The Washington times., 1905-01-08
WHO WAS LEADING
JOCKEY OF YEAR?
Hildebrand Had Moss of
Winning Mounts
REDFERN SECOND ON CHART
Lyme Was Most Consistent Performer,
But Fell Down in Champagne
Stakes-Nineteen-Y Record

Just about now there is a lot of mys-
terry regarding the leading jockeys of
1904, and much capital is made out of
the fact that Hildebrand heads the list
with 1e4 wins In 748 races.
What of IT. Even though one earnest
inquirer states that this total of mounts
nearly approaches that of the elder
Reif in 1896. whose record is the largest
for this country
II jockey riding is an endurance COM
petition. well and good. II it is a matter
of skill and strategy, it is very differ
ent matter. A jockey might ride 1000
mounts. but it is. or should be, the per-
centage of his winning mounts and the
type of work done which should make
him the first, or the last, jockey of the
Eyear.
Public Charts.
According to the standard shown in
public charts of the metropolitan track
records. H .debrand stands first with the
! wins quoted above; Redfern is second.
with 78 wins in 4o6 mounts; Martin comes
third. with u wins in 1853 mounts; O'Neiil
| is fourth. with q wins IN 315 mounts:
Crimmias is fifth, with "a wins in 451
mounts. and Burns is sixth, with 81
wins in 45I mounts.
That is ali very well SO far as IL
goes, but the average racing man gives
! little credit TO such figures. He ranks
them correctly by percentage-and other
| things By percentage O'Neill. with p
per cent. stands first; Lyme, with % per
cent, is second; Hildebrand. with q per
cent, is third; Redfern. with IS per cent.
/ is fourth; ]. Martin. with 1e per cent. is
fifth. and W. Davis, with 1s per cent, is
sixth Rather a change, yet how many
people know it2
Percentages Compared.
| When these percentages are compared
with those of few years ago, what
becomes OF our modern kings Of tin
who have been -headlined' and pic
tured" ad nauseam ali the summer. ON
| the basis that 1.-The best Is the best any
4 where Our best" has been pretty
poor sample. In 1886 Reiff rode 6.2 races
| with IS per cent OF winners Sloan in 1895
| rode 204 mounts with "A per cent of WIN
ners; Maher. before going to Engla nd,
had 422 mounts and 30 per cent winners;
| Martin in 1893 had 81 per cent winners;
Isaac Murphy in his prime had 3S. and
what, pray, were the salaries compared
| with those OF today2
| Where would these boys have been
against s.. h masters OF the art as those
enumerated above? The answer comes
In analyzing the record or consecutive
losing mounts In Sloan's good show
! ing, the year before going to England
and catching that never-to-be-sufficient
ly-regretted attack OF negaloeephalia
he rode "A per cent of winners in some
500 mounts, and his longest run OF con-
secutive losers was ten
Hildebrand's Strings
! Last season OF 1904, Hildebrand rode
strings of II, s, 10. 8, 8, II. 10. II, L, s and
s, all losers, the II coming from Tea
cress, September 16. TO Spring, Septem
Der Is, O,Neill had losing runs OF L anc
IL: Redfern shad IA II, 15. II; j. Martir
had 1e 10. u, Is. II. 8, u and 2. thf
latter at Brooklyn, while Davis had
and then II. this boy being very ordfn
ary one IN the South, who went Nortf
20 be heralded as a second Sloan.
AS TO Burns (who j racing papel
stated, was ''the most consistent jockeI
of the year,, riding for prominen
stables and acknowledged to be clever
when he wishes 10 be, his percentage
was barely II, and his runs of con
secutive losers were at Jamaica, lS a
, Brighton Beach, "a at Saratoga, q a
Sheepshead, i9 at Brooklyn and "a a
Morris Park Yet he viii be surprised
: If no one comes along with $4,000 or
| fer for 1905. II such price be paid, OF
| what basis will IL be estimated?
= Lyme Consistent.
Taken all round, Lyme was by lonl
odds the most consistent performer =
8 1.-THE year, his record being wonderful.
; ieven. the wins coming in with aimos
Iclockwork regularity every four or fiv
: races. his worst runs of losers being
:" and S. One scarcely knows what Z
- hoy. That he can ride /
Il the proper attention
-1.s less to outside issues
t- trgu.E best we have had Il
.a ible. and yet, when on
he rode Tradition, th
i'd fifly in a ffye-hors
..- ampagne Stakes, one
ent.
EH speeding in front. Tradi
.--. second <" King her right behind tn
the flying mud all alon
-E a7-A- stretch and round tha
Ffl - be beaten half & length a