The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-09
JOCKEY SLOAN A KILLER
THE KOKOMO YOUTH is NEW SEN
SATION IN DEAR OLD LUNNON.
Puts Up at Hotel Cecil with a Secre-
tary and Valet and Wins Races
from Crack English Riders.
R. ]. Collins, in St. Louis Republic.

| h. j. collins, IN 81. LOUIS HepuDlcs
| Tod Sloan, the American jockey, who has
created a sensation in England, is a native
of Kokomo, Ind. and first attracted atten-
| ton a jockey while riding at the South
Side Park, in Chicago, nine years ago.
| Tod and his two brothers, Fremont and Cas-
sius, Travelled together in those days Ere
mont Sloan never had much success in the
| saddle but Cash at one time gave prom
Use of developing into a first-class jockey.
| 1t was the year he went East to ride for
| Freddy Gebhardt, who went the turf
with Mrs. Langtry. Gebhardt had lot of
| bad horses, but Cash" Sloan rode them
we'll and attracted the attention of Matt
| Allen who was training for Frank Ehret,
| millionaire New York brewer, at the time.
Mr.. Ehret owned Yorkville Belle, Don
Alonzo, Sir Francis and other famous
horses Isaac Murphy was his premier
| jockey. Murphy was riding in poor form and
when Allen substituted Sloan for the coll
ored Archer on Don Alonzo in the Junior
| Champion stakes of 1892 which the Ehret
| colt won in big gallop, the Western turf
ties realized that Cash" could hold his own
with any of the fashionable Eastern jock
eys.
Unlike Tod, however, Cash" was handi-
capped with the stigma of having been once
ruled off the turf, and he has never been
able to live it down. Colonel Clark banished
! him for an unsatisfactory ride on Bankrupt
many years ago at Garfield Park. The boy
| was afterWard reinstated, but he never
again regained the confidence of the public.
i Tod never had any trouble keeping down
to weight He rides in the neighDorhood of
| one hundred pounds year in and year out.
| When Tod first made his appearance at
| "a
Hominy Bill, which he used to ride himself
| From South Side he drifted over to the
East ST. Louis track, and eventually went
on the regular Western circuit with w. p
/ Magrare's stable.
| For some reason or other the lad was
| never able to impress his usefulness on
turfmen operating in this part or the coun-
| try lie had no trouble geCung mounts, but
| there never was q time when he was recoS-
| nIzed as the equal of FRANKIE JORDAN or
| Folk Carr two boys who made their riding
debut with Sloan on the h 1oca1 ~, TRACKS GEst
chance on the eastern tracks. His recep-
| ton in New York was not favorable one,
| and he did not last long. Two winters ago
| Tod rode in winning form at San Francisco
| and the following summer he returned East
and made another effort to establish
name Tor himself on the big metropolitan
| tracks. This time he had better success
his Frisco reputation having helped him
| materially to get good mounts During the
season of 1896 he succeeded in convincing
| the Eastern critics that he could ride with
Simms, Taral, Doggett and the other East
ern cracks.
Last winter at San Francisco Tod was
| the cock of the walk in a jockey way. His
! winning form stayed with him from start
| to finish of the meeting, and there was a
| big demand for his services for the summer
season around New York. "Pittsburg Phi"
| the biggest plunger on the American turf
| secured first cali on the boy and had him
| until Mr.. James r. Keane persuaded Tod
| to go to England to ride ST. Cloud ii or
| he sailed for England, Sloan took Eddie
Gaines, the ST. Louis bookmaker, along
with him to act as his secretary. Tod was
also accompanied by his valet. and his
| wardrobe packed away in thirty-six trunks.
| During his stay in London Tod and party
were quartered at the Hotel Cecil. the
| SWEETEST hosiery in the English capital.
! Since his arrival in England, Tod has been
| doing great deal of riding for the Loril-
| Pierre Lorillard, the millionaire American
tobacco king. The tail END, of the firm is
| Duchess of Marlborough. formerly Mrs.
| Louis Hammerley, of New York Tod's rid
| ing Of the Lorillard-Beresford horses has
| created a sensation among English jockeys
| and turtles.
Instead Of sitting up straight and riding
| like gentleman cross-country expert, the
| little American rider uses the short stirrup
| and hugs his mounts, sitting as high on
| their neckS as he can possibly get. The
| American spirit of hustle is eXemplified in
| his style of riding, from the beginning to
| the end of every race in which he rides.
| To commence with. Tod has the art of get
! ting off advantageously with a mount down
| to fine point. This counts in short-dis-
| lance race, such as the Cambridgeshire,
which was only three-quarterS of a mile.
| Sloan rode st. Cloud IL in this race, and
was only beaten a neck. Many of the spec
| tators thought he had won, and Tod him.
| self is quoted as saying he is positive he
| won by a comfortable margin. In these
| short-diStance races the American has dem
| onstrated his superior skill as a rider over
| the English Jockeys beyond all shadow of
| doubt His huStling style of getting off
| is too speedy for English, and his vigorous
| finishes can be duplicated only by those
who initiate his seat in the saddle. The
/ thick-headed Englishmen are not yet pre-
| pared to admit the superiority of the Ameri-
much longer they will be compelled to
| adopt his methods or let him carry off all
| their races in which he has an even chance
/ with them.
Tod's fastidious tastes and his superior
/ American airs are reported to have created
| a sensation on the other side of the big
| pond. The idea of jockey living anywhere
| but in the stabe on the race track was
never before heard of in England until Tod
arrived and put up like prince in a suite
at the Cecil in London The American boys
| toggery has also dumfounded our English
| cousins. Tod changes clothes three or four
| times a day and struts around TatterSallSS
| paddock at Newmarket between races like
| a peacock. His Royal Highness. the Prince
] of Wales and the other members of the
| royal family occupy an Enclosure convent
| ent to TattersallsS betting and observation
| paddock and Tod doubtless, is aiming to
| catch the eye of Albert Edward. With an
| enormous Havana stuck in his mouth and
! his chest puffed out like a pOuter pigeon,
| the Kokomo boy would not hesitate about
| putting into anything that presents it
/ self.
A-Gninti