from Montana is enjoying his best season this year at Maywood Park Cur ¬ rently he is the leader of all drivers here He started including Thursday nights eight races a total of 93 times won 16 races was second 18 times and in the show spot 20 times When he piloted Fortuna Barnes Czar Yolo and Highway Pointer to the winners circle on Thurs ¬ day night it marked the first occasion that any driver had scored a triple dur ¬ ing the 1953 season in Chicago Ayou is comparatively new in harness racing starting out as a trainer in 1946 at Santa Anita in California That doesnt mean however he hasnt Taeen around horses before On the contrary he was an accomplished rider as a very young kid since he grew up on a farm in Montana His love of horses soon enough brought him into contact with the rodeo people and a strong man as he is he made quite a hit as a bronco buster Then shortly after the war ended he got acquainted with a man in Utah who bought some standard breds and offered Ralph as a position as his trainer Ralph accepted and moved into Santa Anita where quite naturally he met the stars in his new profession to make it more than tough for the newcomer newcomerFrom From 1946 on he raced primarily on the California circuit and it was not before the fall of 1949 that he ventured across the Rocky Mountains and ap ¬ peared at Maywood Park He liked it in Chicago and came back the following seasons while not missing the great meetings on the Western Harness Rac ¬ ing Association at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita AnitaUp Up to last year Ralph didnt have any outstanding horses in his care but then he was entrusted with Mrs Evelyn Craigers Maywoodowned pacer Gay Order Win ¬ ning nine races with the gelded son of Court Order Ralph made him the money winningest threeyearold of the 1952 Chi cagoland harness racing season with earn ¬ ings of 11012 This season Gay Order was started nine times winning two races and was second three times and third twice His best two races probably have been over the fiveeighths of a mile track at Hazel Park Detroit where Gay Order finished second in both trips to Saunders Mills Stables Warpath in excellent times of 203 and 204 In the second heat in that race Gay Order came from last place in the stretch to finish second just three quarters of a length off the winner War ¬ path At Maywood Park Gay Order started in several freeforall races and in his last start bowed only to the topflight pacer H D Hanover who was timed in 204 Here again Gay Order was last in the stretch and demonstrated his enormous finishing power powerAyou Ayou is especially high on another member in his stable the fouryearold pacer Czar Volo owned by Lafe Smith Paulding Ohio The youngster made the first start of his career on May 8 here and won in 214 to come back five days later to win again this time in 211 over a track termed good After that Czar Volo was twice second to be in the win ¬ ners circle again on May 27 and on June 1 was third beaten one and onehalf lengths by Kenneth Tryax and Bill Bloss The winners time in that race was 206is In his last outing on June 4 Czar Volo scored in 208 for his fourth triumph in seven starts not once being out of the money moneyRight Right now Ralph has 14 horses for seven different owners in his care but he gets quite a few outside driving assignments too since he is recognized not only as a strong but fearless driver as well Ralph is 42 years old and at present lives with his wife and 16yearold daughter in a trailer home having not decided yet on a definite residence His daughter incidentally seems to have inherited his handy way with a horse She takes care of Ace Deuce the Scotland pacer who won only two races last year but was second 18 times This spring Ace Deuce has already won his quota namely two races but as most of the Scotland offspring get better with age Ace Deuce might reverse his 52 score and win maybe 18 races this year yearThe The twoyearold schooling races this week were monopolized by the Herman Graham stable On Thursday night the Victory Song colt Joans Victor garnered the first kindergarten trot in 220 with Kenneth Pearson at the reins Scotty Direct the Bin Direct gelding who rock ¬ eted into prominence a few seasons back under the guidance of the late Oscar Sil vey is back racing again Sidelined in 1952 the 11yearold pacer returned to the winners circle at Lebanon Ohio with a 210 performance
