Evening star., 1955-05-24
ALSO RODE WISHING RING
Preokness Still Thrills
1905 Winning Jockey
By JOSEPH B. KELLY
Star Raeing Editor

BALTIMORE. May 24.-When
the band plays Maryland, My
Maryland" shortly before the
Preakness Saturday afternoon,
there will be an unobtrusive little
man in the throng who win
watch proceedings with special
feeling and perhaps a tear.
If you take a close look at him,
you might guess that he once
was a jockey as he weighs only
112 pounds. but you could not
guess that he rode the Preakness
winner As years ago.
He is Roy Estep. now 65. who
lives only a few blocks from the
Pimlico track and works regu-
larly in the mutuel department.
He expects that Bob Sloane. the
mutuel manager, will give him a
few moments off from his duties
in order to watch the Preakness.
Weighed GA Pounds Then
Estep vividly recalls that
afternoon in 1910 when he rode
Layminster to a half-length tri-
umph in the Preakness, then run
at a mile
II weighed 81 pounds and car
ried a big saddle and a lead pad
to make up the "a pounds" he
said. MY horse would have
been 100 to / If he had not been
part of an entry with Medallion.
The entry was owned by Capt.
E. B. CasSatt.
MY horse was kicked at the
post and when I glanced back
and saw the blood coming from
his leg I though I had little
chance" Estep added.
A newspaper account, reprint
ed in an old Pimlico brochure
verifies the veterans memories.
Glory for Baltimore
The Baltimore Sun reported
on May 7. 1910:
"The 16 days of racing of
the Maryland Jockey Club
which began at Pimlico April
20 concluded today and the at
tendance marked the largest in
the history of the club.
Today was the banner day
Of the meeting-it marked the
running Of the classic Preakness
Stakes. which was won by Capt.
E. B Cassatt's Layminster. For
the first time in the clubs his
tory, eight races were run dur
ing the afternoon. But the Bal
timore glory came with the fact
that little Roy Estep. the local
jockey. rode Layminster.
Flags of the course were at
half-mast out of respect to the
deceased King of England who
was a great lover of horse rae
ing. ="
King Edward VII died the day
Of the 1910 Preakness.
Layminster Makes Bid
The Suns account went on:
ITO a beautiful start, Busy
was first to go to the front; then
Clyde's Dalhousie showed and
led by a length at the three
quarter post. Turning into the
stretch. Layminster came out
strongly through the bunch,
challenged Dalhousie and beat
him a half-length.
"The running of Sager, who
finished head behind Dali
housie. was a feature of the
race. He met continuous in
reference. but by game running
moved from the rear and fin
ishing strongly in third place.
Had Nicol succeeded in keeping
him away from interference. it
looked as though he would have
had the winner"
"Layminster was kicked and
cut at the post. but forgot it when
the barrier was sprung. BY win
ming, the son of Matchless-
Northminster earned $4,000 net
for his owner and a $50 cup
The gross value of the stake
was $3,375."
Perhaps we should refrain
from mentioning it, but the ac-
count of the 1910 Preakness
seemed to indicate, among other
things, that the reporter who
wrote it may nave risked a dol
lar or two on Sager.
Rode Record PayOff Horse
When interviewed in the Pim-
lico mutuel department Estep
gazed with amazement at the
brochure which listed all IL of