view raw text
On the Wire By Hugh J. McGuhe Judy Rullah Faces Acid Test in Pbllyanna Bwamazon Filly Easy Winner of Two Starts Trainer Griffin Thinks Shell Like Distance ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, 111., June 25. The 5,000 Pollyanna Stakes on Monday finds the sensational Judy Rullah, from the Bwamazon Farm of Millard Waldheim, facing her most severe test to date. This rather tall chestnut daughter of the famed Nasrullah from Judy-Rae, "has just toyed with her opposition in her two starts and has not yet had occasion to depend upon her rather long neck to earn first honors. In her debut at Keeneland she coasted home by eight lengths in a half-mile test that she negotiated in :49 in front running style. The other day here her margin of victory was four lengths, but this was accomplished by coming from behind with the greatest of ease in 1:04 for the five and a half furlongs. Although Judy -Rullah has not yet met the best of her age division quartered here, and it is reported that, there are a few bombshells still to be thrown, she currently is looked upon as something special. It was not by accident that Judyscored her second victory by coming from back of the pace and taking over command at will. Her trainer, Strother Griffin, believes that she is inclined to display the same trait shown by Nashua when in the lead. Said Griffin: "She fools around when she gets to the front, and I wanted her to keep her mind on the job. She was not specifically trained for early speed, anyway, and has shown that she does only what she has to do." In this the filly apparently emulates another Nasrullah, Nashua. Griffin added: "I have been told that some of the Nasrullahs are not too kind but have no firsthand information on this. This filly has shown nothing unusual in this respect, and I certainly hope she picks up no bad habits. She is a nicely mannered filly." Long Experienced in Breaking Yearlings Griffin should know, for he broke her and other Bwamazon youngsters at Keeneland and owner Wald- -heimwas well advised to trust the racing careers of these two-year-olds to the man who, with-the possible exception of Bwamazon manager, Pat ONeill, knows them best. Griffin is a former rider and galloped horses for Sherrill Ward at the same time that Arlingtons racing secretary Pat Farrell was similarly employed. Griffin, who still gets up on a horse, turned to breaking yearlings at Lexington, Ky., and to his credit it must be" said that he soon established respect for. his proficiency in an area and among veterans with whom expertness with horses is the usual. He plans to continue in the business of breaking yearlings and will commute regularly to Lexington where he has as his chief assistant another former jockey, Johnny Fernandez. Griffin is naturally "high" on Judy Rullah and he believes that she will improve as her races are at longer distances. She is still growing, has good action and is a good "dooer" but is not putting on much weight. Her trainer expects that she will fill out nicely as a three-year-old. .Plans for Judy following the Pollyanna are for the Princess Pat and Lassie here, then to Belmont Park and possibly The Gardenia at Garden State in October. Judy Rullah is not the only promising two-year-old that Griffin is handling for Bwamazon. The colt Jovial Jove was an impressive winner here the other day after having been unplaced in his only other start at Keeneland. This youngster is by Olympia-Whirling Girl and is a half-brother -to Anmer-Nail Stables First Cabin, the colt who finished third to Nashua in the Florida Derby and is now sidelined with a broken bone in his foot. Point Jovial J.oye for Two Futurities Jovial Jove "sped over his five and a half furlongs objective here in 1:04 and was loafing to a four-length score. On him, Griffin says, "How far he will go, we will have to find out, but he loves to run and there is no monkey business about him. Whether he could beat Judy, I am not prepared to say, but we think enough of him to point him for the Arlington, Washington, and Belmont futurities." For Bwamazon, Griffin also has the juvenile filly, Dejeune, who has trained well but whose debut Friday was not impressive. He also has Free Fellow and Our Day for C. E. Campbell, a Pittsburgh coal operator. Bwamazon has a half-brother to Judy Rullah in the Keeneland sales and he is the object of considerable interest. He is by Coaltown. Interesting visitors here are Thurman I. Harkins, of Houston, and K. G. Marshall, of Birmingham, both of whose horses here are trained by Charles Sanborn. Harkins, a comparative newcomer to racing in these parts, gets as much fun out of the sport as anyone. He has been a frequent and active buyer of yearlings in recent years and now finds himself with representation on three different racing fronts. In addition to the Sanborn-trained lot, J. T. Taylor has a division in New Yorkf while Henry Forrest races others at Detroit. In the winter he is represented in Florida, California, and New Orleans, where Bill Morrow also has a division. Some of the Harkins horses are owned in partnership with Jack C. Pollard. Just now Marshall is keenly interested in the first foals of his stallion, Coffee Money, who will be remembered as a formidable campaigner in this area. Coffee Money stands at the Hurstland Farm of the Nuckols Brothers in
