Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-02-14
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW B, FRANCE, ,7Apu
This Is Mr.. Fitz

MIAMI, FEB. 13>-The quadrangle on which stands
Barn at Hialeah was kissed by the early morning
and caressed by gentle warming winds the first string
of thoroughbreds trained by Sunny Jim F1tzsimmons
walked in Indian file preparatory to going the track
for the morning works.
The old trainer who well could be the most beloved
in sports sat hunched in chair in the center and
smiled happily Saratoga in the summer, Haleah in
the winter" Mr.. Fitz unused What could be
want?" Mr. Fiz is 05 going on to another birthday in
July. This is his 18th year in racing
He doesn't know yet, but Hiaeah is dedcating its
final day-March ITO him. On "Mr Fitz" Day he will
be presented solid gold stopwatch, but eggnog will
he take Mr. Fitz has long memory. The day he gave
job delivering milk to horsemen to take up gaoping
horses for the Brannon Brothers Stable at Shepshead
Bay the date that Grover Cleveland taking
the oath of office President
The occasion called for some celebration in the
Brannon barn." Mr. Fitz reminSced, merry twinkle in
his eye. Somebody handed me glass of eggnog was
II years old. 1t tasted good something like milk
shake and was given another. The results
still bit hazy"
THIS FABULOUS, WONDERFUL old man basked in
the early and regretted that he had mastered
the art of remembering telephone numbers.
Faces don't forget he said, preening Bit but names
and numbers >. -
Yet as he sat in the center of the quadrange-and
Barn at Haleah has been assigned to him since 1882
he little awe-nspiring. There perhaps 20 Of
the 48 horses he is training for the Wheaey Stable for
Ogden PhippS for Edith Bancroft daughter of william
Woodward and for Mrs. Whitney Stone.
Mr.. Fz is bent these days that he carries crude
homemade stick with dot-yourself padding in the
center This he places under his armpitS from the back
hooking his each end of the stick. When he
shakes hands, Sunny Jim deity dsengageS his right hand
and, just as deity, re-engageS his support.
The exercise boys now were up on Mr.. Fitz first
section he second was to follow an hour later and
without seeming look at the horses and without raising
his voice, Mr. Fitz gave his instructions.
JASPER" HE SAID, quietly, take him to the eighth
pole then go nice and straight. You know how far"
,;r iaJ 16a hnInoa EaI
Chico, go twice around with the FLY"
Eyes, sir"
Tommy" as another horse a big chestnut walked
past don't get him roughed up. We've got to keep him
sound The eighth to the 18th pole And don't forget
to pull up at three-eghths to give the others chance
to get out of your way"
YES sir"
"And you claim you have trouble remembering names?"
Mr.. Fitz' visitor asked. Jasper Chico Tommy
all the rest? Not to mention the horses?"
"Oh, should do better" Sunny Jim said. Trouble
Is, you can't keep exercise boys these days They get
pretty good and somebody offers 50 and, first thing
you know they're gone"
NEARLY EVERYBODY knows that Mr.. Fitz saddled
such great Gallant Fox and Omaha and Bold
Ruler and Nashua. But not Sunny jim knows how
many horses he's trained during his lifetime my boy
keeps the records and they pretty far back although
not all the way" Mr. Fz said, noddng to his John
His hoy" is in his COS. All told, Sunny Jim had SO
descendants at this writing spanning four generations
And his best? Fitzsmmons hedges, it seems this
count. Gallant FOX was taVorlte OF mine. He won
just 2year-old but the best 3year- old
in the land Davolo tremendous 4-year-old. he
was like Tom Fool, guess. Nashua Bold Ruler
they real good too
Nashua big, sound and lazy He full of
hell Not mean mind you, but mischevous. Bold Ruler
wasn't too sound but he cheerful and tried to do
everything you asked him to do.
Nashua didn't win the Kentucky Derby because the
traner-that's me-blundered. I'd heard about Swaps
the California sensation I'd heard that he could go
mile that mile and eighth maybe his best
lost the Derby-not Nashua not Eddie Arcaro. who
rode him."
SUMNER TAN WAS THE horse Mr.. Fftz feared that
year, like Amos Alonzo Stage feared Purdue 81
told Arcaro to watch Summer Tan forget Swaps II
mistake. The stolen Yet now that
look back I'm glad in way lost the Derby"
"HowS that?" he asked.
There would have been match race-swaps
versus Nashua-if my horse had the Derby I am
against match races but that in Chicago was my
greatest thrill.
Nashua beat Swaps pretty good if you remember
lance. He simply didn't win the Derby that was my
fault Like sad told Arcaro to concentrate on Summer
Tan and he did. Then, when Eddie that Swaps wa.
going to make it, it little too late"
The next question delicate. Wasn't training Al
horses a large undertaking for a man of {. we'll
nearly 86?"
Mr.. Fitz laughed. We'll I've trained as many as 3d.
he said You might even say I'm cutting back little
And, finally the secret of long, active life in hurry
bury business.
Friends" the old man smiled. "I made lot O
friends. What I'm proudest of lost friend.