The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
MANY TEMPTATIONS
OFFERED TO JOCKEYS
Brides to Pull a Horse Are Ere
quent, but Seldom Accepted
by Riders.
PUNISHMENT is SEVERE
Jockeys Have Been Ruled Off the
Track for Life for This
Crooked Deal.

1t takes an unusually strOng-minded boy
who rides race horses for living TO with
stand temptation. On the other hand, the
rewards of those that succeed are great.
1t was only the other day that the father
OF Arthur Redeem. the leading jockey of
w. c. Whitney's stable, declared that his
son had earned $4,000 during the season
just ended, and that had it not been for
the broken collar bone he received at Aque-
duct this total would have reached $500
And yet young Redfern is still in his teens.
This is just an illustration of the possibili-
ties in the way of a successful jockey.
Here, however, is an instance of a different
kind. dozen years ago there was living
from hand TO mouth on the winter track at
Gutenberg q stable boy by the name of
Sloan. His rise TO fame, fortune and popu-
larity was meteoric, and IL was rot long
before he was not only Americas most
successful jockey, but later earned the
patronage of British royalty At one time
Sloan was reputed to be worth half a mil
lion dollars. Unsuccessful attempts to
break the bank at Monte Carlo, high living
and other extravagances soon reduced his
bank account. Sloan probably made more
money from riding race horses than any
American-bred jockey, but Redfern, if he
keeps his head and maintains his success,
may yet surpass him. While all Jockeys
cannot hope TO make money so rapidly
their opportunities are great. According to
the prevailing custom, a jockey receives SIS
for a Winnlg mount and SIS for a loser. Six
races are run each day, so that a steadily
employed rider makes a good thing of it.
Sometimes the jockey has a chance to in
crease these earnings In dishonest way
The following is fairly common sort Of
temptation. The success of a race horse
naturally depends a great deal on it's
physical condition. But when the thor
oughbred leaves the paddock gate its well
fare rests solely IN the hands OF the jockey.
If the horse is favorite il carries thou
sands of dollars Of the publics money. In
the betting ring the boOkmakers have, per-
maps, laid short price against the entry,
because of the Jockeys reputation for ex-
IRENE sklilfulness. "A natural inference is
thai some bookmaker, not particular re-
gardfnS honesty, would like TO tamper with
thls particular jockey. 1t has been shown
In times past that offers such as this have
been as high as 5000. and just for pulling
a horse at critical time and in some
cases Jockeys have been ruled off the turf
for life for accepting them. That is one of
the reasons why present-day jockeys turn
aside when such a tempting proposition is
made as Punishment from a profession
yielding as much $35 0OO a year is worth
more than paltry 5000
To ride honestly is not the hardest thing
a jockey has TO do. The nOtoriety he ac-
quires Is likely to bring him into some bad
company 1T is the height of some race
gOers ambition to know star Jockeys and
trainers. 1t seems TO them to be the proper
thing To spend money on them. Late sup
perS at fashionable restaurants are held
out as an attraction, with music, wine
flowers and brilliant lights. 1t is not
strange that the boys who perhaps, have
come from some country town, where they
were brought up in absolute want find it
hard TO refuse. 1t is at these late spreads
that the youngsters meet boon companions
who are older and more experienced in
the ways Of the world. When they are on
familiar terms they can go to a Jockey
in the paddock and ask him what he
thinks and they can also ask him to do
something wrong for a gOOd-sized roll of
bills Badly behaved Jockeys however are
an exception TO the rule. There is one
boy in particular who is a model of good
department. He has never tasted liquor.
has always slept near the stable of his
employer, and is never out of physical
condition, yet at present he is out of favor
with the Jockey Club stewards, who took
his license away last spring because of an
alleged crooked ride. Many boys avoid
dissipation because it puts weight and
when jockey becomes too heavy his earn
ing capacity has gone. Jockeys who have
not yielded to temptation, and have grown
too old to ride, have in many cases turned
| their attention to ownership. TO training,
/ TO boOkmaking, or to other race track pur-
| suits, but in almost every case where a
boy has gone wrong he has sunk into OBJ
/ livion, never to reappear on the turf. 1t
| therefore pays to walk along the narrow
/ path