The sun., 1919-02-14
LOTUS AND LYKE
PLACED UNDER BAN
At Meeting Of Stewards Noted
Jockeys Are Denied Ii
censes to Ride.
10 REASONS ANNOUNCED
Weights Changed, Gelding
Rule Amended and Officials
Appointed for Year.
10 REASONS ANNOUNCED

Johnny LOTUS and Lawrence Lyke.
can turf. and f. Forehand were placed
under the ban by the Jockey Club yes
;erday afternoon. At n meeting of the
stewards held in the Office OF the club,
IS East Forty -frst street, their ap-
Ilcat.ons for licenses to ride In 1919
we're laid on the table.
No reason was advanced for the ac-
ton, and Algernon DainRerfeld. the
assistant secretary. who made public the
result ~ the meeting. said he didn't know
why the two famous riders had been set
down.
Last season LOTUS rode the horses
belonging to A. K Macomber. while l.! Ne
was under contract to Commander j.
X L. Ross early in the season and
later was engaged by the Brighton
stable Lyke led the list of winning
:iders until the last week of the year.
when frankie Robinson went to the
'front.' and won the honors by few
points.
During the season Lyke rode many
Indifferent races and was severely criti-
Used by all patrons of the turf. While
with commander Ross he had a dispute
with II. D. Bedwell, trainer of the Ross
horses and before the season was half
over he was released. The following
lay he was engaged by the owner OF
me Brighton stable.
Because of his poor horseman ship in
some races a majority OF race goers
expected him to get In trouble with the
turf authorities.
Best Horse'' in Macomber.s barn,
But 4 was different with LOTUS. He
VAS known rs the best horse" Mr..
AIaconber owned and his skill in the
saddle earned him the title OF America 5
premier Jockey. In the opinion of al
most all followers OF the turf he was
he greatest Jockey since the days OF
Hever questioned and thousands of race
coers wagered on his mounts irrespec-
i've OF the form OF the horee.
During the summer season Lotus was
n the ground for several weeks He
vas punished by Mr. Macomber for ba d
stable manners" which meant that his
actions and work during the morning
working hours were not what Walter
Jennings, his trainer. thought they
SHOULD have been. His punishment came
immediately after the Belmont stakes. in
which he was badly beaten on War
cloud. the pet OF the Macomoer stable,
.
Some Of the reports even went SO far
as 70 state that he had earned the
wrath of his employer by not doing his
BEST on War Cloud.
Mr.. Jennings, In the absence OF Mr..
Macomber. insisted that 1t was his bad
manners which caused his suspense lon.
Hundreds OF prominent racegoers were
willing to stake their regulations that he
had got every ounce OF speed out of the
Maeomber colt and had done everything
possible TO win the Belmont. Many Of
hem we're even willing to take an an
dav!t that they saw him take the Bride
< Harry Payne Whitneys Johren. on
the bend coming into the stretch, In an
effort 10 hold back the Whitney horse.
II he did grab Johren his tactics failed
o accomplish the desired result, for the
Whitney colt went away from War
loud entering the homestretch and won
,-sily.
During the Saratoga meeting Mr.
MaCcnber lifted the suspension and
when the day LOTUS returned TO the
-ack he received an ovation from 90, 600
acegoers the like OF which was seldom,
n ever before. accorded to a jockey IN
us country.
From then until tho end OF the sea
.ol re won race after race with second
rest horses Some of his finishes seemed
7canny and he was heralded as .
worlds wonder
During the Empire City meeting he
rode George Walls so close that his
boot got caught in one OF Wallss spurs
The patrol judges reported that he had
ned Walls in check and he was hauled
before the stewards. There he pro.
auced his torn boot and explained that
ne mIxup was accidental. His expla-
nation was accepted. but he was warned
rot 10 ride" his opponents SO close in
me future.
owners, trainers and other jockeys
who could be located last night ex.
pressed their belief In Loftus's honesty
and declared that the ban was placed or
him temporarily as punishment for try
'rg 10 intimidate other jockeys in sew
eral races. At the end of the season he
Was engaged by Samuel Riddle OF Phila
delphia TO ride the Glen Riddle horse;
20 1919 at a salary said TO be the largesr
ra:d q jockey since the days Of Toe
slosn.\