Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-14
JOCKEYS CLAMOR
FOR HIGHER SCALE
PRESENT WEIGHTS DRIVE BEST
BOYS OUT
American Riders Forced to Retire a
Height Of Careers Because They
Cannot Reduce to Meet
Requirements

NEW YORK, Nov. 1S.-Owins to the
pernicious practice of racing associations
of the metropolitan circuit in so framing
the conditions of their races as to keep
the weights at ridiculously low mean,
four excellent American jockeys will prob
ably have to quit the saddle this fall or
follow in the footsteps of Maher, Taral.
the two Reiffs and Tommy Burns, and go
abroad. The jockeys in question are Nicol,
Radtke, Knapp and Jack Martin. They
cannot reduce below Ill or LIZ pounds in
the hottest weather, and 1t Is improbable
that one of them will be able to ride
acceptably at la or LIB during the coming
winter.
Even now, when they reduce to their
minimum, they weaken themselves to
such an extent as to impair their eff
cheney. Some of them actually become
light headed from the waste of vital
energy in this process. These jockeys are
loath to admit that their retirement from
American racing impends, but it is a fact
Finished horsemen, who should be at the
summit of their careers, they must give
place to bunch of precocious brats, who
are game, but who know little more than
to sit still and let horse run as fast and
as far as he can. OF pace these young
sters know nothing, and it would be re-
markable if they did. They have had
little or no instruction from experienced
older jockeys.
Willie Dugan, the jockey whose admir-
able horsemanship won the Suburban for
Nealon, gave up trying to reduce to work.
able weight as far back as July 1. Noun
tain, after a vain attempt to make liv-
ing in the east departed for the west
three or four weeks ago. Mountain is
about disgusted. He is thinking serious
" of buying horses with the money he
has saved and turn trainer.
Boys Never Better
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 them
selves in the limelight.
There is no earthly reason why the
Jockey club should not peremptorily and
finally fix upon 100 pounds as the irreduci-
BILE minimum of weight to be carried by
any horse past years old in any race, and
at the same time proclaim that In no race
for horses of mature age, barring handi-
caps, shall a horse years old or over
shoulder less than lis pounds. Such
regulation should have most wholesome
effect 1t would prolong the usefulness OF
the Jockeys of skill and experience already
in this country from six to dozen years.
and the prospect of finding remuneratve
occupation at home would bring back
from abroad a score or more of /expa-
tnated riders, who were driven abroad
by the operation of the scheme OF keep
ing the weights down. Such a regulation
would exert greater influence for the
Improvement of American 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 forebears used to. Also tney
make brilliant time. That carrying Dig
weight does not break a horse down more
ouiclxly than does carrying light weight
is proved by the careers of Hermis and
Rosehen.