The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-24
MAN BEHIND WINNER
CARES AND RERpoNsIBILITIEs
 OF RACE HORSE TRAINER.
Earns His Salary of $1O, ,o0O-Up at 4 in the Morning and Working 2 All the Time Until Thor ugh
 breds are Asleep at Night.


 hands in his pockets and a slouch hat over his eyes. Looks as if he didn't have
 a care and not many more dollars. Has | ne got money? It Is to be admitted he
 does not look it. says The Morning Tele- l graph. His salary is s1O0O0 a year. with probably percentage on other earnings.
 He could retire any day in the year and
 nVe In anluence the rest of his allotted time. The fact is, if ever a man was in love. with his calling he is the one. and he continues to work, primarily because | he would find life hardly worth the liy- | ing If he could not follow out his bent in | this direction. | The man is a trainer for one of the | largest stables of thoroughbreds in the metropolitan racing circuit and Is known | as one of the shrewdest, one of the kind- Hest and one of the closest mouthed indi- viduals to be found. Yes or mo" in most matters is as far as he will get in a conversation. You will stand as much show by asking one of the animals them selves as you will him. Information is not in his line. That is left to others.
 He has cinch. sinecure, has he not !? We'll, hardly. He is a most conscientious man at heart, has a family to whom he is devotedly attached. and the fact that he may send horse to the post on which race goers may bet thousands and lose, NSNS rather win one of the big handicaps, so thorough sportsman is he, than take his years salary.
 Worth His Weight in Gold.
 Is not such a man as that worth his $10,OO0 year-almost his weight in gold when the manifold cares and worries in- cident to the trainers calling are consid- cred? The bank president, the head of large industrial corporation. railroad pres ident has his associates, with whom he may consult. and whose advice he may seek on perplexing questions. The trainer has only himself on whom to depend. an when it is considered that each one is trying to outdo the other, in the sports manlike way, of course, it can be seen that he alone must depend upon his own self as arbitrator A slight error in judg- ment, just little lack of foresight, nay cost his employer the loss of thousands of dollars.
 Does the bank president or the head of a railroad rise at sunrise in the morning to see that his subordinates are carrying out his orders to the strict letter? This is one of the chief duties of the trainer. While the majority of the race goers, whd cheer themselves noarse when the colors of this trainers stable are borne past the grand stand first are preparing to take their morning snooze, this man rises. per- haps after worrying his brain over some perplexing question for half the night, and starts upon his duties.
 Well, just now I don't rise until about o'clock" said a well-known trainer half apologetically when he was questioned on the subject.
 You see, it's early in the season yet; we can't do anything before sunrise, and so I rest a little later. Later I'll have to get up around about 4 o'clock. Oh, we'll, we get used to 1t. like everything else. Then, you know, it's nice to rise early in the morning in the summer time. Every thing smells so sweet then; the birds don't do thing in the way of song, and after being out while maybe I can't eat breakfast when the cook serves 1t up good and hbt.''
 A poet? Certainly he possesses not a lit tie sentiment and is eheerfulness personi- field. . E- fs s r $.
 Rises With the Birds.
 It is at the early morning e. trials. Or workouts, of the horses in his charge that the trainer discovers the Gold Heels, the Hermis, the Hanover. the Tenny or the Salvador. Just now the foreman of the stable. who is the trainers right-hand man, rises first and sees that the horses get their stipulated quantity of oats, after which they are allowed to rest until the time comes for them to get their exer else on the track. Later in the season. when the sun gets hot good and early and the trainer laughs and says he has to be up at a. m, the animals are Irst given their exercise, then brought back and given their breakfast
 This morning in particular maybe the trainer wishes to see the work of prom inent candidate for a certain spring event, | for instance. The stable Is a large one, | with a score or more of horses in 1t. Most likely they are divided into what are | known as sets" The stable boys are on | the animals comprising the two sets, | and the trainer, after a short consulta- track to see the animals exercise and to | get a line on their work, as it were.
 The boys have instructions from the | foreman exactly what moves to make, | and the trainer, who is the commanding | general as it were sees that his orders | for the disposition of his forces are car ried out strictly. Nothing escapes this | generals watchful eye. In all likelihood | he wishes to see just what the promising | young candidate before mentioned can do, | and, calling up the exercise boy he in- him to break at the three-quarter | pole" after which he hurries to take a | position where he can see the perform | ance. The boy watches every move | nent of the trainer. As the three-quarter | pole is reached the horse Is given his head | and away they go It may be that the | pace set at the start is too fast to suit | the wishes of the watchful trainer in | which case he indicates to the rider just | what he wants by signalling with his hat or handke rchief.. Certain signals are used by the different stables in this re- gard Whether the move of the horse has been satisfactory or not cannot be told by the immobile face of the trainer. His features are not made for disclosing his emotions,
 Back to the Stalls.
 Then back to the stalls, where the stable men are kept busy cooling down the horses and rubbing them, all under the general supervision of the trainer himself, though ostensibly the foreman Is the real chief. The chances are that the trainer has not had his breakfast as yet, but he is not too proud to eat with the hired help. And the big stables have cooks who would be called chefs" in 1rst-class restaurants. and food fit for any mans table.
 After the meal still more consultatio with the foreman regarding the stable for some details connected with it. In all proba bility several of the horses are in- spected as to their physical condition. There are bills to be O. K. d. the foreman gives a list of articles which are needed, makes suggestions regarding the carry ng on of the stable. There is not much time to spare until l2 o'clock Perchance he trainer may take a cat nap. He will nave no time in the afternoon, for a | of I,is bOrsac arc in tIvr Of l