The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-05
CORNER
AMERICAN HOODOO
Where So Many Horses Have Fal-
len in the Great Eng
hsh Derby.

New York. July 5.-Writers in the
British turf papers have revived dis
cuSsion that is now more than ten
years old When Sir Martin stumbled
In the English Derby, throwing Jock
ey "Skeets" Martin over his mead, in
stant criticism started again about
the extent to which American jockeys
carry the crouch in their saddle po-
Sitlon.
The episode proved. however, that
Tattenham corner is still an unlucky
point for visitors.
1t was in 1896. when Richard Crok-
er was sweeping the boards with his
stable, that the point first arose. VII
lie Simms, who had been taken across
the water by Croker, was really the
pioneer at introducing this style to
England Tod Sloan is generally cred
tied with making the crouchlng seat In
the saddle popular. but II was not un-
til several seasons later that he at
tracted notice Simms had been rid
ing with the crouch since 1893 IN this
country,
When Slnms first took out one of
Croker's horses to exercise, late In
the fall OF 1896 at Newmarket-thiS
was before Croker's stable was bar
red-there was a howl of derlsion from
the English trainers. The British
sporting press, at that time accustom-
ed to the upright seats which the
Jockeys of Europe affected. often COM
mented on the fact that SimmS rode
"crouched like monkey on his horse
| witheTs."
The colored Jockey became bitter
| over the criticism and often sand that
i what the Britons did not know about
| how to ride would fill a large book
| His first mount across the water was
on Eau Gallic. Simms had always con-
tended that the method OF loafing in a
race for the early stages. then gen
orally employed by the Britons, was Il
mistake. He asked permission TO send
Eau Gallo out from the start and Gro
ker agreed Simms took lead of
six lengths in the first quarter and
won In a gallop.
Then in 1897 and 1898 attention was
! attracted to the American style of rid
ing. When Tod Sloan was engaged by
the Prince of Wales. now King of
England, 1t was seen that the Amerl-
can style had come TO stay A study
of any photograph taken of an Eng
lish race today will SHOW that the joe
| keys nearly all have adopted the AM
| erlcan scat. stopping forward to avoid
wind resistance and to get shorter
grip of the reins,
The bitterest criticisms of this style
OF riding came in 1898 when Tod
Sloan had the mount on the French
colt HolocauSte. II was at Tattenham
corner that unlucky point for foreign
ers, that Holocauste came TO grief
The gray colt was three lengths TO the
good as he sped around the sharp
curve with Sloan PROSTATE along his
neck and with Flying Fox, the fayorite,
doing his best behind 1t seemed as
| If the victory would surely go TO
| France. and that. for the second time
| in its history. a gray horse would win
the big stake, Then Holocauste stum-
bled and Sloan went fling over his
head. But was not merely a hitch like
| that which affected Sir Martin Holo-
causte took Laundering stride or two
and then went down. He had snapped
his stifle joint and had TO be led from
the course and shot. Flying Fox then
went on and won
Instantly all the hidebound British
critics assaulted Sloan. They claimed
that mis- position, bent far over his
colts neck had caused the gray TO
become Overbalanced at the turn and
to put too much weight on his fore
| legs. II took months Of proof, clearly
| showing that the American style was
the best, before the British Jockeys
took up the crouching seat.
Now several turf authorities have
been quoted as saying that Sir Martin
was oyerbalanced by "Skeets" Mar
! tins position on his shoulders The
colt did not fall. but stumbled to his
knees. and as mis- rider shot over his
head jumped up and followed the field
with an empty saddle.
The incident simply shows that
Tattenham corner keeps up Its record
as being a "hoodoo" for visiting
! horses, The turn on the Derby course
is nearly at right angles and Is at the
head Of the sharp decline in the
| course. This portion of the route is
known as the hill,' 1t was there that
I Kisber. the only Austrian candidate
who ever Won the Derby, nearly came
TO grief. as he stumbled thrice going
down the sharp decline. Holocauste
| and Sir Martin are other instances of
how Tattenham corner has been un-
lucky for the foreigners Norman III,
i from August Belmonts string. fell at
the same turn in 1905.