Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-09

the Jockeys have come back from theH
nantlpx Ia ;hs south or from tGssr laal-
lies n the cites aud are bard Al Work
on the TRACKS with their horses before
TIE public nAs begun 10 tnln& OF TIE
summers sport A Jockeys weight
wien he begAps training "A TIE spring
may De IS hign as one hundred
-nd nifty pe'unds, but by sweating
every otnef day hs taxes on snree or
four pounds at every reduce be
fore the season has opened be has
come down from lao or tnereaboats 10
Ito or even lsss- The famous Jockey
~Pittsoafg' vii bring himself down
from lao poands To los. He is ~ Kent
nov and has with nina the lightest sad
die ever made. liz weighs AK ounces
ana Is a marvel OF ingenuity. Archer
the famous English Jockey, MAS sad
example OF the deadly effects OF re-
ducing. He would take OF twenty. hive
or tnlTty pounds at = clip and As y re-
suit killed h4nself IN his prime when
worth many millions OF pounds. Last
Sunday Andy Blakelsy ~ the Kent
track took oil sixteen pounds IN SIX
hours sweat when preparing for the
great steepie-cnase- On the same day
Charles Billings took oil fifteen pounds.
There are some of the best jockeys IN
America now Al Kent. They are fine
lot Of fellows and very few "mean
men" among them. Among them Is
Hickey Bum, the greatest lightweight
Jockey in America. He - "a years old
and weighs eighty seven pounds. strip
ped. He u married and has three chill
dren.
some Of the Joekeys.
Willard belong is another famous
jockey there. HIS home - IN Niles
and be Is - years old. He began rid
ing 1879. He has been riding steadily
for the past seven years. 1t Is said OF
him that he feeds ms arms extract OF
beef. Billie Huston Is one OF the ia
nous eastern Jockey there. Nike Hen
Messy is 20 years old, Is married and
began riding at 20. He was trained by
j. Il. Hsgan of California and Is con-
sldered one of the squarest men that
ever mounted. Jack Kenny. known as
Daredevil Jack" rides st. Luke.
st. Luke il owned by Samuel Love
and is one of the best jumpers and
hurdle horses in America. Charles
Billings started in at the age Of IL In
1880. His trainer Was Williams. In
his second season with horses he won
81 900. T. F. Brokley 10 not riding
much now, as he had serious fall
four years ago, when in 'SS he rode
Fenlon at Gutenberg. As Q result or
ms injuries, he had TO have silver
plate put over the big hole knocked IN
ms head. Samuel Fisher IS one of the
lngenious lockeys- He owns lucrative
patents on bit and boot that
mas proved corker to crazy
horses that want to kick. Tom
Martin, known as TEX" has
ridden great many races IN
his day. but has become a little
heavy now and is satisfied to be an
owner and trainer. James ORouke,
known as ''Pittsburg Jim," started as a
bootblack without q nickel. Now he Is
worth 800, 900. Kenny Is another fam
Gus jockey now at the Kent track. He
was born in county Wicklow, Ireland
and was never known TO win on four
to five shot, but has been very lucky on
long shots. Dan Deals brother, Pat
Fitzpatrick, Is not only respected be-
cause he IS . good rider, but also as the
brother of William Fitzpatrick, known
as ''Dare Devil" Fltz. His name is IN
timateiy connected with that of the
Dryers. He once rode six miles over
thirty-eIght Jumps. He is famous for
the hairlifting risks he will run. Jim
G.ihooley took up riding in 1865 IN
dear old Erin, where he rode the
horses of the gentry to many VIC
tory. He was born IN couD-
ty Longford. and was pennyless
when he came TO this country. His
name u still remembered in Kildare,
Ireland, where ne won his first successes
as lad. He has distinguished himself
by cleaning up $4,000 ut Garfield.
Charlie Rowe Is another marked man
at Kent. He is not riding much now
and acts as gentleman turf adviser.
Two of the loliiest and best boys at
Kent are A. G. Biakeley and his brother
Andy. A. G. manages the business
end while Andy rides to win. He has
been unfortunate here, having been
somewhat bruised In the steepiechase;
tut be will soon be on his mount again.
A Retired Big winner.
Few know the great historic interest
that attaches to A. G.. Blakeley's big
sorrsi, Sonora. Sonora is an imported
English thoroughbred and was brought
t. this country eleven years ago, after
having won big races In France and
England. In one day Sencra won $780,
600 for the Dwyers and then went to
pieces forever. The Dryers gave the
animal to the Blakeley brothers on
condition that be should never be raced
again. Sonora 10 used "a . buggy horse
now and is only locker on IN life. B.
Il. Million, another animal owned by
the Blakeleys, has . most interesting
history.
He 10 the animal on which w. G.
Daily. variousiy known rs Father Bill,
Papa Bill and Hartford Bill, won the
great race ct Brighton Beach in 1890
Daily on that day weighed $50 pound,
ANA rode with his cork leg tied in the
stirrup. h. b. Million Is years old
now. and the memory OF that grest
day, wneu he sold 50 TO /, makes him
| one of the historic animals IN the an.
nals of running. He - . son of the
great Ten Brock. Daily bought the
animal for $500 at Sheepshesd Bay
| and the Biakeleys got him for 5000
Dick Pierce 10 . typical jockey. Pierce,
| like Tom Martin, 10 known
a. Ter" He has had any num-