Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05
JOCKEYS AND JEALOUSY

"I observe" said a New York gentleman
of long familiarity with affairs in the turf
world, "that Sam Loates, the English
jockey who ranked next to our own Jockey,
Lester Reiff, in his number of wins in Eng
land last season, is on his way to this
country, and that he is going to California,
where he will probably do some riding on
the Tanforan and Oakland tracks. 1 wish
him well. I'd like to see him get his share
of winning mounts. He's a good Jockey,
and he ought to do as well during the win
ter racing season here he did in Eng
land.
"In wishing Loates well, I simply assume
the attitude that all sportsmen on this
side of the water assume toward English
importatfons in the sporting line. We well
&C me them. We extend the cordial hand to
them. If they beat us, all well and good.
We don't get Jealous. and we don't do the
baby act, and we don't accuse them of
being crooks, and we don't make any at
tempt to bar them out. We simply go
ahead and try to improve ourselves. Can
the same thing be said for English sports
men?
Its a great wonder to me that the turf
writers of this country don't get together,
and rally to the support of Tod Sloan.
There is absolutely no reason, other than
the young mans somewhat offensive exhf-
billions of an inflated personality, why they
should not rally to his support. There is
no manner of doubt that Sloan's Danish
ment from the English turf has been too
supinely accepted by the turf writers of
the United States. They wouldn't have to
be guilty of any spread-eagleism or jingo-
ism in defending Sloan. The man has al
ways been square in his riding, and the
turf writer's know it. His Punishment from
England was simply piece of cheap spite,
born of Jealousy, and quite in line with
the treatment the English people accord all
of our sportsmen Sloan simply revolution
lied the English turf and made the English
jockeys look like the incompetents they
are, as class. and in doing this he simply
aroused the mean and small and petty
jealousy of clique of influential men
among the powers Of the English turf.
That's all there is about the matter and
all of the vague hints and innuendoes of
the English writer's can't place 1t in any
other light.
1T is 10 be remembered that the English
ruling-of body only gave two reasons for
banishing Sloan. One Of these reasons was
that they claimed to have found that he
occasionally bet on his own mounts. This
was simply ridiculous. Any man who
knows anything about English race tracks
is perfectly well aware of the fact that
most of the first-rate English Jockeys bet
on their own mounts, and it is absurd to
suppose that the men who ruled Sloan off
did not know this. The other reason was
equally foolish 1t was that Sloan had
agreed to accept a money present from a
horse owner in case he won on the owners
horse. There is not Jockey. living or
dead, in this country or in England, who
has not taken money presents from owners.
1t is a practice that is forbidden In the
turf rules and regulations, but it is Winked
at. In this case Sloan appears merely to
have violated that unwritten commandment
which reads, Thou shalt not be found out
No less Jockey than Fred Archer, the
| peer of all English riders of his day, habit
ually accepted presents of money. and big
| presents at that for winning great stakes
| for owners This very boy Sam Loates who
= nm hjc ,,ptr 1,,-
been. to my own certain knowledge. the re-
| cipient of big money presents from owners
| for whom he has won.
Because Sloan-unquestionably the great
! est Jockey that ever bestrode horse. and
| have seen Archer and all the rest of them
| ride-was told that he need not apply for
| license to ride in England again. the turf
| powers Of the United States have as much
| as announced that Sloan will not be per-
mitted to ride in this country. If this ism t
| the very quintessence of the broth of the
| most idiotic species Of anglomania. l dont
| know what 1t is. Sloan's license had not
| been revoked in England, understand. He
has simply been told that he cannot ride in
| England any more. Now, I myself per-
! fectly we'll remember the arrival in this
country, fifteen and more years ago. Of
! two English interchangeable riders for that
day-who left the English turf for the turf
| of this country under a cloud. Our turf
authorities permitted them to ride in this
| country. and they did ride and both of
| tlem went DdCh " E1ISldHu With hopping
big sums of money. gained on our turf.
| Why, then, should there be a one-sided rec
| iprocity in this matter? Why should we
rule one of our own men off-and the man
| who stands a the very top of the heap
| because a crowd of jealous Englishmen
| have trumpet UP some foolish and utterly
| unsustainable charges against him?
There are plenty OF jockeys on both
| sides of the Atlantic who are natural born
| crooks. and some of them hang on to their
| licenses miraculously. Now, the people in
| terested in horse racing in this country are
| a pretty critical lot, and pretty shrewd
| lot, in the bargain, and they are a good
| deal disposed to complain Of jockey
whose work looks bad But little Tod
| Sloan was never accused of being a crooked
rode the best horses in training here for
years before he went to England. He was
| always known to be taker Of undue adj
vantages in getting away from the post,
| and he was also known as rough rider
and reckless daredevil when 1t came tn
a matter of taking chances and shooting
his nag through a hole no wider than u
plank-but he was distinctly and decidedly
not classed as a crooked jockey, a puller
| of horses. He was always out to win. His
record of winning mounts both in this coun-
| try and in England, shows that he was al
| ways trying to win. To see Sloan doing
| his best on horse is picture. 1t Is some
thing to remember. 1t is pictorial. 1t is
| 1t would be a shame and disgrace If the
petty jealousy Of the imitation fair play
| sportmen Of England were to keep him out
| of the saddle back here in his own land"
|