Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
JOCKEYS Who HAVE
QUIT THE GAME
Most of Them Go the ProfIigate
Route and Are Brought Down
to Their Uppers.

'-rhe other day at the Ascot track in Los
Angeles said an owner OF thoroughbreds
who has just arrived at Benning with the
string he raced during the winter on the
coast, Il was mAced for n 81 note by
little sad mite of a man who. only few
years ago, used to have columns written
about his midget personality In the sporting
sections OF American newspapers every day.
I made 1t ten-spot, because the sight OF
the little chap down to that pass made me a
bit gulpy ! knew that he'd toddle right
away TO the bookies' stands and bet the
sawbuck In 81 installments, but that made
no difference felt sorry for him. He bet
g. III right, IN The two-spot allotments. and
he didn't win a bet out of 1t. But that
isn't the story. The story is that that sad
little mite of a man-he isn't much above
his majority even now-was noted Amer
lean jockey a few years ago. He wasn't the
actual premier of any year but he was
among the cracks Of the pigskin. and $4,000
or $4,000 n year wasn't any big yank-down
for him, leaving out of consideration the
big bets he won right along through inside
connections.
But he wouldn't behave He fell to fun
bling in his prosperous teen-aSe with the
old juice that throws 'em all, high and low,
big intellect and pin grounding II
they stay with IL. He got his monkey eyes
ON the shapely ones of the cxtravaganzas
He drifted into shady turf company, ana
these driftwood characters of the game bied
him and then showed him the advantages
of the strOng-arm business. tie began pun
ing EN- discreetly at first. and then In SO
raw a way that he wouldn't mind snatch
ing 'em right under the judges STAND at
the finishing wire OF course, tHe Imdllet
fell on HIM He was ruled off the turf Thefe
was never any chance for him TO be rem
stated even If his habits hadn't become I'M
possible. And now he Is seedy' mot
tle-faced, cigarette-eating. mlserapie nt.le
piece of a man, shambling wraith-nke
around the coast tracks, boning old friends
for little notes-this boy. who In his tour
or five years of riding cleaned up perhaps
St25OOO. and had comfort, lot TO say opu-
lence In his grasp firmly as any tooth IN
Ills head.
Another Jockeys Way.
'.SveIl. on my way here to Washington |
stopped off at Chicago for couple OF days
ur so. and there / met UP with another
Jockey Of the former time-a jockey of the
period of eight years or so ago. This one
was never quite a premier, either but he
was d boy that any wise owner liked to see
up on his horse when business was meant.
He'd pick up about the same amount OF
coin as the one | met at Los Angeles during
his riding career. but he'd been Obliged 20
quit on account of increasing weight wen,
this one I met IN Chicago was riding around
the bOulevaTds in a buz wagon about the
size of an oCean-going tug. He wore fur
coat shat would make the Russian Grand
Duke t5ogetemSkY's lamps stick out. and
he was living in house of his own thai
had interiors IN II fit to compete with those
interiors YOU see pictured in the magazines.
Besides the works of art and bijouterle and
things. this house contained as neat a little
wife as you ever clapped an eye upon, and
four or five rudy little boys and girls
pfanning around the stairs. enjoying the
luxury their dad had never known until
he'd COPIED it out himself.
guess ne wasn't contrast with the
doWu-and-Out little eX-riding man | was
Ioued for the s. note IN Los Angeles!
The one who settled in Chicago-his
EtTthplace--has about doubled his bank roll
earned in the saddle. and he's there with
about quarter Of million, thanks-and
You needn't think haven't got proper re-
Qsc~Lor those siv figures because / roll
EN- of so easily. He's IN business, he's got
Il rev roll he take- a little vichy and milk
Tor his, please, when he gets out with one
OF those imbecile 'wine-Open' punches, and
he's polished up his mind and learned how
TO dip into books intelHgently. He can call
the turn on q coed picture or a bad one a
good bronze or a punk one, and he knows a
whole heap of things about what's going On
of general human interest in the world we
live in. And yet before the taking on of
weight forced him from the saddle, he
Eadnt made cent more than the seedy
little wrath Of a jock I'd staked to the
saWbuck in Los Angeles, and, If anything
lie hadn't enjoyed the other mites advan-
tages, not having. in fact, been quite so
able rider or so brilliant Il one, rather
Wouldn't Bet on the Horses.
Does he bet on the horses2"
We'll, was just coming to that Just
for the gag of it--for I knew where he
stood in the matter-I said TO him:
PalIy. I'm taking my string on to the
Washington meeting, and I've got two or
three In pickle that are going to make me
hire furniture vans to carry the dough
away. Better pack your bag and trudge
along with me 10 the town where the big
dome is. Larks. you know, and we'll get
some Of those right kind of bets down,
seer
''As I say. 7 only made those observa-
lions to that shrewd little ex-rider for the
fun Of It, for l was perfectly familiar with
his attitude Oh the subject. But his reply
was funny.
his automobile seat and pointing forefin-
ser at me, femme tell you something like
I'd tell II TO an old matey and boss OF
mine which you are. I wouldn't bet on a
horse race If the president of the Jockey
Club and all OF the stewards and judges
were to visit my house In the middle of the
night for the purpose of swearing to me
that they would disquaiify every mutt that
finished ahead OF my 50o-to-1 shot Say
and he became even more energetic with
that forcfinger, IF there'd be at Benning a
match at a mile and a quarter between
Sysonby carrying a seventy-six-p pound boy
and no lead pads. and the worst old ossified
sausage in Bin Days stable, carrying a
bale q hay and two members OF the Fat
Mems Club. and you'd offer me 10o-to-1
against Sysonbys chance. I'd soak you
with a half brick. and then run like blazes
for fear that might be tempted to risk the
price of two ounces OF punk hay smoking
tobacco on the result. How's that? Dye
think you've got me tabled now? That's
how good the game Is with me- and that's
no morning glory workout. either
SO there you've got the difference be-
tween the Jock with the opaque skull and
the one with the top piece sufficiently d.
RphaEous to let In little occasional rays or
Eight during the time when the coins COM
ing In and the world Is swimming I'm rose
It's the old down-and-out story contrasted
with the up-an-in thing that applies to all
Of US humans. but with particular force
to jockeys. for they get theirs quickly, and
they've got TO have the toe weights and the
balance pads at an earlier stage of life than
the rest of MS II they're TO sink or swim
when their cleaning day has passed But
the pity of IL is that most of the riding
youngsters are bone heads. and they can
never be made to see II when the gilt tide
IS coming their way Few Of them ever
come out Of the hoop-la swirl with anything
worth taking account of. Y'see. they can't
be conversed with on that money-hiding
thing They get all swelled up early
and they know it all. and then some