Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-07
Nv CHARLES McGUIRK

ny f'ANNN
THE fields were green that
morning at Arlington Park.
The young sun was warming the
lacy clouds and breaking them up
into white spindrift that chased
across the deep blue sky, The
dew still glistened on leat and
shrub and lawn. The horses
thudding down The track IN tho
early morning workout burgeoned
with the JOY OF living.
Johnny Jones sat on rail with
a stop watch in his hand and
clocked Storm Warning. a nervous
biz bay 4-year-old stallion whose
actions were dangerous and highly
uncertain.
But the Storm felt like working
this morning He worked 10 get
rid Of the super energy. He came
down the home stretch. a stream
lined fieSh-and- blood engine. built
and born and trained for speed
Johnny watched him pounding
past. He could hear his Jockey
talking 10 him. He saw the
Storms stride lengthen apd his
ears 60 back. Five seconds later
he flashed past the Judges stand.
AT that instant, Johnny'S thumb
went down on the stop watch and
he lifted it and looked at its face.
The Storms time was three
seconds under the track record
and, Johnny knew, he wasn't even
all out. He still had stuff that he
hadn't used.
"Mr. stern" Johnny whis-
pered TO himself, has him a
hOss."
HE OUGHT TO KNOW
Johnny ought TO know. Six
years ago. he was up there at the
top. Turf writer's had classed him
with Tod Sloan and Murphy, those
old-.ime greats. When he was
up there, Eddie Meade was still
climbing and the Jockeys that
would fill tomorrow's horizon were
just throwing their legs over their
first mounts as exercise boys.
Six years ago and getting
further away each year. Johnny
listened 10 the reverberations of
the hooves on the track and the
short, sharp orders of the exercise
boys He looked up at the sky
which promised a perfect day He
looked at the earth in all its
lreenness.
He thought of yesterday and all
its glories. He thought of tomor-
row and all its uncertainties. His
mouth set grin1iy. He knew that
nature nor people ever really ex-
cuse mistakes. People say they
do but they don't.
Disbursement settled on his
shoulders and near drove him
down through the rail II clutched
at his chest and made il hard 10
breathe. In his mind again, he
heard the voices.
"Sorry, Jones, I've already
given the mount 10 Jardin--
or Smith or Brown"
Johnny always knew when they
were lying. Even the ones with
the honest eyes. Those eyes al
ways slid away when their owners
were triff1ing with the truth. They
slid away and. though they came
right back TO his with challenge
in them. Johnny knew they hadn't
got another jockey They just
wouldn't give him a mount. They
didn't trust him.
HE COULDN'T LOSE
He reached for the past as a
drunkard reaches for the bottle
when the world gets too tough.
He thought about what he had
been 10 keep from remembering
what he was and fearing what he
would be tomorrow
Six years ago. he bitterly re-
membered. he couldn't lose. II
had all come 10 him suddenly.
Four years of riding and. all at
once, he was master Of his trade
Boy, that was feeling Every
big-timer had IT, 1t was in Jack
Dempsey's heart the day he bat
tered the giant Willard to a pulp
at Toledo.
II ran through that guy Shake
.speare's fingers when he was
writing the words everybody was