Jones

U.S. horse betting was so high last week that the tipsters looked for a billion-dollar year. The sport had never attracted such throngs of railbirds. In this record year it was dominated by a plain, farm-bred Midwesterner named Jones.

Experts gave Trainer Ben Jones most of the credit when a 7-to-1 colt named Pensive ran away with the Kentucky Derby. The three-year-old, owned by Warren Wright of Chicago (Calumet Baking Powder), had shown only so-so form in winning three of seven previous starts, wns ailing a week before the Derby. A week after that event Pensive, again with Jockey Conn McCreary up, breezed through to cop the Preakness. Next week Pensive, McCreary and Jones are favored to take the Belmont Stakes and the second Triple Crown* of U.S. horse racing for Ben Jones.

Down on the Farm. Though he is the best handler of horses now handling, Ben Allyn ("B.A.") Jones, 61, modestly claims only an abiding love for anything that neighs. He first straddled a horse at the age of four on his father's farm in Nodaway County, Mo. He used to run match races around a half-mile farm track. Very early he formulated his cardinal, cryptically simple rule of training: "Just give them what they need, whenever it looks like they need it."

Between seasons of working the farm, B.A. collected a string of 54 mares, finally turned the farm over to a caretaker and devoted himself to racing. But his devotion to fine horseflesh for its own sake was complicated by the responsibilities of ownership. In 1931 B.A. sold his string, took a job as head man of Kansas City's Woolford Farm. Seven years later he reached the top when Lawrin won the Derby.

Up in the Bigtime. Jones considers 1941 his best year, when he coaxed Warren Wright's stable (including Whirlaway) in to the greatest amount of money ever won by a single stable: $475,091. But although he will not admit it, Jones seems headed for even bigger things.

Thoroughbred Pensive, by English-bred Hyperion out of Penicuik II (pronounced pennyquick), is far from infallibly great, but with Jones' conditioning he is head and withers in front of his closest challenger. With Conn McCreary up, they make the best combination of honest runner and smart rider in the game. Barring accidents, Pensive will probably beat the great Whirly's money mark by the time he is turned out to stud.

Pensive's 33 running mates at Warren Wright's Calumet stable include such potentially heavy winners as Sun Again, Miss Keeneland, Mar-Kell, and Twilight Tear. Under Ben Jones, this collection of horsepower may well become to racing what the Yankees are to baseball.

*Only other winners of the Derby-Preakness-Belmont Stakes Crown: Sir Barton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirlaway (Jones-coached), Count Fleet.

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