The Washington times., 1933-07-26
FIELD
. Of PRACTICE
FOR TRACK
BY HARRY COSTELLO

The name is synonymous with
horse racing.
The present Mars Cassidy, son
Of an illustrious sire, IS now a
veteran of IL years experience in
starting horses from the barrier.
He has started more than 10000
races. While his father before
him was famous starter, young
Mars" as he is known to the
racing fraternity, is even more
famous.
Literally born into his profes-
sion, young Mars Cassidy served
. long apprenticeship under his
daddy before qualifying a. a full
fledged starter.
Few Washingtonians connect
young Mars with the Marshall
Cassidy who played football at
Georgetown two decades ago. Yet
young Mars was a football player
of parts, and one who would have
been a star Of stars had he so
desired. AS student at George
town, young Mars preferred after
moons at the racetrack to after
moons spent in grid practice.
1t was as a halfback that
Marshall Cassidy first appeared
on old Georgetown Field. He
was a freckled-face lad with a
wide-open countenance and hair
that was between sandy and
blonde. Fast, agile and with
great leg drive, he was the max
ings Of an ideal halfback. He
weighed about 1855 pounds. His
quiet demeanor on the gridiron
belied his stalwart aggressiveness,
once action commenced. Big Dave
White, 210 pounds of dynamite
and Georgetown's fullback Of
those days, always said that
Marshall Cassidy tackled him
harder than any man ever did.
Great Ball Carrier
Young Cassidy appeared for
football practice through the first
season of his student days at
Georgetown. He was studying
law. He was assigned berth
with the varsity and replaced
Jim '"Tug" Fury at halfback in
most scrimmages. AS a ball
carrier he made a deep impress
sion on the coaches, but his love
of the horses sent him cavorting
off to the tracks on the very days
when he should have been hard at
at football drill.
Marshall Cassidy was one Of
Georgetown's most popular stu
dents. He was particularly popu-
lar with Hoya athletes. His
modesty, his soft-spoken words,
his generous nature and particu.
larly his utter fairness won him
a legion Of friends. It was said
Of him that he was incapable Of
intrusion, yet he was a fightin'
IriShman once riled.
Bud Shaver. columnist for the
Detroit Times, a Hearst news.
paper, writes Interestingly OF
young Mr.. Cassidy's work at Dev-
onshire, the oval across the De-
troit River from the City Of
Straits. Bud recites an incident
indicative of the character OF
young Mars.
After setting down Freddy Can
Erell, heady, cunning jockey who
rode for c. B. Irwin, the biggest
man in racing in the West, the
6rate owner confronted young
MARS.
THAT WAS THAT
'T see you set down one Of my
boys" began Irwin.
''Did II" responded Cassidy.
'cI didn't notice whose boy it
was"
Don't you know who I am?"
shouted the big racing man.
''I'm C. B. Irwin"
'T'm Marshall Cassidy" re-
piled the young starter evenly.
Extending his hand, young Mars
said: "I'm glad to meet yOu."
Irwin regarded the level-eyed
young man for an instant and
said:
Folks spend a lot of money
: to come to see my horses run
and my jockeys ride. They don't
pay to see you start races. That
boy of mine will ride tomorrow"
''YOur boy will not ride for 10
days." said Cassidy. The boy
didn't, and that was that.