Evening star., 1899-03-18
TOD SLOANS GREAT RIDE

last Saturday to be on hand for the opening
of the English racing season-he's going to
ride of the best of 'em in the Lincoln
shire handicap, the initial event-and We
can stand by to hear of him burning UP
the tracks over there until around Thanks
giving. when the British running season
closes,'' said the trainer of a string now
out at Benning. Il saw the little chap
over in New York last week, and he's on
edge. All of these yarns you read in the
yellows about little j. Tod dissipating and
abusing himself are hasheesh phantasies.
He mixes with swift-gaited bunch, but
he let's them do the carousing. more than
keeping up his end when the footings are
presented, and takes his part out in look
ing on. He has lot of shrewdness in his
diminutive noddle. and he perfectly under
stands that jockey can no more diSSlpate
with impunity than can a cOntortiOnist.
Sloan will have the pick of English
horses to ride this season, and think it is
the safest kind of a gamble to lay bit
better than even money that he will haul
down at least three out of five events in
which he rides The English folks, I've OBJ
served during couple of trips over there,
are extremely jealous of us in the matter
of sports, but they're fair and on the level,
all right, and although 1t must go against
the grain pretty hard, the most eminent
racing people in England have put them
selves in type to the effect that Sloans
riding Is absolute revelation to them,
and that there has been but one jockey In
the history of British racing who could
even approach him-Fred Archer Well
perhaps need ]. Tod over there this year
to hold our end up in international sport.
for I've been told by some pretty shrewd
yachting sharps that the English have got
a boat this year thatll probably beat us
cut in the run for the America cup.
Il saw Sloan ride most of his great races
in this country, including his win of the
Suburban on Ornament last year which was
a pretty gorgeous bit of riding: but the
best race he ever rode, to my way of think
ing, was the very last race in which he
figured in this country. This was In the Au-
tumn cup on the last day of the Sleeps
head Bay meeting last August. Not much
was said about Sloans magnificent riding
in this race at the time, for some reason or
other. although, as l say. 1t was about the
greatest race he ever rode. He says so him
self. and 1 suppose he ought to know. In the
first race on this day Sloan had ridden the
two-year-old flly Black Venus to victory
in $1,000 stake event, winning by block
with the animal under him a second or
third choice in the betting. The Autumn
cup was the last race on the card. and 1t
for England a couple of days later. The
Autumn cup Is one of the classic events
Of the American turf and 1t is at two miles.
Last year 1t was run for a 5000 stake.
There were only four starters. The great
horse in the race was The Friar, a Morris
clipper who had captured the same stake
the year before. and who of the
swell long distance horses in training-a
horse that was almost classed with Ben
Holiday as a slayer and weight carrier.
The next best horse was another Morris
horse-Mirthful, another crack-a-jack-a
long distance gOer whose chances We're con-
sidered unbeatable for second money. These
two were coupled the Morris entry. Then
there was Sir Vassar a horse that had cap
tured many stake events on the fiat over
distances Of ground, and who had been
schco1ed over the jumps until he was prac-
tically invincible as a hurdler and steeple
chaser. No. was good selling platter
named George Boyd-a horse that had
good turn Of speed, but that had never
done anything 10 warrant the insertion of
his name in the stake class. He had won
few races during the season, but he was not
considered Pnywhere near the class of such
horses as The Friar and Mirthfu
Therefore there was a heap of surprise
when the Jockeys names went up. and the
crowd saw that Sloan was billed to ride
George Boyd. The bookmakers, well
the public. had figured it out that George
Boyd ought to be about a 10 to l shot in
his company but when it was announced
that Sloan was to ride the horse the whis
per- Something doing George Boyd
went around. The bookies opened up with
the Morris entry at to ; on. George Boyd
to l. and Sir Vassar about to l. Few of
the plungers thought that George Boyd had
a chance in life against The Frar. and
most of them bet on the Morris entry. The
public however. beguiled by Sloan's magic
reputation. Whacked the books all over the
ring on the selling platter George Boyd.
with the result that at post time the Nor
riS entry was even money. and so WAS
George B0yd-even and out, the bookies de-
clinng to offer place money on Sloans
mount.
They got off at the chute in professional
order. The Friar in the lead. Littlefield
was aboard of The Friar. The public knew
that The Friar had to win his races out in
'front.' that if he did not at once take the
lead he would sulk and fall back. He was
not horse that could be held under double
wraps for the greater part of the journey
and LET down the finish So when 1T
seen that The Friar was way out in the
lead by twenty lengths al the quarter
with Mirthful, his stable mate. next, and
Sir Vassar and George Boyd just trailing
far in the ruck. the bettors on the selling
platter ridden by Sloan sighed like furnaces
The Friar went along beautifully, with his
easy for him passing the stand the first
time around. He was then about ten
lengths in the lead. Mirthful still second
although already in distress, and George
Boyd. going coolly and easily a couple of
heads in front of Sir Vassar. Turning the
bend for the second mile The Friar looked
like pipe, but Mirthful was in palpaole
trouble, and at the mile and a half Mirth-
ful's jockey pulled the horse up lead
Mirthful had broken down hopelessly 1t
was MirthfuPs finish, by the way, for the
horse will never look through a racing
bride again. This left George Boyd see
ond, and going around the far turn the
people in the stand with field glasses saw
Sloan begin to hunch up his selling platter
a roar arose SucH as you u0n t often hear
even in race track grand stand. The
great F'riar was still swinging along like
giant. but turning the bend for home he
was only two lengths ahead OF George
Boyd. and Littlefeld was whipping. Sloan
sat like a statue, with his head down Just
launching George Boyd with his knees
Coming down the stretch little George
Boyd, the platter, held in previously for just
| that minute, began to pump like q black
devil He collared The Friar in the last
hundred yards, and won on the wire by an
eyelash. I've been at this game for twenty
years, but it was the most glorious finish
| ever saw. There was olunger in the
stand next to me who had bet five thou
sand on The Frar. When he saw George
Boyd overtaking the great stake horse he
turned to me- with dry grin, and said:
That's the difference between a shoe
maker and a jockey which meant that lit
| tie Sloan could have won on either horse"