The Indianapolis journal., 1904-06-05
TOD SLOAN, AS PENITENT,
RETURNS TO THIS COUNTRY
He Moralizes on Evil of Trying to
Work Well in the Saddle and
Lead a Fast Life.
WILL ASK FOR LICENSE
He VIII Remain Here and Work
Hard in an Endeavor TO Get
Back Into Form.
WILL ASK FOR LICENSE

NEW YORK, June 4.-Tod Sloan, chas-
tened i'm spirit and with suit case full
OF good resolves and a desire TO lead
quiet and uneventful life in the pursuit
OF his business as a jockey, has arrived
here from London. lie is looking consid-
erably older. and wisdom is making
strong play for position as his most dom
mating expression. His hair is slightly
tinged with gray, and he is a quieter and
more unobtrusive Sloan than when he left
these shores.
In place OF being the rather bumptious
and self-sufficient young man. with a ten
dency TO insert his rather diminutive pres
ence into the gatherings of men. he has
become the retiring, modest little man of
business, with the bump Of commonsense
attaining huge developments. His princi-
pal idea at present is 10 fit himself for
turf campaign by a period of rest and
quietness. Secondary TO that, he desires
a license from the Jockey Club that will
enable him once again TO don the silk oI
the racetracks OF this country, in order
that he may prove himself the Tod Sloan
OF old, who could work mount through
tC victory
He has arrived here without any remain
Ing touch OF the things that made him
widely known OF old. There is no hint or
the loud raiment of the ultra fashionable
cut which he once affected. and there is
almost total absence OF Jewelry of the
fiashy order TO which he was addicted. In
place OF those earmarks he now favors
retiring mode Of dress and modest dis
play of jewelry. He has decided he will
not make fortune upon the stage. and
mas turned down Arthur Collins's offer to
have a play written for him in which he
might star. He wants TO ride, and ride
we'll He wants TO live quietly BELTS
solid man Of business, and 10 that end he
VIII direct his efforts from this time on,
as ne has no desire TO return to England
He said:
Il have realized at last that the man
ner of life / once led can have but one
result. II will not do. No one can COM
bine real business with the pursuit of
pleasure unless the real business suffers.
/ have settled down, and have realized
what an ass / made of myself. All L
want now is chance TO show that can
ride and ride we'll / intend to stick TO
riding horses for living and 10 show the
public that even jockey can behave
himself
HE NOW MORALIZEs.
IF my experience will prove of any
value to others who are starting out as
started. will be pleased. L have just
this to say: No man, 1 do not care how
clever he is at riding. mix with the
fastest sporting set and keep his head
and attend TO his riding. / tried it to
prove that could do it, and L failed All
j want now is to get long rest and get
myself In shape. j want 10 ride and / be-
lieve 1 can ride L don't think L have ac-
tually suffered in my ability from what I
have done, and have gained a lot of ex-
perience.
lust as soon as L can get around to it
j intend To see If the Jockey Club cannot
see its way clear TO granting me Ii
TO England. i am going TO remain here
and work hard in an endeavor TO get
myself back into my old form
cd m he ~
English racing, and said:
1T IS on a better footing now than il
has been for years Not so long ago the
TethodS in use on the English and Euro
pean race courses were antiquated and out
of date. Now they have been brought up
TO the times and racing is conducted ac-
cording 10 the latest ideas they prevail
on this side. There has been a complete
change IN the manner of riding. and the
old-time English seat in the saddle has
been abandoned for good and all. Even the
older jockeys, though they fought hard
against any innovation, have been forced to
adopt the newer and more rational seat
in the saddle
when L first began riding over there
there was huge outcry against my style.
Everything possible was tried to discourage
it, but / managed to stick ii out and now
you will find nothing else on the European
tracks. The result has been that. with
other American improvements, the English
turf to-day is in better condition than il
has been for years They have not hesi-
tated to take advantage of anything that
was reasonably sane on this side, and they
have shown their wisdom.
ANY American jockey can go over there
now and be accorded decent treatment. In
France the American jockey is we'll liked
in spite OF the disagreementS that have
occurred at various times. These have,
think. been proved unjust to our boys. and
the French have also learned a number OF
tricks that have assisted them materially
Throughout Europe the American jockey is
looked upon as valuable adjunct to q
racing stable"
The proposal of Arthur Collins to have
play written for Sloan was broached to the
Jockey, and he said:
Yes. Mr.. Collins did suggest that
might star in racing play, but l dom
think i want TO try the stage. L will have
enough 10 do to follow my own line of busi
ness / want to ride, and / have no time
to fool with the stage If / am going to dC
good work"
And Sloan looked as IL he meant wha
he said He is here TO try and redeem him
self and become business man if that /:
possible.