Evening star., 1941-01-21
SIXTH RACE - VOLITANT,
RED DOCK. FLYING ILL.
Down the Stretch
BY GREG JOHNSON.

For almost a quarter century, since
1918 to be exact, the name Earl
Sande has been on the tips of the
tongues of all devotees of thorough
breds.
First, 1t was Sande the rider-the
rider who many unbiased critics
say rated with the best Of all time
Now 1t Is Sande the trainer-the
trainer who, in 1888. saddled WIN
ners of s226,495 to gain leadership
in the money won" column of
trainer records.
Sande's every move here is closely
watched Why? Because he is pre-
pairing Maxwell Hovard's The Chief
for the March running of the
s50,000 Widener Cup. Handlers of
the split-second watches have spread
the report that The Chief has been
doing everything asked of him to
date and should be rated the dark
horse of the 1l4-mile closing feature
of the Miami Jockey Clubs meeting.
The Earl" as Sande was dubbed
many years back by Damon Runyan,
is making no predictions as to what
The Chief will or will not do in
the March ! classic. Sande admits
that quite a few horses around here
might handle The Chief easily up
TO a mile. but from there on. Sande
says, The Chief won't be any soft
touch for any mans horse.
Turf records say Sande's 43, and
it was % years ago that he made
his first appearance in big-time
racing. In discussing that eventful
day-January 81, 1918. when he won
his first race astride Prince S.
Sande said, Il most certainly didn't
figure racing would hold so much
for me and I'm certainly grateful" p"
Sandes task of winning the
Widener with The Chief is gigantic
one. Pointing for the same stake
are such noted trainers as George
Odom. Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons,
Pete Coyne. Ben Jones and Hirsch
Jacobs, all men who tossed Sande
aboard their horses when THE
Earl" was the turfs saddle luminary.
Some readers of The Star may
not be familiar with Sande's riding
record, therefore we are going to
give few facts as to his saddle skill.
After losing his 5-pound apprentice
allowance in July of 1918, Sande S
contract was purchased by Comdr.
j. K. l.. Ross of Canada. THE Earl
rode many winners for Ross until
October II, 1920. At that point,
Ross took Sande of Sir Barton
when that horse was slated To
meet Man O. War in a match race.
Frankie Keogh. now patrol judge
here, as well as on all New York
tracks, was substituted for Sande.
The latter then quit the Ross
establishment.
Sande signed with Harry F. Sim
clair, who operated the famous
Rancocas Stable. They parted COM
pany in 1924. and the same year
Sande fell from the late James
Buffers Spur. suffering a fracture
OF the left femur. Returning to the
saddle the next spring at Havre de
Grace, Sande kicked Mrs. Graham
Fair Vanderbilt's Sarazen to a s.
furlong track record OF Ill.
From 1924 until well into 1928
Sande rode for Joseph Early
Widener, who was responsible for
this magnificent racing plant. Ill
ness caused Sande to hang up his
tack. His initial training venture
wasn't success, however, and
Sande returned to the saddle aboard
William Woodward's Belair stud
horses. Gallant Fox was the best of
Sande's mounts that year, winning
$3O8,275.
Sande rested up in 1881 and then
tried another comeback in 1882,
only to be forced to give up due to
bothersome appendix. In the fall
of 1882 Sande went to work for Col.
Maxwell Howard, his present en-
ployer. The entire turf world knows
of Sandes success with Stagehand
and others of the Maxwell string.
During his riding career Sande
rode 969 winners for lifetime per-
centage of %. His mounts won
more than 100000 in purses and
thrice carried him into the Ken
lucky Derby winners circle, first on
Zev, 1928, then on Flying Ebony in
1925 and finally Gallant Fox in 1880
He rates Man o. War the best horse
he ever rode.