view raw text
♦ Young Lanes Feet on Ground Whether on Flat, Over Jumps Ed Christmas Says Country ♦ Boy From Delaware in His Employ Will Be All Right By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 13. — "Please interview Warren Lane, should make good feature," the message from the boss read. You had to agree that there were possibilities in the story of a young lad capable of riding at 106 pounds on the flat, but who had spent a successful season riding in steeplechase and over hurdles and had returned successfully to flat racing, though it might be a story for a psychiatrist. You were dubious about doing a feature on the boy, however, for what seemed the very good reason that such stories about other youngsters more often than not had disastrous effects. Too many boys believe their press clippings and flattering publicity has ruined as many talented youngsters as bad company. Indeed, the two influences go together, the unfortunate companions of both sexes often being attracted to the boys by this same publicity. You have only been talking to Lane for a couple of minutes in the Belmont Park jockeys room when you suspect that this is one boy whose head is unlikely to swell because he has become "news." Despite his youth, Lane is not yet 21, the quiet-spoken, pleasant looking lad seems to have achieved some perspective about himself. This becomes evident when he tells you: "I broke my maiden way too soon. It was . on my eighth mount, I think, a horse of Mr. Frank Stouts named Captain Boudour at Laurel on April 6, 1951. I didnt do any good after that until almost the end of the Monmouth Park meeting late in the sum- i mer. I could hardly sit on a horse and I had everything to learn and no way of learning anything until I got with Tommy Heard." Lane was something of a sensation, once he hit his stride again, winning 35 races in the latter part of 1951 and leading the apprentice riders at Atlantic City and Garden State Park. Explains Riding Switch "What made you switch to jumping races?" Lane was asked. "Did you develop a suicide complex, or something?" "Nothing like that," the boy said, "though ■ I like riding over jumps and have been lucky enough never to break any bones, , though Ive had falls." He rapped his knuckles on the cabinet of the television set we were leaning against. "It was because of an infected leg. My leg got infected that fall, not from an injury. I guess it was made worse by the chafing of my boot. Anyway, it got bad and it kept me on the ground several weeks. Well, when I wanted to start riding again, everybody had forgotten all about me, and my weight had gone up to 114 pounds. So I went to Mr. Jim Ryan at Camden; he had given me : my first job around horses, and he put me to work in South Carolina schooling horses over jumps. Then, when the stable came North, he asked me if I wanted to ride races and I did, so I got my chance. Once I started doing good, I won five races, I was afraid to stop." "But now youre back riding on the flat again. How did that happen?" you ask. "Well," Lane said. "Last fall, I decided I wanted to stay near my folks instead of going down to Camden again with Mr. Ryan. They have a farm in Delaware. So I asked around and Jimmy Rich, he used to be a jumping rider, told me hed speak to Mr. Ed Christmas about getting me a job exercising horses, during the winter so I could stay in Maryland, near home. I hadnt been with Mr. Christmas more than four or five days when he asked me if I wanted to ride a horse named Beale Street in a race. Of course, I said yes, and the horse won. Then I won the next two races I rode for Mr. Christmas and Ive been riding for him ever since. "Hes the best boss Ive ever had," the boy said very earnestly, "and I want to keep on working for him as long as hell have me around." Favorably impressed, but still a mite doubtful, you decided to consult with Ed Christmas on the wisdom of publicizing his protege. Needs Some Smoothening "I dont think itll hurt him any," "Old Honesty" said slowly. "Hes a boy who comes of good American country stock. Good father and good mother and good brothers , and sisters. Still got a lot of the country . in him, good farm country. Going to be a good rider, too, though he still needs , some smoothening. But he knows it. One , Continued on Foge Forty Six JOCKEY WARREN LANE _ V T . £ r tl h w w " do j ™ to his h h d »■ all * at j jb i ! , O j | h j I li j ft c „ | ° a h li : 0 ! ? r « 1 t a , ? 5 * c i i 1 1 1 ] Versatile, Modest Lane At Home on Flat# Jumps Admits Mistakes; Ed Christmas Says Youth Will Be All Right Continued from Page Three thing, he used to kick all the time with his heels. I asked him what he thought he was doing and he said he thought that was the thing to do. I told him he couldnt any good kicking with those short stirrups and those soft boots. Told him just get his knees tucked up close and keep feet still and do the work with his hands. Hes been doing that ever since." "Old Honesty," as the late Joe Palmer dubbed Gallorettes trainer, thought awhile. "You know he wanted to live at the stable the time," he said. "That was all right Laurel, where they have a motel on the backstretch, but other places I told him he ought to better himself a little. Not go high hat, but just try to better himself a little. But hes a quiet boy and I dont have to worry about him getting with these characters around the race track. "Hes a good worker, too," Christmas said. "Does anything around a stable, shovelling out stalls and walking hots, and hes not afraid of any horse. One day last fall, he had a spill, his helmet flew into the infield like a football and they had to pull his head out of the mud. He was pretty groggy, but he wanted to ride Caesar Did in the stake that day. I made him go to the hospital for a couple of days and take another couple of days at home to rest up with his folks, but he wanted to get right back and ride. "When he first came to me, I didnt know anything about him, except Jimmy Rich said he could ride a horse pretty good. I had him work Beale Street and he went better for him than for anybody else. Beale Street had been running for ,000. but I didnt want the man to go on paying bills for this horse unless he could win, so I put him in for ,500 and asked Lane if he wanted to ride. Well, he won off by himself and then he won on Inchcobar and Challaguerre. "But he still needs some smoothening," Christmas continued. "The other day he never should have been beat on Ballerina for Howell Jackson and I was ready to tell him so, but when he came back, the first thing he said was, Mr. Christmas I rode a terrible race. He was right, too. But hes good American country stock and hell be all right."
