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New England By Fred Galiani Jimmy Rankin Made His Point the Hard Way Became Jockey and Trainer Simultaneously Currently Has Big Horse in Motor Line LINCOLN DOWNS, Lincoln. R. I., May 9.— Its not easy to start off in any endeavor with a blast like a miniature A-bomb, but its twice as difficult to main tain the power. .And its the latter proposition that faces Jimmy Rankin, new trainer for the Mc-Ivor Prickett stable of horses. Jimmy, who started with the Prickett brothers last year when they were teamed, has had his name on the program as trainer for four races, and three of his charges have won, with one second. Its a tough pace to keep up, but the odds arent in the double figure class that he wont. He has got a well-rounded background that he brings to the conditioning ranks and this slight, sandy-haired, red-faced chap of 35 should be right up with the leaders through the season. He has been an exercise boy, jockey, farm manager, stud man and assistant trainer, and if thats not enough experience we dont know what is. Perhaps Rankin is one of the few jockeys who ever broke his maiden on a horse he trained himself, although for technical reasons, he was not listed on the program as such. That was back at Randall Park in 1945, when he won with Busy Edith A., a horse owned by C. W. Backman. Jimmy trained, galloped, rubbed and rode the five horses in that string in what was his fust year as a rider. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Rankin was one of 12 children in the family, the sexes being equally divided. A neighbor of his, a John McClain. owned horses and it was through him that Jimmy came to the tracks. He was an exercise boy and groom for years and was set to make his riding debut when the war came. He served four years in the Navy, and saw action in both the North Atlantic and the Pacific and was cited several times. Managed Dhu Varren Farm Operation After his discharge Rankin returned to racing, finally embarking on a riding career. "I started late in life," he says, "and those four years took a lot out of it. i rode mostly around the half milers, although I did ride a couple of years in New York for E. M. OBrien. I would have to say that I was only a fair jockey." Jimmy quit in 1953. and for the next two years worked with Ed OBriens horses, "handling some of them for races and on the farm in South Carolina. From October 1955 to the summer of 1956 he managed Dutch Ellis Dhu Varren Farm in New Jersey, where he broke the yearlings, had Faultless serve 35 mares, of which 31 got in foal, and conditioned horses for racing. But it was training that Rankin preferred so he left Ellis last summer. Through his years in South Carolina with OBrien, Jimmy had become close friends with John Bresnahan, a prominet New England trainer and owner of a farm in Holly Hill in the Iodine State. Through Bresnahan, Rankin got a post as assistant trainer with the stable of Mclvor and Isaac Prickett. This winter the brothers decided to end their partnership and Jimmy assumed the role of trainer for Mclvors horses, Isaac continuing to tram his own. When the brothers divided their string, the big plum was Motor Line, the muscular four-year-old son of Bimelech, who bodes weU to be one of New Englands handicap stars this year. Mclvor and Isaac decided that whoever got Motor Line had enough, the rest of the horses going to the other. Mclvor took Motor Line. There were 12 two-year-Olds in the string, which they split, each taking six. Isaac took the older horses of the outfit. Mrs. Hellen, a three -year-old was left over, 50 the brothers tossed a coin, and Mclvor won her, too. Jimmy thus has Motor Line, Mrs. Hellen and six two-year-olds as his string this year. As a trainer he won last year with Motor Line, and this season with the same crack horse and-Mrs. Hellen, both first time out. Motor Line finished second last Saturday in the feature race, after a rough trip, to break his trainers unbeaten string. Refused Max Hirschs Generous Offer Motor Line is being pointed for the 0,000 Lincoln Special on closing day, for which he has been assigned 113 pounds. Just how good this horse, who won six races last year and finished a like number of times second in 17 starts, is, can be determined by Max Hirschs evaluation. This past winter in South Carolina, the canny Hirsch, -who has slipped a bridle over some of the best horses ever to race in this country, made a 0,000 offer for Motor Line. Mclvor turned it down and Max raised the ante to 5,000. Still no deal. Finally, Max offered him Beam Rider, probably the best horse in his care, and 0,000 for Motor Line. No soap. As Jimmy relates the story, Mclvor said he waited too long for a real good horse and he wasnt going to sell him at any price, and. will eventually stand Motor Line at stud, along with Noble Song, Guillotine and Introvert. When Motor Line came back to the races here last week, it is doubtful if any other horse ever looked so well. Rankin had him in resplendent condition and the compact, but powerfully built colt, just glowed and there wasnt a blemish on him anywhere. He won his first race easily, then dropped a close one to Rock- castle, giving him weight. Admittedly, Rankin is start-On I f.Vjuerf on toqt Forty -Four NEW ENGLAND By FRED GALIANI Continued from Page Four ing his training career with a top-flight horse, but if he brings the two-year-olds out as he did Motor Line, fellow conditioner look to you laurels. Rankin is a soft-spoken, mild-mannered chap and still proudly wears his Jockeys Guild pin on his coat lapel. At five foot, three inches, he weighs 112 pounds and still gallops the horses in his care. Comparing riding to training, he prefers the later. "Its a bigger thrill," he says, "to have a horse you brought up for a race win, than to ride one. Theres nothing like it." But Rankin also has vivid memories of his worst experience. As mentioned before. Rankin was in the Navy, serving as chief electrician aboard destroyers. Five of the six Rankin brothers saw service during the war. During the Pacific campaign his brother Zane was serving on the U.S.S. Twigs and was only 1,000 yards away from Jimmys destroyer during sea action when the Twigs was hit by a Japanese Kamikaze plane. Twenty-four men got off the Twigs, but Zane Rankin, a member of the "Black Gang," wasnt among them. Hell never forget. Jimmy now makes his home in Fort Motte, S. C, where he lives with his wife, Margaret, and seven-year-old daughter, Jahis. If he keeps up* his pace as a trainer, Rankin will be ranking with the tops.
