view raw text
•■ ., , — , , ■ 1 I OReilly on Racing I -By Tom C/Je/V/y Jim Moloney Doing What Comes Naturally Sure Knows His Way Into Winners Circle Modest Trainer of Horses All His Life BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 20.— Jim Maloney, hottest young trainer at Belmont Park today, is an old friend of mine. Back in the early •■ ., , — , , thirties, thirties, during during the the apple apple boom, boom, — , , thirties, thirties, during during the the apple apple boom, boom, ■ 1 I when the World-Telegrams man-| aging editor shocked everybody by buying a horse, the paper sud-f denly became show-ring conscious. I was the sports department patsy who forgot to duck. Dreaming of reflected fame with the Dodgers in Clearwater, I suddenly found myself in a lonesome sounding place called Ox Ridge, Conn., turning out immortal prose about deeds of Derring-Do committed the the one-two, one-two. orie-two. orie-two, trot-trot trot-trot set. set. the the one-two, one-two. orie-two. orie-two, trot-trot trot-trot set. set. by children in Its probable "that I was picked for this job because of my experience driving broken down cars. Anyway it was in those dark days that I first met gentleman Jim. Now, every time I look up, hes being photographed in the winners circle at Belmont. He won twice with Traffic Judge, twice with Outer Space, twice with Georgian Prinz and once each with Trigger Girl, Apostle, Miocene and Darianoor. And there is still a fast, stepping filly named Atanesian, hidden back in the barn. So it was, with joy and confidence, that I rang up the Maloney manse, in East Norwich, to make a, date for an interview on the morrow. The dulcet tones of Jims beauteous Libby, mother of his four charming children, answered. She gave me the same cheery "hello," we all«valued so highly when she was winning, titles, riding fox-hunters, trained by Jim, -at Piping Rock, Fairfield and Madison Square Garden. Soon Jim himself was on the wire and after the usual howz-the-folks? exchanges, I mentioned the interview. Then I got a surprise. Jims voice suddenly turned self-conscious. Not Quite Ready to Meet the Press "Tom, do me a favor," he said. "Put this interview off *for a couple o weeks, will you?" How come? "Well, yknow, it may sound funny," came the reply, "Im not really superstitious. But Im really serious about this. Yknow, Tom, I just dont wanna press my luck. I gotta admit Im ridin nice and high right now. Id rather keep it that way." What made him think an interview would make any difference? "To tell the truth, I cant say," Jim laughed, selfconsciously. "Maybe its just that this hot hand Im holdin. is kinda new and Id like to play it quietly. Anyway, a good friend of mine — I wont mention any names — got a tremendous write-up, this spring, in another paper — not yours — and the poor fellow hasnt had a winner since it appeared. Maybe the write-up didnt have anything to do with it. But if it did, I dont want to make the same mistake." Would it be all right to go ahead and write what I know without any interview? "Sure. An Id sure appreciate it," he said, in a voice that he hoped Id understand. Well, anybody can understand that attitude. Here is a modest man who has been training horses all his life. His father was an importer of Irish horses and Jim was born on the big apple. Hes been knocking at the door for a long time with moderate success. There is nothing flukey about Maloneys present eminence. He is a sound, top-drawer trainer accustomed to racing against nothing but the best. Success includes Measure of Luck Like most trainers, Jim Maloney knows that luck has a lot to do with success in racing. In fact he has learned so much about the fickle lady that he is likely to give her too much credit for his successes. Sure, luck is needed. But so is skill and courage and Maloney is lacking in neither of these. He has learned a great deal since he started racing seriously, back in 1935. That was when he switched from show ring fence-toppers to jumpers at the race track and hunt meetings. He showed his skill when he went to Kentucky and bought two flat horses that seemed like good steeplechase horses. One was called Golden Reel, which he trained over fences, won with and sold to Mrs. Marion duPont Scott, one of the nations leading steeplechase fanciers. The other was Archery, which he turned into a chaser and sold to Mrs. Robert Win-throp now Mrs. A. C. Randolph. Archery won jump-up races at Belmont and Saratoga. After a hitch in the Arms*, he came back to the ; big tracks and opened a public stable on the flat. He trained the good horse, Big If, winner of the Remsen Handicap and Mrs. Gerard S. Smiths Nilufer, winner of the Miss Woodford Stakes at Monmouth and a handicap at Aqueduct. In 1954 he trained the Joseph Roebling stable and placed that gentleman second to C. V. Whitney among the owners of winners at Saratoga. Two years ago he reopened his public stable and the list of winners above is the result. Obviously Jim learned long ago that press clippings dont .help a horse one way or the other. When that starting gate opens, every mans hand is raised against your entry. Perhaps he is afraid a press notice will sway his judgment. Well, Ive been writing about the guy for 20 years and if he isnt hexed by this time he never will be. Theyre off!
