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BETWEEN RACES * 0SCAR °™ ARCADIA, Calif., June 13.— Jockey Ralph Neves may consider himself a rather lucky rider. Neves, who more or less unwittingly became involved with a disreputable tout, was sentenced to 15 days on the ground for his part in the affair, the California Horse Racing Board, at its meeting last Friday, giving him every benefit %of any doubt. Neves found out that his reputation, built up over a 15 -year period, for hard and honest riding, stood him in good stead when he became mixed up with this tout, one Kenneth Messenger. It might be mentioned that this affair rather sickened all concerned, including the racing commissioners, John Hanson, the West Coast head of the TRPB, and, we rather imagine, Neves himself. Neves had known Messenger when both served together in the Army during the war, and the jockeys willingness to do a good turn for an old army man led him into a "mess." Messenger used the Neves name in making a "score" with a Los Angeles business man, who became incensed and called the TRPB. Hanson swung the facilities of the TRPB into action at once, and when the tout called again, he was switched to a Spencer Drayton agent. The agent demanded that he pay the money due the tout to Neves the horse had won, incidentally, at better than favorites price and Messenger played right into his hand. He took the agent to the Neves home, where the operative handed Neves Ralph Neves Luckily Escapes Serious Jam A Good Name Weighs Heavily in His Favor Rider Branded As Gullible, Not Vicious TRPB Gains Stature Through Investigation an envelope. Neves refused it, and thereby saved himself. He wanted no part of such money for himself, but he did admit to allowing his old army friend to use him as stage-setting for such a scheme. AAA Bert Thompson, head of the Western Jockeys Guild, represented Neves at the board hearing, and informed the commissioners that while Neves was honest beyond question, he believed that Neves, whom he has known rather well for a period of many years, was one of the most gullible lads he had ever seen. This is, perhaps, true. Neves is known as a soft touch for a loan, and he has often tried to help people who have been unworthy of such aid and, in this instance, at considerable harm to himself. Neves himself did not endeavor to minimize any guilt he may have had in the affair, pleading rather that he had acted stupidly, very stupidly, but with the best of intentions. He did not know that Messenger currently was awaiting sentence on a touting charge in the Superior Court of Los Angeles. He did not realize that his heedless act would have rather violent reper cussions, among them being headlines on page 1 of many Los Angeles newspapers connecting him with a touting ring. Permitting himself to" be compromised, Neves jeopardized racing. Neves is rather a "big name" on the West Coast. As Loyd Wright, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, pointed out to him, he is looked upon as a pillar of strength in the saddle, and whatever his sins during a race, they have been on the side of trying to win too hard, resulting in a number of suspensions for rough riding. Offhand, this writer cannot recall a single major meeting in California in recent years, and before the war, as far as that is concerned, when Neves has not been up among the leaders. AAA Just a. few months ago, Johnny Longden wrote in a guest column for our friend and associate, Nelson Dunstan, that a rider now out of the saddle who had sold the use of his name to touts was not very considerate of his one-time friends in allowing a picture to be published showing this rider among a group of reinsmen, many still riding. Longden has a point, and well taken. The Neves mistake in the Messenger affair can be overlooked when it was shown that no evil intent on his part was evident. It was somewhat in sorrow that the commissioners were forced to mete out a penalty. They were, to use the words of Thompson, frankly shocked that a rider of Neves experience should be so gullible. Continued on Page Six BETWEEN RACES By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Forty The TRPB men, it might be mentioned, submitted their evidence to the board without bias. Their report was factual, and whenever extenuating circumstance appeared for Neves, it was duly noted. Neves himself said that the TRPB report gave an exact and accurate picture of what had transpired. Anyway, vNeves prbfusely thanked the commissioners after the verdict for their understanding attitude. He was fortunate indeed that he was not more severely punished. It is hoped his experience will have a salutary effect and that he will be extremely careful hereafter in his choice of associates. AAA. Perhaps nothing that the TRPB has done in the West has accomplished more to gain the good will and confidence of the turf itself than the Neves incident. The absolutely fair way in which the Spencer Drayton -organization handled the-case, through John Hanson, has earned the TRPB sincere respect. Too many people connected with the turf, usually in a minor capacity, have heretofore felt that, the Drayton men were just another bunch of "gumshoes." They are beginning to realize differently. Draytons men started from scratch on the turf with a couple of strikes on them and are now emerging as perhaps the best friend the turf has. An instance of this sort of thing, and it seems unfortunate that many such happenstances are never published, may be gleaned from a recent "ringer" investigation im the iar west. A small track, not a TRA member, became suspicious of a horse. This track asked the TRPB for help. Although off the "beaten path," Hanson ordered a full investigation, which traversed several state lines, and finally established the fact the horse under surveillance was not a ringer at all, but that some confusion had arisen way back along the line, a confusion untangled and straightened out by the TRPB. The situation was cleared and an innocent owner was saved from almost certain ruling off, with consequent irreparable harm to his good, name, noit to mention his livelihood.
