The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-28
MAKING A JOCKEY.


How the Trainer In the
wsfld Picks . hoy.
Ito understand the making OF q jockey
one must 30 to the ktable boy" says Alien
Sansree In AinsleesS He Is the jockey
germ His development Is begun as early
rs his fourth year. The three Daily broth
es who are riding this season are In
stances From their fourth till their
eighth rear they did nothing but lead
horses around . track Never in that
time were they allowed TO sit on a horse.
The modern trainer holds such tedious
apprenticeship Indispensable. He has al
exalted regard for the horse. He looks
upon him as an exquisite and delicate
mechanism, to handle which REQUIRES in
finite subtlety. BE is therefore exactins
In his demand for the traits physical and
mental that so TO make what he calls n
good mechanic The boy must be worthy
Of the horse. The trainers test is so Sc
we're that OF 10000 boys who apply year
~ for admission to the racing stables Of
the country not more than q few hundred
are accepted. OF these possibly ten win a
jockeys license.
A the training school OF William A
DAILY, on Coney Island, l saw this IA
nous maker OF jockeys refuse two dozen
applicants in as many minutes. He @
jected the first because OF his name.
"fSchalk. heyT he cried. eying the lad
narrowly. Then you're a German, amt
you?
yes
az knew it the minute I ciapped eyes
on you. Now, listen to me, boy. There
never was a German yet that made a
good jockey. I've had nine, and out of the
whole lot I couldn't pull a winner. A
German has courage, but no wits, and
that's something I can't put in him For
a good, smart jockey give me a Yankee,
an Englishman or an Irish-American.'
"How about Fred Taral? 1 suggested.
"'Well, Fred had Irish blood mixed
with German. Anyway, he's an excep-
ton. Now. boy he went on, turning
again to the unlucky Schalk, you could
hang around a track a thousand years
and never get a mount Better 60 to
school,
"a freckle faced, red haired O'Dono-
hue was next in line.
"O'Donohue" chuckled Mr.. DAILY.
That's better. But, say. you've got a
rolling lip. mouth amt firm. and your
eyes don't set right. One falrd scare you
to death. Pass up"
"Then came a good looking boy, neat
ly and pressly built, named Conigan.
For a moment it seemed that he might be
accepted. Unhappily nature had equip
ped him with a pair of ears that stood at
right angles to his head.
Heavens whooped the trainer, ra-
diant with his shrewdness. Just look at
them ears!'
HE grabbed the boy by the shoulder
and held him at arms length, explaining
that such ears are invariably the sign of
faint heartedness.
"tGive me a lad with ears pinned close
to his head. 1t shows gameness. That
was the first thing / noticed about Ad-
miral Dewey. Soon as I saw his ears l
knew how he come to sink the Spanish
feet at Manila
"Mr. DAILY is renowned for having turn
ed out more crack riders than any train
er in this country or in England. He is
familiarly known as Father Bill DAILY
He told me that for 100 years his ances-
tors in Ireland have been either owners,
trainers or jockeys. He looks it. About
5 feet IL inches in height. Mr.. DAILY is OF
massive build. with a forearm that can
hold a stable boy dangling in midair. His
face is ruddy and tanned by wind and
weather. and his gray eyes rove furtive-
ly not because he fears you. but because
he has his doubts.
Generally Mr.. DAILY has in tutelage
10 or Is boys. coming from all parts of
the United States. They are indentured
to him for a period of FIVE years. He
agrees during that time to feed them.
clothe them. teach them TO ride and pay
them $50 per month for their services.
All money earned by them in riding.
whether for his stable or for another's,
goes to MI. DAILY. The boys agree to this
readily, for his training is a reputation.
and they know that wealthy turfmen are
waiting to offer a retainer of any sum up
to $4,000 the INT Mr.. Days con-
tract expires. Again. a big stable like
that Of w. c. Whitney or August Bel
mont may arrange to take a DAILY boy
before his apprenticeship is served. The
stable pay 5000 or $4,000 for the boy.
and this money is divided between 'Fa-
Their Bill and the relatives or guardian Of