The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-25

ing whatever to do. Horses will go
through the necessary motions for
mere riders, the hardboots of the
track stoutly aver, but they will run
their hearts out for the boys they
like.
Riley, at II, has been riding
horses for ten years. First on the
ranches near the Texas-O Oklahoma
border, then in match races on the
leaky roof circuits Of the west, the
boy kept steadily improving. He
was winning races around Paw
huska, Tulsa and Kansas City when
he was 9 years old.
Mrs. G. R. Allen, herself an Okla
homan, found him in the sticks in
1929 and took him to Aqua Caliente,
where in March, 1880, he booted
Crispie Seth under the wire, his
first winner. After that it came
easy. He won four at Aqua Cali
ente and went back to Tulsa, where
he won eighteen in twelve days. At
Kansas City soon after he won
twenty-six in thirteen days. He
went on to Paramount and added
sixteen winners in twelve days. Al
cambridge he had fifty-seven win
ners in forty-nine days.
At Lincoln Fields he had three
winners in eight days. He won
twenty-three races in the HaW-
thorne meet. He rode nine days at
Arlington Downs, on the Waggoner
ranch in Texas, and brought in
twelve winners. 1t was at Arlington
Downs that he brought in four in a
row. Then came the meetings in
New Orleans, where the trackfolk
have been afraid to bet against him.
TTORSEMEN say that horses
L i know nerve when they see it.
And nerve is the story Of Gene
James, whose record matches, if
not excels, Riley's for sensational
ism. James was born in Louisville
in 1913, the son of q railroad me-
chanic who never rode a, horse in
his life. The boy never rode
horse, either, until 1880.
When Gene was 10 years old, he
craWled under the fence at Church.
i'll Downs and saw zev win the
Derby. He told his father he wanted
to ride horses, but this met with OBJ
jections. His father wanted him to
stay in school. The boy did, until
he reached his second year high.
Then the call became too strong.
He went to Roscoe Goose, famous
ex-jockey.
Goose gave the kid a job shot
walking" which means cooling off
horses after races and workouts by
walking them around. Gene got
his first chance to ride July 4 at
Latonia. Seven days later he
brought in his first winner, Madcap
Marvin. Though he did not ride
the full meeting at Latonia, James
had seventeen winners. At Dade
park he rode ten winners in as
many days, and went on to Lincoln
fields to win thirty in thirty days.
He went on to Churchill Downs
and in eleven days of riding
brought in twenty winners-f1ve of
them in day. Next at Latonia he
won thirty-one races in twenty
days. Today he is the ace rider OF
the stable of the millionaire grain
operator, Joe Letter Of Chicago.
a LII of this James accomplished
1 y despite four bad spills. At
Dade park his mount slipped on a
wet spot right at the break and
threw him. He mounted again that
day and a little later on the pro-
gram was thrown when entering the
stretch two lengths ahead of the
field. The whole pack passed over
him, but he was unScathed.
At Lincoln Fields he was thrown
when his horse was struck by the
heels of the runner in front of him.
A short time later he was thrown
again when his horse stumbled and
one Of the runners tramped on his
jaw. He was unconscious for a day,
part of his jaw was removed by a
sIlrgeon-but he went right from the
hospital to the track.