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iwi1; — — i New England *■ By Fred Galiani Jerry Wolf Had Harrowing Experience Stung in Vein by Black Widow Spider Texas Horseman in Racing Since 1927 SUFFOLK DOWNS, East Boston, Mass., June 2.— Luck is a most sought after intangible around a race track, but any of it that is showered on burly trainer iwi1; — — i Jerry Jerry Wolf Wolf is is strictly strictly in in the the form form Jerry Jerry Wolf Wolf is is strictly strictly in in the the form form of a bonus. The big Texan, who has been on the nations tracks for some 39 years, exhausted his full quota of it back in 1948, August 28, to be exact. Its a date Jerry will never forget. Its a date that recalls the most gruesome, harrowing experience, of his life. He was bitten by a black widow spider in his Arcadia, Calif., home. As he tells it:" "I was tak- j ing ing a a carpet carpet out out to to hang hang on on a a ing ing a a carpet carpet out out to to hang hang on on a a line in the yard," recalls Jerry, "and I had on a short-sleeved shirt. She must have been in the carpet and she hung on me. I felt her stick me and quickly mashed her, but the black widow had had her .fangs in me. She got me directly in the vein. I was in the hospital in 40 minutes but by that time I was already in convulsions. I was in a straight jacket for 19 days. Lost All His Teeth and Hair "In that time I had swollen to 350 pounds, lost all my teeth and my hair. My head was as big as that water bucket," he continued. "It was 6 to 1 I wouldnt make it. Fortunately I had four specialists in the Los Angeles area treating me. These doctors, you see, specialized in such cases, treating workers in the vineyards in Southern California -who are susceptible to being bijten by black widows. My case was a rare one, in that her poison went directly into the blood stream, which was why I had so much attention. The case was fully written in AMA, journals. I" dont know how, but I finally got over it, but I had to spend two and a half years in hospitals before I was completely cured. Im lucky Im here." -» Jerrys hair has grown back, but he still has no feeling in his left arm, as he demonstrates by putting a lighted cigarette on his skin, or jabbing it with a knife. "And another thing," he said, "have to concentrate to get any use out of the hand. If I just reach out for something, I wont be able to pick it up. Ive got to practically tell myself what I want to do, and then force myself to do it." Youll have to look pretty far around the track to top that experience. Wolf comes by the turf naturally. He was born in Snyder, Texas, where his grandfather and grandmother migrated before the Civil War. Both were racing folk- and campaigned Horses before heading south, the former in Kentucky and the latter in Tennessee. His grandfather brought two studs and a band of mares to Texas with him, where they founded, what Jerry calls, the copper bottom line. It was in this country that Wolf grew up, and orphaned at an early age, struck out for himself when he was nine. He rode at the bush and fair tracks for a while and was at one time associated with C. B. "Cowboy" Irvin, for whom he rode relay and quarter horse match races. He first hit the thoroughbred tracks with Ed McCuen and after a stay with him joined the Trammel Brothers, of Sweetwater, Texas, who owned the good mare Pan Zareta. Has Been on Every Race Track in U.S. In his long years on the turf, Wolf maintains he has been on every major, minor or bush track in the country at one time or another. He has been a rider, hot walker, groom, jocks agent, assistant starter .and almost anything else you can imagine. He started training in 1927. Since then he has had fair .success, and calls 1944 his best year. He was working for Tom Bledsoe then and in his stable had Mucho Hosso, whom he developed, sent on to win 5,000 and then sold for 00,000. For the past two years he has been associated with John Helfrich, of Wichita, Kansas, the same town Wolf and wife Eva call home now. No spiders there. He has two daughters, on in Texas, one in Kansas, and is a grandpop a couple of times. Charles Cohen, owner of the Charfran Stable, finding success most elusive in New York, checked in at Suffolk Wednesday and will spend the rest of the week here. His Cascanuez is slated to head the field for the Macomber on% closing day. Charlie hopes his luck will change in New England. . . . Trainer Marvin Greene received Columcille and Gladdie Girl, owned by Mrs. G. H. Fischbach, from the farm in Madison, Va. Columcille has been a consistent breadwinner for the Cavaliers, scoring in 28 races for Greene. . . . Johnny Dupuy reports that his mare Little Whim is in foal to the stud Manchac in Tennessee. . . . Patrol judge Peter "Old Ty" Allen will await the opening of the Rockingham meet where he will serve in the same post. . . . Duckhunter has been a good claim for every one who has had him since he arrived here from New York. He won for Hugo Napoli, who first had "him here, then for Bill Hinphy and Wednesday for Lee Helton. Tony DeSpirito, in town to visit Leahy Clinic for treatment of an old back injury, stopped off at the track this AM.. Tony hurt his back last year and it is bothering him again. . . . Phil Schwartz sold War Finish, a four-year-old colt by War Jeep — Enfin to Benny Green. Herb Fisher will train War Finish. . . . George Poole, assistant trainer for the Greentree Stable, had Maharajah out for a gallop over the turf course to give his charge the feel of the strip for Saturdays Macomber Memorial. . . . Rogen Laurin, 20-year-old son of Lucien who has seven head at Gansett, tools around the stable area in a sporty Jaguar, which will probably send George Handy out into the car marts again when the latter gets to the Pawtucket track. Handy is seldom runner-up to anyone when it comes to snappy autos.
