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BURNS WAS A GREAT RIDER American Jockey Once Rode for Former German Kaiser. Had Mount on Goodjricli in Record Mile anil a Half at "Washington Park. s The achievements of jockey Thomas II. a a Burns, Avho figured as Americas premier j, rider in"lS9S and 1S99, and who for several years thereafter continued to hold high rank among American jockeys, after which he repeated his American successes abroad, are still fresh in the minds of turf patrons. A To recall the successful career of Tommy Burns on the turf is to bring to mind such -riders as Arthur Red fern, George M. Odom, j Jay Ranch, Harry Cochran. John Bullman, r Lucien Lvne, Jack Martin, Winnie OConnor, c Henry McCue, Nash Turner, J. Winkfield, I Sam Doggett and Danny Maher. When Burns was at his best his fellow jockeys with whom he had to compete were rj the equals of any of the star riders of other r times. For, to be added to the list as quoted, Burns rode against the celebrated Charles I Thorpe, two great colored riders, Tony l Hamilton and Willis Simms, and the best of them all, Tod Sloan. BUDGET OF MIDGETS. As long ago as 1S93, Burns, then a midget of midgets, was riding at St Louis under c the tutelage of Tom Hurn nad Dave Waldo. In 1S9S and 1S99 he earned the proud posi- , tion of leading jockey of the United States 3 in number of winning mounts, and ranked among the leading riders of the country in other years as well. When Burns was at the zenith of his fame no rider had anything J on him. He started in riding at seventy-five j pounds and won his first success at St. Paul in 1S94 on Uncle Jim, owned by "Deaf Tom" 1 Hurn, a turf character of that period. J Burns began to show his good form in ,. 1S9G and 1S97. He was engaged by John W. Schorr, and Charley Ellison, since famed , in hand. It was as a plunger, took him with Burns that Mr. Ellison made his for- l tune. The boys success brought to them J many thousands of dollars. So successful was he on the Schorr racers that it became the talk of the track that the "two -best horses" Schorr owned were i trainer Walker and jockey Burns. It was upon such performers as Macy, MeadoAV-thorpe, Charley Christy, Cathedral. Presbyterian, Judith Campbell, Lady Schorr, Sea Robber, Algol, Timemaker, Ornung, Greenock and Lieber Karl that he won fame. For several seasons Burns was little known to metropolitan turf patrons, for the reason that Mr. Schorr confined his efforts to western courses. However, in 1900, Mr. Schorr took a whirl at the big tracks and the horsemen of New York quickly discovered that they had more to fear from his rider than from his racers. That astute horseman, John E. Madden, forthwith sized , up Burns and was not long in persuading W. C. Whitney that the Schorr rider was the : one he was looking for. SIOS WITH W. C. WniTXEY. In the winter of 1901 a deal was made . whereby Burns entered the service of Mr. Whitnev. He began riding for the Whitney stable in the spring of 1902. Without delay he won with Brno Girl in the Juvenile Stakes at Morris Park. Henceforth Burns star dazzled. Burns remained with Whtiney until that great turfman and capitalist died. Next he rode for Capt S. S. Brown and later for E. E. Smathers, in whose colores he rode the great McChesney, Grand Opera and other cracks. Mr. Smathers ceased racing when McChesney broke down. Burns career began in 1893. Born in Canada, he was picked up when hardly more than a child by his first cousin, Tom Hurn, who had the horses Cashier, Outcry, First Day, Blue Eyes and Milwaukee. Burns showed aptitude from the beginning. His first important victory was on Milwaukee in a race in Chicago at a mile and a quarter. This event was in the Clark Stakes, at Harlem. He rode many winners prior to thi3, and at Roby, in 1393, in an owners handicap, he finished second on Governor Porter, making weight that day at exactly fifty-five pounds. Bight after that he rode at fifty-three pounds, and lie piloted Helen Wrenn first to the wire when he weighed barely sixty pounds. Burns developed rapidly. He was as quick