Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-19
RACE TRACK EVILS

Eastern racing officials and horsemen
in general weren't much surprised when
they heard Of the recent edict OF the Los
Angeles racing authorities ruling Jockey
Arthur Redfern and his father-who had
been acting as the boys manager-on the
turf" said noted trainer Of a public sta
BILE at Benning. The boy was only on the
ground for few day before being restored
to standing, but 1t is hardly likely that his
dad-manager will get back to the paddock
and the scales room for some time to come
The eastern turf authorities found the elder
Redfern pretty hot and quarrelsome prop
osition to handle, and they had to warn
little more out Of the Imelight and be
good. Nothing Of a crooked nature was
ever charged against him or against his
son. who IL a most accomplished horseman
1t was merely the fathers peevfsh solicit
tude for the success OF his son that kept
the pair OF them in more or less constant
trouble with the turf authorities A riding
boy who has for a manager q father who
Is himself horseman is pretty liable to
get the worst Of the break while that BUSH
ness relationship lasts. The boys dad Is
bound to regard his son as the greatest
straddler of pigskin that ever pulled on a
boot, and when the old man works himself
into this state Of enthusiasm over the Prov
ferocious dislike and jealousy Of all the
rest of the Jockeys in training. If the boy
Is in such demand as to enable his man
ager to have the pick of mounts the dad
manager develops into a veritable auto
crat Of the paddock, and rubbers around
the barns morning, noon and night trying
to pick out the horses that have the swell
est chances to win, SO as to get them for
his youngster to ride and thereby fatten
his winning average. In his eagerness to
light upon the winners the old man will
often half promise the owners Of two or
three horses engaged in one race that his
boy Will do the riding, and this sort Of
thing makes all sorts Of trouble. It was
what caused the Redferns to be ruled of
at Los Angeles. The elder Redfern had
engaged his boy to ride horse named Lau-
reata, but when the saddling hour arrived
he repudiated the agreement and MAIN
tanned that his boy was to ride another
horse. The owner Of Laureata protested
appealed to the stewards, proved his case
and the Jockey and his dad got the gate.
This question OF the management Of
Jockeys by their parents will. predict,
sooner or later receive the attention Of the
nigh turf authorities OF the east I hapen
70 know that some time ago 1t was under
consideration to frame up rule prohibit
ing the fathers OF Jockeys to act as the
boys managers.
Down in New Orleans this winter they
1raugurated rule keeping the Jockeys
Wallets out Of the betting ring. or even the
~ to the paddock during the running Of
the races. That was a wise move IL only
for the sake Of the additional confidence It
gives the race-gOing public. OF course in
the case OF Jobs, 1t is not essential for the
Jockeys valet to actually visit the betting
ring, but the presence Of these lordly swag-
gerers near the stools Of the bookmakers
on big scale isn't calculated to Increase
the public confidence In the strict integ-
r1ty OF the jockeys employing them.
mil tHa II
stretched a little farther. so as to abso-
lutely prohibit even bookmakers from Wis
1t1ng paddocks There'd be a mighty bieat
from the price-layers If such thing
should be seriously considered by the turf
authorities, but 1t ought to be considered
all the same. and will be, have no doubt,
in due time. l don't like to see bookmak-
ers Longing through the paddock before
the races, engaged in jollying talk with
the Hattered midgets of Jockeys 1t looks
bad. even to man familiar with all Of
the kinks of the racing game, but 1t looks
a great deal worse to casual race-goers
who are all too willing to give credencs
TO the most exaggerated stories as to the
alleged crookedness Of the turf In all OF
its branches. Out here at Benning the
bookmakers fight a bit shy of pene-
tratfng to the paddock, but at the big
tracks around New York they're prowi-
ing about the paddock and engaged in
getting the jocks into little talks all the
time even. sometimes, between the races
II would be idiotic to jump to the conclu-
sion that In all Of these cases the prowI-
Ing bookmakers are looking for chances
to work up crooked jobs with the Jockeys
slated to ride, but. at that, such things
have been known to happen, and there is
no good reason why the bcokmakers
shouldn't be kept away from the pad
docks altogether. The paddock prowling
bookmakers are bound to do the Jockeys
with whom they converse serious injury
sooner or later. and I know of one case
In particular Of that sort that should
have served as an example Between
races a famous chance taking bookmaker
at Sheepshead Bay was seen in earnest.
on-in "a corner CONTEMPLATION with a noted
Jockey few years ago. happen to
know that the conversation had no bear
ing whatsoever upon the race about to
be run, in which the jockey had the
mount on the favorite. But at the con-
clusion of the talk the bookmaker went
int the betting ring and told his man on
the stool to bunch the price against the
favorite as much as he liked The book
maker did not believe that the fayorite
was legitimate favorite. and for this
reason he was willing to take a big
chance and to haul In all of the money at
the hunched price that the betting public
and the plungers cared to bet The favor
lite ran very bad race, despite the lock
ey's strong effort, and finished back in
the ruck. The turf authorities were made
aware of the talk the jockey had had
with the bookmaker In the paddock tust
before the race and the boys license was
taken away from him. although 1t Is a
certainty that he wasn't guilty.