Evening star., 1900-09-20
GOOD JOCKEYS ESSENTIAL.
Many Races Lost Through IncOmpe-
tent Riding on Best Horses.

tent Riding on best HOrses.
1t is a mooted question whether a good
horse or a good jockey is of most value to
racing stable, and a review Of the last meet
ing at Sheepshead bay and the one now IN
progress at Gravesend may help to decide,
writes an authority on horse racing III lhe
New York Herald.
Beginning with the Futurity, had Spencer
been on Olympian and another jockey than
Sloane on Ballyhoo Bay a different number
would probably have been hung up on the
board 1t is a fine point whether to charge
this up to the absence of Specer or to the
presence of Sloane. but certain it Is jockey
ship settled the race. Then. In the turf
handicap, taken by Lady Massey. Would
she have won that event with any otner
jockey up but Sloane? .,--.,-,,
The Flatbush will never be satisfactorily
settled in anybodys mind. Tommy Atkins
was apparently the best horse in the race,
vet Ballyhoo Bey won. Some argue Sloane
was responsible for the crowding; If he was,
then he won by jockeyship; In any event ne
was mainly the cause Of Ballyhoo Bey's
success, for he never lost his head and sat
down to ride in earnest the moment the
mix-up occurred.
The fact that Sloane has been set down In
England for crossing looks as if he had
been attempting the same tactics there with
which he was charged here, ana II. gives
color to the accusation that ne was re-
in the Flatbush. On the other hand, some
of Spencers recent races have been 50 very
bad. notably on MONDAY, Ethelbert and
Potente that it is difficult TO place the
blame even at this late day.
Shaw Lost on Best Horse.
When Longshoreman won the autumn
stakes Far Rockaway appeared to be the
best horse, but Shaw's incompetence en-
abled both Spencer and Sloane to finish in
HI IJa1 Of finiSher
Odom been up on Killashandra in the twin
city handicap she would either have beaten
the dead heaters or finished even with them.
In this race Henry rode Jack Point with
good judgment
in the flight stakes it was owing to his abil-
ity that he did not go out at the beginning
and race with Voter and Rush, mistake
which cost Spencer and Odom whatever
chances either of them had Of winning.
Alard Scheck would have won the golden
rod stakes had not an expert like Maher
been up on Bellario. though the latter was
much the better horse in the race. He is a
slow beginner and therefore lost his posi-
tion but Maher had confidence and waited
for plain sailing of which, when once OBJ
tained he took advantage: burns, being an
artist noticed all this, and very nearly sue
ceeded in snatching victory out or the hre
with Alard Scheck.
Where Spencer Erred.
The annual champion was an unsatisfac-
tory race because the best horse did not
score. 1t is impossible to give Bullman ad-
ditional credit for winning, though he rode
a perfect race. He won through an error of
Judgment on the part of Spencer. Spencer
reserved his horse for a final squirt, as he
did at Brighton, but he delayed his run two
strides too late. This was all that beat
him.
Then again. Ethelbert showed up very
badly in the second special that 1t is possi-
BILE he has trained off, and that is more
than probable He has been in training ever
since the metropolitan handicap, in May,
and. though Joyner was very fortunate In
keeping him on edge all last year, 1t Will
be remembered that it was turf wonder
how he succeeded in doing So Probably
the same course of training has been 'pur-a
sued with him this season, but the horse is
a year older and does not answer to the
treatment so readily. He certainly did not
have his speed in last Saturdays race, or
else he could have gone to Imp as he did in
the Brighton cup event, and possibly this
loss of speed was coming on when Spencer
rode him in the annual champion.
through Indifferent rides, so that it Is safe
to say the most important adjunct to a rae
ing stable is a first-class jockey, who can be
absolutely depended on. The best horses
will always win for htp, and on many other
occasions he will succeed on horses he has
no right to, simply through superior ability.
How is 1t possible then to succeed if own
ers are so Indifferent to their welfare as to
permit many of the best jockeys to leave
the country for England? 1t is time the
solons of the turf put their heads together
to devise a plan for keeping the boys here
This country already is honored for send
ing out the best jockeys in the world. 1t is
a very backhanded compliment, and implies
that our turfmen here are not able or suf-
ficiently up to date to retain them where
thew belong.