The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-12
AND GOSSIP OF
THE RUNNING HORSEMEN.
Clarence Mackay VIII Again Go o n the Turf-Intrusive Once More
in Training-Patsy Duffy Said to BE Greatest of Jockeys.

Matron opponents. yet he gave them al
weight. To Inyiucible and Accfuil he con
coded FIVE pounds apiece. a~ceoriing 20 the
Jockey Clubs scale-to Fire Eater eight; 10
Blue Ribbon eleven and 10 Merry Acrobat
and Surbiton eighteen apiece.
His performance was particularly credit
able because he had been sore and neither
Mr.. Hitchcock nor Mr. Burch expected him
10 beat ACefull. Mr.. Hitchcock advised MS
friends TO back him Tor the place II they
played him At an. He Warmcd oui qt bis
/ soreness In the race. apparently. for Turner
says he grew stronger and more coupdent
at every stride. No colt ever ran VIII
! greater courage at the finish Turner hit
him hair a dozen times and he ran from
the whip. as straight as an arrow. without
ninching or swerNlus-
Who Of the present generation Of race
gccrs remembers a jockey named Patsy
lean. Yet II Mr.. James b Haggin. the many
times millionaire owner ofthe largest thor
ouchbred stock farm ia the world. the
World-renowned Rancho del Paso at Sacra-
men;p. Cal. and his superintendent John
Mackey. were asked who In their opinion
was the very best Jockey they ever knew,
they would tell you that Patsy Duny WIS
prc-eminenty the most complete rider that
eyer put foot In stirTup-
Duffy was not 50 well known in the East
rs hi was in the West during his hriet vic
toriOus career, the fashion OF racing West
ern strings in the East not being 50 extern
SlVe In the early eighties as II j. now. But
the Western tracks idolZed Duny with he
donned the famous orange and blue OF the
great Haggin stables.
The writer has witnessed the work OF OH
the leading jockeys Of the English ana
American turt OF recent years Dul ha,H
nuny remains In every uelaN
Of jockeyship he was premier. Ia getting
away. IN placing, in Judgment OF pace. IN
finishing. in representatives, OF HANDS
ability TO use the whip or discard Il en-
tirely, in waiting in front or in waiting be-
hind Duffy haG no equal. If a Haggim en-
try with Duffy up could not win. q was ac-
ceptsd by the stable and the public that II
was an utter impossibility for PaJsys mount
TO be first under the wire.
Outside OF his horsemanship. Duffy was as
utterly ignorant and piuheaded as the most
pinheaded Of pinhead jockeys. He had. how
ever. two valuable qualifications aside rom
his rdinc ability. These were incorruptble
honesty and undinching courage. These i'm
portant factors added much TO has value as
In the old days OF the Pacific Coast Blood
Horse Racing Association NJ the Bay Dis
trict track, now long since cut up into
building lets Il was not an unusual thing
for Duny 10 win every race during the tW
weeks. spring and fall meetings Tor IN
haggin stable. He was the public idol and.
b~ooknaking being then unknown on the
Coast his mounts Invariably sold first chQice
in the auction pools.
But all this ability was neutraHzcd BY one
fatal vice Duny was a confirmed d~ruukard-
The only sure way 70 keep him from liquor
was 10 lock him securely in some room, cN-
cept when he was In the saddle Even then
a bottle would md its. way down the Chin
ney. and when Duhy's room door was
opened Patsy would frequently be found un-
conscious In a corner.
befpre liquor had got Dumy completely In
its grasp the writer often saw him an hour
or 50 before saddling time apparently as
sober as a jug full OF ice water. and when
II was time for him to make his weight
one Of an exploring party would finally
locate Patsy inSensible in some stall or IN
der an out-of-the-way shed. When his serv-
ices we're required for some important stake
race all sorts OF attempts were at nrst made
to bring the drunken jockey back 10 life.
He would be stripped and a hose turned on
him full head. or ice rubbed all over him.
He has often been spanked back TO con-
scioukness-
At first one or another Of these expedients
would revive him but after 2 while they
his natural talent as a rider that. could he
be but sufficiently awakened To have his
riding toys put on him and feel the Saddle
under him. Duffy could ride just as bril-
bring him out OF HIS alcoholic torpor long
enough to be thrown on his mount.
Duty was born IN San Francisco. and
when but II years old got. work as an exer-
else lad at the Rancho del Paso. In a year
he developed into the "crack-a-Jack' he
was Able TO ride at 81 pounds, he was
soon given mounts in races. and at once
showed his superiority.
His career was but a brief one. Three
years saw his rise and fan. Time and time
again did Mr.. Haggin forgive him. Finally
Il was found impossible 10 do anything
more with or for him He vas Intoxicated
day and night. and was at length dis
Duty came East as Tar as ST. Louis. and
in the rare moments OF temporary sc0riety
got a mount. when he showed all his super
OF than DUFFY was consuming liquor as
fast as he could swallow.
The end was inevitable. Duffy died IN a
st. Louis Hospital from acute alcoholism
within four years from the time he first ap-
peared IN public. He WAS not % years old
at the time OF his death.