The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-18
is HONEST Rider
McTaggart's Reputation One OF
His Most Valuable Assets.
He's One of Real Big League
JOckies of Today.
BY JACK VEIOCK.

New York, June 18.-Little Johnny
McTaggart, considered by many fol
lowers Of racing the best jockey since
the great Tod Sloan quit riding the
gallopers, began his struggle in the
big workaday world as a messenger
boy.
Johnny was born On Manhattan
Island, and from an humble begInnine
as an "a. D. T. Mercury he drifted
into the racing game, where in four
years time he has worked his way into
the jocky major league" Joh1ny, of
course, got his inspiration to become
a Jockey from his bother Tom, and,
altho Tommy is a great jock, his
younger brother has passed him in
the matter of riding winners
The ''old saw about good horses
making good jockeys may be al right,
but, according to Johnny McTaggart.
the good jockeys can ride poor horses
to victory, and he has done so many
times.
Is an Honest Rider.
Riding under the colors of R. T
Wilson, and plotting such horses as
the great Campfire, which won nearly
$4,000 for his owner last year, Nc
Taggart holds the hopes and fears of
those who follow Wilson's colors
every time he mounts a horse.
But those who know McTaggart
best have absolute confidence in him,
because they know he is thoroly hon
est and always dependable in getting
the best out of every mount he takes
Fame has not Swelled Meta Sgart's
head Whenever he wants a great
Healey, Wilson's trainer, and to the
galloper he has ridden to victory.
He is satisfied to come home ahead
of the field and let it go at that, and
he is even backward when it comes
to accepting praise from his many ad-
mlrerS Racing in nrIx
consider the fact that Johnny broke
into the front rank of jockeys with
out experience, the most rema rkable
thing about him. They say he is
natural horn jock; that he takes to
horse like a duck to water. Johnny
did not go thru the hardships of early
training which are encountered by
the average jockey who starts out as
stable boy, doing all the rough work
around training camp.
A Real Lightweight.
He was seventeen years old when
| he first started out as a jockey and
he scaled at eighty-nine pounds. To-
day, with four years added to his age,
he can make 103 pounds and still be
strong. His first race, at Belmont
| Park, will always stand out as one of
his most remarkable performances.
Johnny was at the track with his
brother Tommy, who was to ride
August Belmont's Mission.
For some reason Tommy could not
ride that day, and Johnny put on the
colors to see how he would look in
them. Louis Feusta1, trainer for Bel
mont, intended to scratch the mare
when he spied Johnny, and when
! Johnny pleaded to be allowed to take
his brothers place Feustal consented,
| and sent him to the post with the re-
mark that "she had no chance, any
| how"
His Jump to Fame.
One of Whitney's horses, Prince
| Eugene, was a 1 to 8 choice in the
race, and the Belmont mare was quot
ed in the los. When the horses flash
\ ed under the wire there was little
Johnny, riding Mission at the front of
the bunch, and then and there the
A. D. T. lost a mighty good messenger
boy and the racing world won a star
| jockey.
The following year Johnny McTag-
| CART ranked first among the winning
| jockeys of the country, and altho he
fell down in 1915 and was second tc
Frank Robinson in 1916, he piloted his
mounts to victories which brought the
total of his winnings to $155,0OO.
So far this year McTaggart has rid
den successfully, and has every chance
to lead his league In the past two
seasons he has shown such consistence
| as a winner that he is generally cred
tied with being the best of the pony