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OUR JOCKEYS IN ENGLAND. One of the moat interesting features of the late thoroughbred racing season in England has been furnished by the signal success of American jockeys. Although four places removed from the head of the winning list James "Tod" Sloan overshadowed his rival artists in the important matter of percentage. He won 108 times out of 345 mounts, or at the ratio of about one in three. Only for a long suspension in the middle of the season for disobedience at the post Sloan would probably have left off with pride of place in the tabulated summary of the most successful riders. Starter Coventrys discipline forced the little American to cancel a number of promising engagements at the Liverpool Gocdvtood and other big meetings in July and August, but he made up bo much leoway when he got going again that he crowded the four native stars closely. Sloans principal achievements were on Sibola in the One Thousand Guineas, Dominie II. in the New Market Stakes, Knight of the Thistle in the Jubilee Stakes and Democrat in his remarkable series of two-year-old triumphs. His worst run of luck was at Derby and Manchester, whero ho rode nineteen successive losers, but this slump only emphasizes the fact that his other work must have been little short of phenomenal to land him in the high place he held when the curtain dropped. Sloans most formidable rival was Sam Lioates, who, in racing parlance, "put it on Tod" in several of the hottest finishes of the campaign. LoateB had the advantage of 731 mounts, more than twice Sloans allotment, and of these he brought home 160. the highest total of wins reached. O. Madden wound up next to LoateB, with 130 winB out of 807 mounts, and Mornington Cannon came third in order, with a winning string of 120 out of 168, a percentage only excelled by; that of Sloan and L. Beiff. Tom Loates, who split Madden and Cannon at the head of the list in 1898, dropped down two pegs this yesr, barely nosing Sloan out of fourth place with a winning total of 112 out of 693 attempts. While Sloan did so well in maintaining his prestige he did not monopolize all the honors credited to the Yankee school of riding. LsBter Beiff gets the fine percentage of 55 wins out of 181 mounts, and his younger brother, Johnny, found his way to the front 27 times out of 110 essays. The latter for a time threatened to supplant Sloan in popular estimation. His youth and diminutive sizeeaused general amazement when be first appeared, but this sentiment quickly changed to admiration as the tiny lad Bhowed in race after race that he knew the shortest way to the winning post and poBasesed all the nerve, strength and skill to got there. Little Beiff is the bantam weight of Lord William Berosfords powerful stable, and while Sloan was away during the summer the midget filled the gap eo effectively that his future is assured. The elder Beiff took much longer to attain the creditable place he now occupies. He had been riding in England with only moderate success since Encch WiBhard took him over a few years ago. During the past season, how-over, the increasing demand fo: Americau riders brought him into prominence and he filled his engagements so well, especially at the au tnmn msetings, that ho is now pointed out by the critics as one of the most desirable jockeys to be booked for the coming year. While the three American riderB already named were revolutionizing old theories among the Baxons, "Skeets" Martin put in an appoar-ance. He had not been very successful with Gideonand Daly here, his efforts on the crack two-year-old His Boyal Highness being so poor that his contract was canceled by mutual agreement. His English debut was signalized by brilliant victories, but juBt as he was about being hailed as the best of the "imported" contingent he struck an unlucky vein and ceased to be a contending factor in the struggle for riding supremacy. His percentage, however, compared favorably with that of the most noted British jockeys, as he scored an average of one win in every four mounts, which brought him on a level with Mornington Cannon. New York Sun.
