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1 r Ball Hawk Begins Prep For Marathon Outing Meets Field of Six in Mile and Sixteenth River Downs Feature - RIVER DOWNS, California, Ohio, June 27. — F. M. Ashbys Ball Hawk, winner of the 1952 running of the Marathon at River Downs and runner-up in the grueling two-mile test in 1951, makes his initial start •gainst a field of six for his first step to-x -t it- *i* * ** - * * ■ I ward this years renewal of the Marathon ion July 18. The Shut Out— Bird Hawk 1 gelding has been resting since the Ascot Gold Cup in -May and has been training | willingly at River Downs. The mile and a I sixteenth distance of the Monday feature .may be a trifle short for the Greentree cast-off, who has developed into a classical router in late years and the quality of the opposition is capable of following Ball Hawk right through the chain of distances races leading up to the 0,000 Marathon. Mr. and Mrs. Pete Maxwells Just Abbe, Creel Browns Delux John, W. B. Meadows Jungle Fire, G. McFarlands Frisky Jimmy, E. W. Morrisons Open Way and Boschult and Holthus Alfred Boulder are all favorably treated by the allowance conditions of the race and have the latent ability to upset Ball Hawk. These runners have been campaigning locally with varying degrees of success. Just Abbe has a four-race win streak going, the last three here at River Downs, since being claimed for ,000 by trainer Maxwell at Ascot Park and the Abbe Pierre — Mother Hubbard gelding has gone right up the scale since then. His story might be the rags-to-riches drama of River Downs this season. Delux John is another who won his last outing over the River Downs course but is a three-year-old meeting older horses on Monday. Trainer Rinke has been letting Delux John come from far out of it in his late races and this strategy might be suc-j cessful against the older horses that Delux John meets. Alfred Boulder has not yet lived up to his fine spring form but is always dangerous. Alfred was sharpened in a sprint recently but actually prefers the middle distances for his best showings.
