The age-herald., 1899-03-19
TOD SLONE OPENS ENGLISH
 RAGING SEASON TOMORROW

that he has kept ever since. Late in that
 year-in fact while there was only two
 weeks of English flat racing left-the lead
 ing American jockey went to England to
 ride James R. Keenes candidates for the
 Cesarewitch and the Cambridgeshire hand
 leaps. His temerity was surprise to his
 associates here, while any pretensions he
 might have had were openly laughed at by
 English jockeys and trainers just as they
 had previously laughed at the DwYer
 Croker jockey, Sims. But before the sea-
 son ended Sloane made them sing another
 tune.
 His first race, the Cesarewitch, was a
 failure and his riding aroused a storm of
 adverse comment. An English jockey al-
 ways sits upright in his saddle, like cav
 aryman, with a long stirrup and long
 rein, and sits almost on his mounts neck
 His attitude has often been humorously, but accurately, described as that Of "a monkey on a stick" The monkey land ed his "stick"-which this time chanced to be St. Cloud II-into second place Tn the
 Cambridgeshire, which followed close upon his initial race, and this made Eng1sh horsemen look more closely into the merits of the Americans style of riding. Through the kindly offices of one trainer, Sloane had a chance to redeem himself in British eyes. and he did this. in a blaze of glory at Man chester on the last day of the seasons rac- ing by winning four frsts and second From IDaI Qdy lne E1nSiSh huiA Ae@S S~~.- at his feet.
 Even in that brief time Sloane attracted considerable attention to himself outside or his skill in the saddle. by his luxurious and costly mode of living. He made his head quarters at the Hotel Cecil, London's
 smartest hotel he kept a valet, and dressed in the best style. Big inducements were or fered him to remain in England, but he was under contract to ride for the F1eisch- manns here, and he returned to the united States.
 The beginning of last season found him hard at work running up such a phenomen- al record of victories that 1t began to be an axiom of the betting ring, "when Tn doubt back Sloane" Just before the sara toga season, however he was taken Ill, and though he recovered sufficiently to make a big record at that meeting, he was so de- sirious of trying another season on the English turf that his stable released him and he sailed at once for the other side. Sloane began riding at the end of Septem- Der under vastly different circumstances from the year before. That this change or
 opinion was justified seems to have been borne out by the American boys perform ances: for in one day, September 50, last,
 out of seven mounts at Newmarket he won
 five firsts, one second, and was unplaced
 in the remaining race His riding that day created a furor of admiration and won from Lord Beresford, who is one Of the best informed turfmen of England, the opinion that Sloane twas a distinctly better jockey than Archer ever was" It Is to that days performance Sloane owes his present years engagements.
 Apart from his skill in the pigskin, Sloane is known as "righ roller from the Strand to San Francisco. His private train | and his way of living on his recent trip to the Pacifis coast are very well known. At the race tracks he was always not1ceably we'll dressed and there are few occasions when Sloane is ever seen after the dinnr hour without tn most correct evening dress He is always to be seen smoking large black cigar when not riding. It has been reported several times that he Is to be married to Edna Wallace Hopper, the di- vorced wife of DeWolf Hopper, but he al- | ways remains silent when approached on the subject Mrs Hopper also declines to confirm these rumors, but as she does she glances with demure smile at the nall l dozen large photographs of Sloane which ornament her apartments.
 Our English cousins take deep interest in "Tod's" personal affairs and way of liv ing One paragrapher has discovered a re- markabie resemblance between Alfred Aus tin the poet laureate, and the American jockey for they are of a size, and Austin without his moustache would resemble
 Sloane very strongly. Sloane does not
 camp at the race tracks as the other
 jockeys do but has an expensive suite of
 rooms in the Hotel Cecil, where his valet is
 kept busy looking after his immense outfit
 of clothes He travels to and from the
 tracks every day spending. on some of
 these trips, three or four hours on the
 train His views on training are comprised
 in these: 'I eat what I like, drink when I feel like 1t, smoke as much as I choose, and stay up all night when I want to-" And such course of life brings the great
 est of American jockeys $10OOoO this year. uov,a Tbiso