Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-03
WEIGHTS TOO LOW HERE.
Jockeys Will Have to Quit or Go
Abroad

NEW YORK, November lowing to
the pernicious practice of racing associa-
lions of the metropolitan circuit in so
framing the conditions OF their races as
to keep the weights at a ridiculously low
mean, four excellent american Jockeys
will probably have to quit the saddle this
fall or follow in the footsteps of Naher,
Taral. the two Reiffs and Tommy Burns,
and go abroad. The jockeys in question
are Nicol, Radtke, Knapp and Jack Mar
tin. They cannot reduce below Ill or 112
pounds in the hottest weather. and it Is
improbable that one OF them will be able
to ride acceptably a. ia or 115 during the
coming winter.
Even now. when they reduce to their
minimum. they weaken themselves to such
an extent as to impair their efficiency.
Some of them actually become light head
ed from the waste of vital energy in this
process. These jockeys are loath to adj
NIT that their retirement from American
racing impends. but it is fact. Finished
horsemen. who should be at the summit of
their careers. they must give place to a
bunch of precocious brats, who are game,
but who know little more than to sit still
and let a horse run as fast and as far as
he can. OF pace these youngsters know
nothing. and it would be remarkable If
they did. They have had little or no in
struction from experienced older jockeys.
Willie Dugan, the jockey whose admira-
BILE Workmanship won the Suburban for
Nealon. gave up trying to reduce to work
able weight as far back as the LIST of
July. Mountain, after vain attempt to
make a living in the east, departed for
the west three or four weeks ago. Noun
tain is about disguised. He Is thinking
seriously of buying horses with the money
he has saved and turn trainer. Dugan
and Mountain were never better than they
were this season. but because Of their
weight they got winning mounts rarely.
And failing to get winning mounts. they
were unable to keep themselves in the
lime.ight.
There Is no earthly reason why the
Jockey Club should not peremptorily and
finally fix upon 100 pounds as the IRE
ducfble minimum Of weight to be carried
by any horse past three years old in any
race. and at the same time proclaim that
in no race for horses of mature age bar
ring handicaps. shall a horse four years
old or over shoulder less than 11o pounds.
Such a regulation would have a most
wholesome effect. 1t would prolong the
usefulness of the Jockeys of skill and ex-
perience already in this country from six
to a dozen years, and the prospect of find
ing remunerative occupation at home
would bring back from abroad score or
more of expatriated riders who were
driven abroad by the operation of the
scheme of keeping the weights down.
Such a regulation would exert greater
influence for the Improvement of Ameri-
can racing than anything the stewards
have done for four or five years.
In these days of lightly narrowed tracks
horses handle weight much more cleverly
than their forbears used to. Also they
make brilliant time. That carrying big
weight does not break a horse down more
quickly than does carrying light weight
IS proved by the careers of Hermis and
Roseben.