The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-21
'MUNROE WON SPUR
 AS LITTLE GIANT OF HORSE RACING.
Rockingham and Agawanl Racing Secretary Around
 Tracks for 37 Years

tary in any enterprise, whether It be sporting or business, you'll find one of these little fellows who is short in stature but long on brains and ability. Invariably they are cocky, friendly and full of pep. That's Munroe.
 Just over five feet in height, he rules the trainers and jockeys with an understanding iron hand. As just as old King, Solomon, but as inexorable as justice itself, he is a Trojan for work and in action most of the twenty-four hours in the day. It is surprising the amount of work this brown eyed mighty.mite can accomplish. Munroe's saga would make that of the paper-back fiction heroes seem but a pale carbon of the or iginal. During the thirty-seven years that he has been connected with racing, as man and boy, he has run the gamut from race track guinea to the important job he now holds. Schooled in the curri- culum of practical experience, his background in the sport is one that cannot be denied.
 The New Hampshire Breeders Association may own this track, Lou Smith may be it's managing director, Mort Mahoney may ham dle the money, but Munr6e is the one who puts on the show. And without the show the track couldn't go on, for the "paytrons" must have entertainment in the | way of close finishes along with the privilege of betting.
 Thrill PrOvider
 During his tenure of office at Rockingham "the Little Giant" has become famous for his "blank- ct finishes". By means of his clever handicapping Munroe can produce enough eyelash finishes to keep the heart doctors supplied with patients.
 Contrary to the custom of some gentlemen of the turf, Munroe does not effect circus creations in clothes. Rather his claim to color is his personality. Most of the time you'll find him garbed in a quiet dark blue pencil-striped suit pearl gray crush hat, and shirt and tie of sombre pattern. He He also wears rimless glasses. His only concession to the ornate Is the large diamond ring that he wears oil the third finger of his left hand and the diamond stick pin that holds his cravat neatly in place.
 II broke into horse racing back in 1898 as an exercise boy at Newport, Ky" he explains. Dur ing that time have been connec- ted with racing have learned that experience is the only teach CT.
 q rode race horses for several years around St. Louis. That was in day when if you weren't con- nected with a big stable you were out of luck as far as being heard of as a rider was concerned. Real Work
 "At that time bay had to serve four years as an apprentice before he could ride race. Now the boys never see horse be- fore they come to the track, gallop horses for a couple of weeks, and the next thing you know they have a room in aNswanky hotel, fancy car, and an agent. Any of the old boys could rate a horse in .50 seconds over the four furlong route if 50 ordered. Now the riders are no judges of pace at all. Why, if we didn't rate the horses along as the trainer told us to we would have been flogged with a martingale. The old Jocks could also bandage up horse right knew how he should be shod, and what to feed him. They also could tell you after workout whether he was tired, loafing or just a quitter. Hump! imagine any of the young punks of today being able to do that.
 Well never have any good rid- CTS until the associations make it requirement. that the boys serve two years before riding a race. The five pounds allowance that g boy gets as an apprentice is, from the point of view of developing riders, tho worst evil in the game. As it is now, the boys spring up over night, ride a lot of winners and then as soon as they lose that bug" you never hear of them again. Why? Because they don't know which end of a horse they are sitting on.
 whom do I rate the leading jockeys? Well, that's a hard Ques- ton to answer. Why, in my day, there were as many as fifty riders who rated on a par. I would say, however that Herman Radtke was about the best light man ever saw. H was under contract to the Keene's and rode twenty-four consecutive winners at Hot Springs. Moreover, he was riding against the best of. his time, in- ciuding Gene Hildebrand. Milt Henry and Winnie O'Connor. Then, too, We had some good col ored riders in that day who didn't have to take off their hats to any of the white boys. Tom Bri- ton was one of the, best. He rode six horses that had the post posi- ton, or No. 1 spot, in six races at Newport, Ky. one day and brought them all home to win the entiAe | card.
 But, enough of that, trained horses for eight years. l had Pla- toon. He was. the best sprinter in the country. Any old horseman could tell you about him.
 i've built sixteen race tracks In my time. also built all these mu- tuel departments, and was the first one to post the "tote". We used to post 1t in chalk on the board, just as it is posted in lights on the board now. The first places we did that were at Polo Park and Whittier Park in Winnipeg.
 How do handicap horses? We'll, I take key horse in every race. Usually some horse that has run against some of the others somewhere around the country. Then I saw how much weight he was carrying, how far out front he was and the distance the race was. Then, knowing what the other horses did last time out, what they were carrying in the .,a..g x,,nl-f.k khA T I