Lester Reoff, Daily Racing Form, 1901-10-13

article


view raw text

LESTER RE CFF. Discussing the recent ruling off of Lester Reiff in England, the Spirit of the Times says : "That there.has been something wrong seems certain, but what, is not tangible. Possibly the most pertinent statement, is that credited to Charles Doherty, just returned, who says that the Eeene stable was the only one to receive decent treatment this year. Wishard, of course, stands by Reiff, who very naturally disclaims everything. Huggins also is quoted as believing that there was nothing wrong about the race. On the other hand, Mr. Corrigan, it i is rumored, will not race in England next I season, and it is also rumored that there will be j several changes in American surroundings in England.next year. The London Evening News alBO says: Many English racing men will not accept Mr. Whitneys cabled reasons for retiring from the English turf. They aver that the bad handicapping and loose riding are enough to disgust even a millionaire. There is undoubtedly something more than appears at present and time will bring it to tha surface. In the case of Sloan just as strong evidence was produced and claims made, but the fact remains that Sloan neither applied to the Jockey Club of this country to ride nor made his much talked of pilgrimage to England to demand an investigation. Yet the English Jockey Club was careful not to take any action which should reflect on Sloan in this country if he applied for a license. In the Reiff case they have gone a step further, and it will be interesting to note developements, Reiff was very prominent here a few years ago; he made tha highest percentage and number of wins of the year, but after his Californian suspension seemed to fall away. Prominent western turfmen claimed that he was not all to blame in that matter. "It is worthy of special notice that there is nothing but praise in the English press for Danny Mahor, and other American jockeys, and any apparent feeling is only directed against those Americans who, to say the least, have not been prominent in eastern or metropolitan racing circles of late years. This applies broadly to owners, trainers and jockeys. "The American record of Reiff muBt be taken into strict consideration, and also tha well-known attitude of the English Jockey Club as to even the suspicion of fraud of any typs as shown in tho ruling off of Charles Archer brother taFred Archer and the suspansion of Wood when he was premier jockey for.fiva years. Such action taken on English boys in the paBt, points a strong precedent to tho present case of Reiff, and timo, which ventilates most things, will probably mako all this regrettable tangle mora clear than it is at present. "From latest reports there is likely to be similar trouble in France, where Frenchmen aro complaining of Songor, Mclntyre who has boon set down, Henry and also Reiff. An American commenting on the situation says: If this continues and the American boys aro sot down a great cry will go up that Frenchmen are jealous of the success of the American riders. Tho contrary is tha case. They have bean too lenient. They should havo stamped out from the beginning all tendency to crookedness and sharpness. Unfortunately, their own jockeys are so bad that thay think it is the usual thing to bo swindled from time to time. This iB a rather strong view to take, but not more so than was taken some months ago of one or two American jockeys in England, As stated above, the great bulk of the American boys are in no trouble, are highly thought of and are doing wall,"


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1901101301/drf1901101301_1_5
Local Identifier: drf1901101301_1_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800