as lightning at the post and as a front rider he was a wonder. Frequently he nosed out Tod Sloan. He often did things least expected from him, but never was he accused of being dishonest Burns established the fastest American time for a mile and a half with Goodrich at Washington Park, Chicago, July 1G, 1S98. The time was 2:30 1-4, and stood till 1920. He set another mark in Chicago when he rode Algol in the Wheeler Handicap at one mile and a quarter. The time was 2:04 1-2. Algol was a 10 to 1 shot Burns rode Algol in many handicaps and won many mile races with him in 1:40, with weight ranging from 120 to 129 pounds. The day Algol ran a mile and a quarter in 2:04 1-2, the records established by Tenny and Salvator were smashed. In 1907 Burns rode in France and Germany, and ranked as the third best jockey in the former country. As chief rider for the Emperor of Germany, he received from the Kaiser 40,000 marks, or ?S,000, the most liberal salary paid by that ruler up to that time to a rider of his racers. At the international meeting he Avon the Baden-Baden, worth ?G,000. He won the big Hamburg prize and finished third in the German Derby, which was won by Willie Shaw. He won many races in Germany at two miles and a quarter, and with one horse captured ten straight races. BUItXS RETURNS HOME. Burns reappeared on the turf in this country in the summer of 1909. At Latonia he rode Font home in front of the fleet Jeff Bernstein. Up to that time Jeff Bernstein had been invincible. Later on he rode at Fort Erie. In a jam, Burns went down and sustained a broken collar bone. That settled it, Burns thought, and he Avent home to New York. He was out of the saddle for about a year. Then he purchased Glucose, Premier and other horses, some of which he occasionally rode in their races. Burns married a daughter of James McLaughlin, himself one of the best jockeys of his day, and had two children. As he was a thrifty chap, it has always been supposed that he retired from the saddle with enough money to carry him. through life. His stake Aictories included the Adirondack Handicap at Saratoga in 1901, on Broadcloth ; Brighton Handicap, Brighton Beach, 1904, on Broomstick ; Broadway Stakes, GraA-esend, 1903, on Irish Lad ; Brooklyn Handicap, GraA-esend, 1905. on Delhi ; Carlton Stakes, 1902, on King Hanover ; 1903, on Reliable; Double Event first part, Sheepshead Bay, 1902, on . Mexican; Eclipse Stakes, Morris Park 1901, on Blue Girl ; Expectation Stakes, GraAesend, 1902, on Advance Guard ; Grand Union Hotel Stakes, Saratoga, 1901, on King Hanover ; 1902, on Grey Friar ; Great American Stakes, GraA-esend, 1901, on Blue Girl ; Great Filly Stakes, Sheepshead Bay, 1902, on Girdle ; 1905, on Running Water ; Mermaid Stakes, Sheepshead Bay, 1902, on Gunfire ; Metropolitan Handicap, Morris Park, 1903, on Gunfire ; Saratoga Handicap, 1905, on CaughnaAvaga ; Second Special, Gravesend, 1900, on Imp ; St Louis Derby, Fair Grounds, 1900, on Sam Phillips ; Tennessee Derby, Memphis, 189S, on Lieber Karl ; 190G, on Lady Niwarre ; Tennessee Oaks, 190G, on Lady NaAarre ; TraA-ers Stakes, Sheepshead Bay, 1904, on Broomstick; Twin City Handicap, Sheepshead Bay, 1904, on Caughnawaga, Wheeler Handicap, Washington Park, 189S, on Algol, and numerous others. Few jockeys that haA-e ridden in this country can duplicate or approach the record Avhich Tommy Burns lias to his credit, as shown in the following tabulation of his saddle showing in America from the time that he first headed the list of American riders in 1S9S down to the end of his career: Year. Mts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp. P.C. 1S9S 973 277 213 149 334 .2S 1899 1.0C4 273 173 2GG 352 .20 1903 rG5 138 107 90 230 .21 1901 717 150 150 97 314 .21 1002 C1G 133 110 77 32G .20 1903 . 823 15G 134 102 431 .19 1931 C4G SO 103 93 3GS . .12 1935 545 74 G4 70 337 .13 190G 179 15 27 IS 119 .03 1907 Rode in France and Germany. 1903 95 13 14 14 54 .14 1909 ICG 10 20 24 1C0 .10 1910 1 0 0 0 1 .00 1911 23 5 5 4 9 .22 1912 ..... 7 3 2 0 2 .43 Tolal ...... C.450 1,333 1,131 1,009 2,977 .21-
