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VALUE OF A HIGHCLASS JOCKEY Clearly Demonstrated in Loftus Expert Horseman ¬ ship on Exterminator in Latonia Cup New York November 28 The value of a good jockey on a horse at critical moments was never more clearly demonstrated than in the recently run Lntonia CUD won by Exterminator through the ex ¬ pert jockeyship of John Loftns How many races he lias won through his ability tliis year and In the past can only be based on a matter of research and individual opinion It is safe to say however lie has won many memorable races not only on horses belonging to his contract employer Mr Ma comber but on those owned by other stables High class riders are as valuable to owners of horses as presidents of large corporations are to the stock ¬ holders They have the happy knack of doing the right tiling at the right time and thereby save and make fortunes It is the same with a rider of unquestioned ability He takes in a situation at a glance and knows just what to do and how much horse lie has to accomplish the task The majority of riders become bewildered in critical moments It is at such points the expert is a valuable asset to a stable Little wonder is it that owners of stake horses wisli to get the best riding material in the market and are willing to pay Ability counts no matter whether it is in ship building surgical operations counsel or race riding In his day Sloan won dozens of races on second and third best horses as have many able jockeys before him and since There is little doubt in the minds of the majority that Hilly Kelly would have been victorious over Eternal in their special race had the ridbrs been equal It also has been said that Hourless would not have beaten Omar Khayyam had the jockeys been reversed Tin late Philip J Dwyer used to say that jockeys were overpaid It is doubtful if lie alluded to the real highclass riders for many a stake his Imrses won through the knowledge of Jimmy McLaughlin who was first jockey for the Dxvyer Brothers for many years A search through the records will mi doubt bring out the fact that Loftus rarely makes a mistake He lias the happy faculty of knowing just what sort of horse is under him and how it should be ridden One can hardly recall an instance of his being pocketed in a race or in any kind of trouble from which lie could not extricate himself when opportunity offered Such traits in jockeys make them valuable Unfor ¬ tunately jockeys of the Loftus class are few and far between There have been many firstclass riders in this country in the two past generations notably Isaac Murphy William Hayward James McLarghlin Dare Devil Fitzpatrict John Spell maii Fred Taral Snariper Garrison Tod Sloan Walter Miller Danny Maher Carroll Shilling Frank ONeill among others rill of which were saddle artists but it is doubtful if they were superior to Loftus Frank Robinson cbmpares favorably with Loftns arid on two equal horses there would be little to choose between them The only advantage would be in favor of Loftus who is a stronger finisher than Robinson That is probably the dominating quality witli jockeys that are equal in other re ¬ spects
