Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-05
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ;, FRANCE, ,1.uu
They'd Kill Each Other
By FRANCIS STANN


for the National Jockeys Hall of Fame at Pmlico and
three of 10 nominees will be elected Among those who
may join Tod Sloan, Earl Sande, Sonny Workman ct al
are Billy Hayward, Jimmy Mclaughlin, Snapper Garrison
and Carroll Shilling.
Do these names ring bell? If they don't you're
still young william Billy Hayward an Englishman
who the first stakes race contested at Pmico
The date: october 26, 1870
Charlie Johnson of Pimlico and Charles Town, not to
mention Brooks Brothers, is better informed than most
race track public relations when 1t to history
Charlie isn't making pitch for any of the od-tmers-
to him they are legendbu he kind Of likes the chances
of, WELL Mclaughlin.
HE was the first Jockey who became popular as an
athlete and public hero Charlie reports Mclaughlin
was the leading American rider for four years and
six runnings of the Belmont Stakes in years Hay
ward and Mclaughlin were contemporary with Garrison,
Isaac Murphy and few other good ones"
JOHNSON, AVID PURsUER of the musty files, at
emptS in capsule form report the evolution of
riding in this country
As sports histories CO. is extremely BRIEF johnson
notes Prior to the Civil War all of the riders Negro
lads most of them in bondage to the Of the horses
they rode.
Horses at that time were run for endurance Now
they are run for speed. Four-mle heats common
and wasn't unusual to pair Of horses 20 miles
before race was decided"
Charles H. Nichoai identified by Johnson as patron
associated with Pmlco in its formative years. expressed
an opinion that the first white boy to become we'll known
as rder IN this country was an Irish lad named F1tz
patrick, who rode the famous stallion Boston
But 1t wasn't until after the Civil War that jockeys
AS professional riders-really into being I"
johnson reports Then racing grew too fast 1t wasn't
long before corruption set in and the sport out
awed in State fast 1t could pop up in another
Erection of bull ring track at nearly every hamlet in
New Jersey resulted in major racing in Maryland being
shut down in the 10000 period 1t during this time
189Shat The Jockey Club formed to clean up the
sport and return to the hands of gentlemen New York
ttSo hut IN hafnr ah
to purge itself"
1T is JOHNSONS NOTION that when racing be
came pure" kind Of professional Jockey was
spawned.
There is question but what this gave some
Of our altime riders-Waer Miller, Joe Noter, Shilling
and Winnie Powers, to only scant few. However,
one fragrant foul led to another fragrant"
From his research, Johnson is thinking that Shilling
has been getting bum rap HE was perhaps great
jockey lived" Charlie says but he was ruled
Of the track for life in 1918 Not it should be noted for
dishonesty cheating SUCH simply doing many
things to win Race riding was not-and still isnt-a
game for the faint-hearted"
THESE DAYS THE FILM PATROL, presumably in
vented by Steward Marshall Cassidy of New York. seems
to have "matured" good many riders Historian John
buys this item 1T revoutonized race riding and the
jockeys the most apprecative It's saved the
careers for riders lives for Others and it put the
horse back into horse racing Today the best horse wins
nine out Of 10 races not the best jockey And don't for
get the words of Eddie Arcaro"
What about the words Of Mr.. ArcaroP
He put it this way" Johnson reminds. Eddie said
Jockeys the only paid athletes who you left them
alone would kill each other You could start with
20 Jocks and at the end of three months of racing here
be only one left. If guy bothered you day you
Ednt go to the stewards You got him the next day.
Zhat-now I'm talking about the lsSOs-started chain
reaction"