The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-03
FAIR PLAY FOR SLOAN.
a Great Day for the Famous Ameri-
cnn Jockey.
From The New York Journal


name of Kirschwasser, Lord Dunraven's
horse, and Of his jockey. Tod Sloane.
IL was the first race at Newmarket, and
it was seen that once more the little Amer
lean had the best jockeys in England beat
en-. But that was reckoning without the
fury that is born of defeat. For while
every pair of eyes at the race course was
fastened upon Sloane, who was riding
easily. with his hands down, two of his
rivals made a concerted attack upon him.
They We're Sam Loates, one of The most
famous jockeys in the world, and Nat
Robinson, who holds a front rank on the
English turf.
Nothing could have been more paipable.
II was nothing less than a vicious at
tempt to bump into the American jockey
from either side-tactics which might cas-
lily have ENDORSED less skillful rider,
and seriously injured his mount, and
which did actually enable Loates, VINO
was riding Mandola, TO pass first under
the wire.
But such an uproar of shame and in
6lguation as this performance aroused has
seldom before been heard on an English
race course. There was not for an instant
a note of divided craftsmanship. All the
sympathy was with the American who had
been thus brutally "sandbagged' out Of
race justly won, and for the English jock
eys there were no words save those of
fierce reprobation.
Tod Sloane took It all very coolly. He
was not nurt and there was no change in
his imperturbable features as he slid 10
the ground and handed the reins to Lord
DunraVens trainer.
Where's the objection room?' he in
quired dryly, and not another word did ne
say until called upon officially 10 give his
version of what had taken place.
This happened Immediately, but before
making any inquiry al all-acting solely
on the strength of what everybody had
seen-the stewards awarded the race to
Kirschwasser, and when his number was
posted roar of satisfaction went up from
the crowd.
Then Loates and Robinson were hauled
before The judges for sentence. The pro
ceedlngs were abrupt Loates was sus-
pended from riding for period of many
weeks and warned that a repetition of his
offense would probably end his turf ca
reer. Robinson, who was guilty only in
a minor sense, and appeared very re-
morseful, escaped with a stern reprimand
and an equally stern warning.
With one race thus to his credit, little
Tod Sloane went back TO the track and
brilliantly won two out of his other three
races. 1t was practically impossible for
him to win the third for the horse he
rode had burst q blood vessel and was
trussed up in bandages
Not since the pamiest days of the late
Fred Archer. Englands most famous
jockey of all time, has a jockey received
such an ovation at Newmarket. 1t was
largely inspired by a desire on the part
of the fair-minded multitude to disavow
and atone for the conduct of Sloane's dis
graceful rivals; but the enthusiasm was
equally attributable 10 Sloane's extraor-
binary horsemanshp. Never were his un-
couth methods-uncOuth to English eyes
so strongly in evidence; never were results
more completely successful, more destruc-
tive of all the cherished insular theories
of how race horses should be ridden to
victory.
He was the hero of the day The punt
ers swore by him, and went wild with ex-
ultation over his triumphs. The book
makers were panic-stricken. Peers smiled
upon him, and great ladies waved their
handkerchiefs at him.
Against heavy odds, the little man rode
to victory Mr.. Lorillard's Myakka and
Lord Harewood's CranesbilI. The Sc events
left the bookmakers practically bankrupt,
but they rallied in the Jockey Club stakes,
in which Tod bestraddled James r
Keene's st. Cloud I'll 1t was the horse
that broke blood vessel recently, and IL
had not the slightest chance of winning
the race. Indeed, 1t was a masterpiece
of Tod Sloan's art to push the unfortu-
nate animal into fourth place, which ne
did
The sensation created by the events at
Newmarket, with Sloane for a pivot is
reflected in the London papers. which seem
undecided whether to be most emphatic
in condemning Tod's enemies or praising
TOd's hOrsemanship, and compromise by
doing both with great vigor. For exam
pie, Robin Goodfelow," the wel-known
sporting authority, who writes for the
Daily Mail. says:
Within the past few days Sloane has
done more than during the whole period
of his sojourn with us last autumn to dis
perse the mists of prejudice through which
the sticklers for English methods viewed
his performances. In the face of his VIC
tories on such queer-tempered, unreliable
animals as Galashlels and Kirschwasser,
the scoffer must unbend, or be scoffed at
himself"
The Stars racing man says:
1T becomes more and more obvious that
there must be very great deal in Sloane's
method of riding. How he manages to
have any power on a horse, riding as he
does, is a very different question, but he
certainly seems able to get the best posi-
bic results out of his MOUNTS
Exalted thus to the eminence of an In
ternatonal parsonage Tod Sloane is hap
Ply. He is courted by the most distinguish
ed horse owners in England-and the
land are also the most distinguished men
in England-and the competition for his
services in the Cesarewitch, the last great
race of the year, is almost unprecedented
in the history of the English turf
Tod Sloane rode in fifty-eight races here
last season. OF these he won twenty, was
second in nine, third in six and was I'M
placed In twenty-three But his mounts
were none of them first class and some
were worse than Indifferent He has con-
quered now, and the best horsehesh in
the three kingdoms is at his disposal. The
popularity of his riding, so much COM
mented on, is that he leans far forward
upon his horses neck His theory Is that
this posture enables him to offer less re-
sistance to the wind which he believes to
be an important element in the speed of
a horse, just as 1t is in the speed of a
bicyclist, as little Jimmie Michael discov-
cred to his profit and fame Moreover. il
lessons the burden on the hind legs, which
are the driving legs.
Apart from this popularity, which does
not recommend him to che esthetic APP
prevail of English horsemen Sloane has a
splendid equipment of GOODNESS and uner-