The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-07
A sPANkxG PAID HIS FINE.
the Way starter Fitzgerald Disciplined
Jockey.


When people who 60 to the races occa-
| sionally, aud who do not realize the neces-
sity for the enforcement OF discipline by
the starter, read in the newspapers thst
| certain jockey has been fined S25 or ~ ior
| disobedience at the post. they are likely TO
| think that the starter is unnecessarily severe
| on rhe small boys who ride the racehorses.
! He isn't. Fines must necessarily he NJ
ficted. and though sometimes they may
! appear TO be pretty hard on the bovs. '''r
starter Is not the hard-hearted man some
people, who do not know him. suppose him
/ 10 be. And in proof of this assertion may
lie told the story Of a punishment that was
never repor1 ed to the stewards.
| 1t happened several years ago, soon AFTER
! the barrier was first used, and when the
! jockeys caused no end Of trouble to the man
with the flag and his assistants. They had
/ been accustomed to break wherever there
was a chance of the field being sent away,
| in order to get the best of the start, and they
tried the same tactics when the barrier was
| first put up. The result was that two or
| three times during an afternoon some horse
| who broke before the word smashed through
and carried the webbing with him
| Tha, caused delay TO put the machine in
shape again, which didn't please the starter
| or the public The jockeys declared that
| they couldnt hold their horses and that the
breaking Of the barrier was pure accident,
but it was clear that they could be good
| deal more careful II they would and that
| T. any OF the accidental breaks were the
result OF well-laid plans to follow stable in
structions and get away in front.
Such a state Of affairs could not be toier-
ted, so Mr.. Fitzgerald gave notice to the
! Jockeys that any one who broke through
! the barrier would he fined heavily. The
order made big difference to most OF the
| boys but some Of them, when ordered by
| their tables TO get OF in front, broke
through were fined and the stables paid the
money. That made the enforcement OF the
rule even st ricter than ever.
One afternoon a bunch of nervous two
year-olds faced the barrier On the big
! eest horse of the lot was a little jockey
about IL years old. He was ri ding Tor
one OF the hardest owners at the track
and had been told to get the best OF the
start. The owner was one Of the few who
refused to pay his Jockeys fines.
The boy wheeled his horse when he
thought the time for a break was ripe.
glanced around and Jaw that all the horses
were standing in good shape. Then ne
jumped his horse forward, expecting the
starters cry Of Come on!-
The order didn't come: The little jockeys
horse butted through the barrier and ran
an eighth Of a mile with the tapes strung
over his head.
THAT n cost you Just ssh, said Mr.. Fitz-
gerald swapping his finger at the boy when
he returned, and q moment later the field
got away to good start.
The starter Intended to report the fine
to the stewards Immediately after the
l l.-A l. L. = n fy,w Had
him to the paddock. There he saw q group
Of jockeys In one corner holding their sides
with laughter while In another corner
sat the little jockey who had just been
Srgn sa as ii att hs: asked Iosd he
OF one of those who seemed to be enjoying
the little shaver's discomfort.
He don't like bein' fined was the
answer. That wasn't definite enough for
Mr.. Fitzgerald. who has soft spot in his
are little jockeys who make him no end
Of trouble. So he went over to the
youngster and asked him what the matter
.Tbat fifty-dollar nne, M. FkE, answered
the boy between eobs Il had that money
all saved up fer ter get out er town fer q
week on a vacation between meetin 9. !
was asoin up to lake and 60 fish fshh T ana
now now I can't 20 sn-' And the little
fellow began to vail again
The starter rubbed his head as though
required considerable elaboration. Then
; he assumed his sternest look and said:
Now look here. you knew you'd get fined
il you went through that barrier. didn't
Yes. Mr.. Fitz,' answered the boy.
And you don't mean to tell me that you
didn't trv to beat the field? know you
did. Now own up-didn,t you?
. we must have discipline at the post and
you know it continued the starter. "but
!, III tell you what we'll do about this You
.. can have that fine stand or you can take the
!, greatest spanking you ever had and won !
report it to the stewards. Which will it be?'
, The speed with which the boy slid across
the knee Of the big six-foot starter was
amazing, and the starter was true to his
; word. The little jockey got spanking
r that he will remember all the rest Of his
, who saw the whole thing and got no end
i of amusement out Of it. Mr.. Fitz burned
,, That Il do, said the starter finally and
! to snifie from the burning sensation or to
smile because he had saved his vacation
money.
3 TIT thank you, Mr. Fitz,- he stammered
and ran out Of the sight OF his jeering COM
! rades.
r When the boy showed up at the post on
/ the opening day OF the next meeting he hac
I a coat OF tan about three shades deeper
l than he had the day he got the licking
, He smiled back when the starter smilec
! at him and there wasn't a. fine chalkec
. up against him for disobedience at thu
, post for some time to come.
GEORGETOWN CREWS CONFIDENT
| Victory Over Annapolis Leads 10 Hope o
AucCcAs NJ pOuIhk eeD<ie
WASHINGTON. June e.-Georgetown's
oarsmen are more confident than ever OF
3 finishing with the leaders and perhap.