Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28

bring the whip down on her and didn't do 1t
until could sense one Of our opponents getting
dangerously near. Then, with the goal In sight.
put up my whip and handrode her to the
finish.
Shed have run right on to the last gasp.
And later In the season she did just that. when
her owner entered her in one of those inhuman
races, now abolished, over miles at Churchill
Downs. Flora Fina ran until she could run NO
more, finished second, and dropped dead. Poor
little mare, she had broken her heart. Thank
God wasn't on her that day.
MARS, the chestnut son of Man o War.
was the worst tempered horse I ever put
q leg over. The excitement of a coming race
seemed to make him lose his head entirely. To
saddle him, 1t was necessary to bring Mars into
the paddock and get him ready while the previ-
Gus race was being run-and then 1t took four
men to do It. But for his temper he would
have won more races than he did.
never rode Lady Amelia, the fastest Splinter
that was raced by the late E. r. Thomas but
she was the most dangerous mare ever met
at the starting point. To brush up against her
or even to get near her was to take the risk OF
pair Of heels In your own ribs or those Of
your mOunt-she wasn't particular which, and
played no favorites. In spite Of all her bad
acting, though, Lady Amelia always got away
well. She was Q fast breaker, and one Of the
best sprinters I've ever seen.
Not because I won the Suburban Handicap
on Crusader there, and again only last year on
Dolan, but because think 1t far and away the
best course I've ever ridden on, my favorite
track Is Belmont Park. 1t Is the only race
course In America which affords o big field
Of horses an equal chance.
I've been more fortunate, to be sure, on the
Aqueduct track, where I've won . number OF
an hA laet trN Nf
Spring meeting 1926. rode six consecutive
vinneEs-the last two on the card on July s.
and the FIRST four on the next day. steeple-
chase, won by Mr. Htchcock's Ravel got mixed
mp In the SERIES In the luck In which was
riding. might even have won that-with
adhesive tape to hold me on.
At the Kenilworth track, In Canada won
four races out Of SIX on the card one day. And
repeated this ut Connaught Park and Devon
shire.
These were about my best efforts during my
riding career. I remember very distinctly the
most disappointing day ever experienced. It
was on the Emeryville track, at Oakland, near
San Francisco, and In every race Of the six
on the program finished second. That record
may be tied-it can't be beaten!
But there was one race won that had no
business 10 win at all. 1t was back In the days
when the races at Belmont Park were run
right handed, instead Of to the left as ut pres
Sam Hildreth, and Andy Schuttinger was up on
the favorite. The race was at mile and q
quarter, and, to avoid starting on q curve, the
starting point was brought forward q furlong.
and the finish advanced the same distance.
IT struck me that some of the riders might
forget the finish had been changed. and
start easing up after passing the old winning
post. And that's just what happened. schut-
finger reached the usual winning point FIRST
handily enough with me just couple OF
lengths back Of him. When Andy started TO
pull his horse up was alongside of him. Fear
ing that he might realize his mistake and get
his horse going again, I kept beside him until
we were close to the wire. Then made a dash
for it. It was too late for SchuttiDger to make
q move, and I won.
That was one race I won by thinking and
not by my horse running fastest
Among my 1900 winners I can count more
long shots than any other jockey. Probably
that's because I've usually ridden as free
lance and kept clear of any betting connections.
When won the Suburban Handicap last year
on Dolan, Mr.. Cooneys horse was officially
returned at 20 to /, but much longer odds were
obtained in the betting ring.
Dolan, however, was a short priced horse
compared to Josie s., on which won at the
Santa Anita track in California, at the long
odds Of 100 to /. That was great price-and
it was q great race. The three favorites were
fighting out q desperate finish in which YOU
could have covered them with a blanket, when
managed to get Josie S. up in the last stride
and poke her nose in front.
was riding Crusader one morning, and on
getting off the great son Of Man o. War I
remarked to his trainer Gwyn Tompkins:
This fellow will be the outstanding 3-year-old
next year." Crusader wass then a 2-year old,
at which age I won three races on him. Tomp-
kins smiled at my emphatic statement and
called over Mr.. Sam Riddle and proceeded to
give the owner Of Crusader my opinion.
They both smiled a little indulgently, but I
had the laugh on them when won the Subur-
ban Americas greatest handicap, on Crusader
the following year. The big Man O. War colt
was the best horse I ever rode,