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C. KURTSINGER AND J. POLLARD Records of the Jockeys Who Will Ride War Admiral and Seabiscuit in Match Race Decoration Day. Second in importance only to the horses themselves are the two riders who will guide War Admiral and Seabiscuit in their Memorial Day match race at Belmont Park, May 30, for a prize of 00,000. Charley Kurt-singer, who will guide War Admiral, is thirty-one years old, while John Pollard, his rival, is twenty-nine. Kurtsinger is a Ken-tuckian, born in Anchorage, not far from Churchill Downs, while Pollard first saw the light of day in Butte, Montana. Both states are famous "horse states," with Kentucky the nursery of the thoroughbred and the western commonwealth famous for its mustangs. * In respect to lifetime percentage there is not much to choose between Kurtsinger and Pollard. There is exactly the same difference in the length of their riding careers as there is in age — two years. The current season is Kurtsingers fifteenth campaign, in the saddle, while Pollard at the completion of 1938 will have a record of thirteen years. During his fifteen years in the saddle Kurtsinger has averaged 13 per cent; Pollard 12. POOR YEAR. So far this year Pollard has not ridden a winner and if he wins astride Seabiscuit it may be his maiden 1938 triumph. In money won, despite only two years difference in the saddle, Kurtsinger leads his rival by more than one million dollars and his record of stake victories so far overshadows the Montana riders record as to leave no basis for comparison. Facts are facts and without attempting to i underestimate Pollards ability, he was never an outstanding rider or figured largely in major races of this country until the appearance of and his association with Sea-biscuit. The latter "made" Pollard what he is today. Neither rider can boast of his lifetime average, but War Admiral will be more favored by the presence of Kurtsinger in his saddle than will Seabiscuit with Pollard astride. Kurtsinger seems to rise to the heights and "outride" himself when the | "checks" are down or big money is at stake. He has not been hailed as a "money" rider exactly, but he comes as close to filling that designation as anyone of our present day riders. The "Lucky Dutchman" was considered through two years back until he became associated with Bert Michell and the Emil Denemark stable. They cleaned up in Florida and the impetus given the Ken-tuckian by that start has carried him along up to the present. Following are the riding records of both jockeys : CHARLES KURTSINGER Amount Year. Mts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp.P.C. Won. 1924 64 3 5 6 50 .05 $ 3,650 1925 136 15 23 19 79 .11 19,610 1926 101 10 15 12 64 .10 11,503 1927 32 2 2 4 24 .06 2,200 1928 218 19 25 34 140 .09 23,275 1929 412 64 57 50 241 .13 78.570 1930 571 88 90 75 318 .15 179.280 1931 519 93 82 79 265 .18 392.095 1932 341 34 48 49 210 .10 57,932 1933 134 14 19 23 78 .10 90.595 1934 478 44 62 59 313 .09 70.340 1935 546 71 60 66 349 .13 137,507 1936 651 81 84 78 408.12 110.629 1937 765 120 94 106 445 .16 384,202 *1938 229 27 24 33 145.12 88.425 Totals 5.197 685 690 693 3,129 .13 ,649,813 *Including racing of May 18. J. "RED" POLLARD Amount Year. Mts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp.P.C. Won. 1926 8 1 1 1 5 .12 $ 760 1927 160 15 20 28 97 .09 7.815 1928 297 53 31 47 166 .13 21,710 1929 304 45 49 41 169 .15 23.435 1930 386 33 46 46 261 .09 26,670 1931 635 75 64 63 433 .12 75.485 1932 435 35 57 45 298 .08 34,247 1933 670 99 85 73 413.10 64.530 1934 511 72 55 55 329 .14 77,345 1935 559 61 52 58 388 .11 16,092 1936 371 35 39 38 259 .09 51,950 1937 437 57 56 53 271 .13 224,563 *1938 60 0 2 7 51.00 1,570 Totals 4,833 581 557 555 3,140 .12 26,172 ■"Including racing of May 18.
