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JACKSON AND NEGRO JOCKEY General Andrew Jackson has often been described as a man of three great passions: First, his passion for his country; second, his passion for a race horse ; third, his passion for a horse race. Many are the stories told about this famous American and his famous horses. Here is one : General Andrew Jackson, the hero of New Orleans, stepped into the paddock at the famous Clover Bottom course near Nashville. He addressed Monkey Simon, the diminutive negro jockey, a veritable wizard of the saddle, who, it later developed, would "hoodoo" opposing jockeys by his alleged powers of conjuring, who had the mount on a horse entered against the Jackson stable. "Dont you squirt tobacco juice in my horses eyes," commanded General Jackson. "Hell, Gineral, Ive rid against yo horses lots of time, an none of em got close nough to me to squirt terbaker in their eyes," replied Monkey. General Jackson took the thrust of the little negro good-naturedly.
