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MGIBBEN TALKS ABOUT JOCKEYS. High Opinion of "Hand Ridinq Kelly" — Sandy a Comer — Sloan Master of Them All. Ever since the da s of tlie old Bay District, track. Sam McGtbben has been in the employ of the California Joekey Club, his duties being to superintend the stabling and to look after the Jockeys, keep track of their engagements, see that they get their fees. etc. In this capacity 1 e baa practically lived with the riders all these years and no man in the west is probably better qualified to pass judgment on the boys of the past and the present than is he. The San Francisco Chronicles man at Oakland found him at leisure long enough a few days ao t pet this Interesting chat from bam: "Just at the present time are have a number of very fair hoys riding here. Of course, every one knows nrhal Miller ran do. but not detracting from his ability. 1 think I would .in*: as BOOB put Frank Kelly up in any race, where be could do the weight, as any rider in America today. No Jockey can beat him av.ay from the post and as a judge of pace and ■ jollier of s..iu dispositioiud horses I 3icer saw his superior. Ii i only a great pity that vve do not see him often in the parade. My. but what a horseman he would make OB the other side, where the Scale of weight, is higher. "As a manipulator Tod SI. an had all the riders of his time and. in fait, of any lime, beat forty sraya. At Ingle side In the old days Tod would often come to me after a race. " Who owns SBCh and sack a horse. Sam.* he ■would say. mentioning probably some nag that had finished away back in the ruck. "Now if you can get them to put him in the same kind of race as today and gel me the mount I believe I could win. He was hardly ever mistaken, and a few days afterward he would come home in front with this horse that was little thoaght of. "•Sloan didnt need a manager. He was far and ii way the most brainy l oy that ever rode under my jurisdiction. He could learn anything Mains! J He was a ;. 1 shot, played billiards well, skated well. in fact, he excelled in anything he undertook. I know tii.it Tod was often roasted in print and incurred the enmity of many high officials, but I always foaad him easy to handle and a perfect little gentleman. To wanted to l e somebody. I think that phase of his character was to his credit. "Little Saiely is a mighty promising rider. He is a boy that can hardly fail to make his mark and N as alee a little fellow as one wants to meet. 1 think Bill Knapp is the most popular rider. He gets more applause rasa the boys after winning a race than any of them. Kn.ipp is a good hay every way: lakes care of his family and is a credit to his calling. "MeBride N another nice little fellow, quiet ami unassuming; so is Gene Hildebrand. Radtko is, without doubt, one of the greatest riders this or any other country ever produced. He is one of those rough and-tunible fellows, and I think the only man he ever really stood in awe of is John Oliver Keene, who brought him out. I heard a good story of an occurrence just after James R. Keene. vice-chairman of the lackey Club, had secured" second call on his services. "Mr. Keene went to the jockeys room at Sheeps-liead Bay and lequeSBSd Algernon Daingerfield to haing Bad fir out. as he wanted to have a personal interview with his new rider. "The Jockey followed Mr. Dalngerneld out on the lawn. "Jhis is Kadt]*e. Mr. Keene. began the former by way of Introduction, but was cut off short by the rider, who looked the veteran turfman out cynically. Bosh. lie retorted with some warmth. What an you stringin me for? That aint Keene. And lie turned on his heel and stalked back to the SCaleatOCBB. He had evidently expected to see his old employer. "But Kiidtke was never a marker to Frankie Jordan or Dec Tuberville. If any jostling or rougli work occurred In any race where either of these boys rode. I tell you we had to keep our eyes open when they Weighed in. They didnt care where they started a right if they felt aggrieved, and often it took the whole force to avert a desperate enoounter. They were both great riders and would take any kind of a chance iu a race. Doc Tuberville went to New York with Johnnie Campbell, comparatively speakiui.. unknown, and won the grant Futurity on Ogden. a despised outsider, while Jordans career to the day that he got too heavy to ride was one continuous roand of fireworks. He steered QaeeaJe Trowhridge to victory at Monmouth When site won at odds of KB to 1. and was the medium of the biggest killing ever made on the American turf, and in the palmy days of Chris Smiths stalde he rode Yo Tambien to many of her victories No gambler that ever lived could outbet Jordan. On one occasion at St. Louis he cut up SO 1 adly that be was lined Sl.ono by the stewards, besides being set down. Frankie took a 0 bill and ran it up to nearly o.ooo before the day was over. Another time, when Jordan was riding at St. Louis. Oris Smith sent for him to come to New York to ride his great mare. Lamplighter was in the rac-e and the foreign liooks laid 4 to 1 against Yo Taml.h n. A big bettor in St. Loais wired to Chicago to know if Frankie had arrived sober, and the answer was in the affirmative. Then they just ate up that chalk game. It looked as if everybody that could scrape up a dollar in the Missouri town tiet on the peerless daughter of Marian. When she hit the Stretch, a length behind Captain Browns champion, frankie sat down to ride what was. perhaps the most desperate finish of his career, and just squeezed her home in front by the narrowest of margins. There was more wine opened in St. Louis racing circles that night than was ever recorded before or since. Chris Smith gave Jordan ,000 for winning, and he wasnt beard of for more than a week. Then one day lie drifted in throngs the gate of the fair Grounds, black with coal dust and -aunt as a coyote in the deep snow time. He had spent the princely fee and had beaten his way nick on the blind baggage. "I think we have on the average very fair talent here just now. Little Kirschbaum will make a good boy. So will Buxton. Leroy Williams is a consistent bpy, While Brown. Graham and Wilson showed that they had to be considered on the Northern circuit. "Of course, as usual. I suppose, California will develop a star rider this winter, as it has nearly every other year. It is a little early to prognosticate yet. but as the spring advances and the track gets good I look for several of our youngsters to show form that will place them in the front rank of American riders. "
