view raw text
■ i nii.Mi. , n i ,,, New Jersey Report — By FRED GALIANI Roberts Now Successful as Trainer Ex-Rider Has Dickey Stable String Mergardt Sees His Sir Valjean Win GARDEN STATE PARK, Camden, N. J., May 24. — Its not inevitable, but generally when a rider hangs up tack for the last ■ i nii.Mi. , n i ,,, time time he he will will turn turn to to time time he he will will turn turn to to training. Some are successful, others struggle it out, while still more fail. Being a cracker-jack rider doesnt insure success as a conditioner of horses. Yet some saddlesmiths turn trainer and keep on winning. Take Porter Roberts. For 20 years Roberts had piloted horses horses before before thou- horses horses before before thou- thousands of screaming fans, and while he was not one of the greats, he was a workmanlike fellow who won his share of races. Last August he was offered the job as trainer of the Dickey Stable, owned by Bill Leach, of Ocala, Pla. Although he had been contemplating the idea of turning trainer for years, and had been offered stables to take, he kept on riding, waiting for what he thought was the propitious moment. When Leach made his offer, Roberts took it because, as he says, Leach was primarily a breeder and raced his own stock. The combination has proved to be a successful one. Since last winter when Roberts sent out his first horse — which, by the way was Wilchic, who ran second! — he has saddled 29 starters, arid only eight failed to get a check. He has five winners, seven seconds, fiv_e thirds and four fourths. The transition was made in effortless fashion. Roberts, who is addicted to smoking cigars about a furlong in length, is a Xexingtonian by birth. Naturally, being in the Blue Grass, and twice the size of the cheroots he now smokes, he drifted toward the track. Jack Keene, for whom the Keeneland track was named, was a friend of the family and after Roberts had completed his second year of high school, he wound up on the tracks. A year later he became a jock and his first mount, which he still remembers over the swift passage of years, was Indian Legend. He rode for Keene for five years, then moved to the Middle West. After 1939, Roberts came east, where he rode for the Darby Dan, Wheatley Stable and others. When Jersey racing skyrocketed into prominence he followed this circuit and was leading rider a couple of times. During his career he rode such good horses as Mar-Kell, Stymie, Third Degree, Merry Nell, and he has a soft spot in his heart for El Mono, on whom he won the Widener and McClen-nan handicaps, and is now in stud at the Dickey Farm. Roberts risks expulsion from the clan of Kentuckians,* being an avowed enthusiast for Florida breeding. The new trainer feels that good horses, really top flight ones, can be raised in the Sunshine State. Yearlings are bigger boned than most found else--where,. he feels, and they have the advantage of year round sunshine. While Florida pasture is not as high in vitamin content as in Kentucky, it is richer in limestone, and since both Kentucky and Florida have to import hay, there isnt too much advantage the Blue Grass has over Florida. Roberts has some backing to his statements as he is racing a Florida-raised string. The best appears to be the two-year-old filly Menolcne, winner of a division of the Gulfstream Dinner Stakes and a bang-up third to Royal Note and Nashua, beating other colts, in the Cherry Hill Stakes. But, says Roberts, he has some other juveniles, Florida-breds, he hasnt started yet, who may be much better. With his training record, Roberts has started off with the proverbial bang, and can be said to be, without equivocation, a success as a trainer. One thing is a sure bet, hes a Florida rooter. A. P. Mergardt made his first visit of the season on Saturday, and it was a pleasant one as his Sir Valjean, trained by ex-jockey Eddie Smith, won the third race. After the event, Mergardt confided that the son of Jean Valjean was the first horse he had ever bought out of a sales to win for him. Sir Valjean was purchased for ,500 at the Keeneland vendue. But if that one brought him pleasure, Mergardt is still more than slightly upset over an Irish-bred, called Big Thrill, but known around Shedrowas Sheila the Peeler. Mergardt Continued on Page Forty-Nine " NEW JERSEY REPORT I By FRED GALIANI Continued from Page Six * insists the horse had a broken bone In his foot when he was sold to him and is awaiting action from Ireland . . . Johnny and Roy, known as the stable boys, who were Ca big success on TV for Gulfstream Park, are visiting here for a few days on vacation ... Gene Jacobs was another who made "liis first appearance on this scene a profitable one when he sent out Mrs. Clara Ostrikers Light Step to win the fourth race, it The states other tracks were represented by official heads who passed up £ the Preakness in favor of the sport here. On hand were Amory L. Haskell, presi- . dent of Monmouth Park, Mr. and Mrs. Phil Iselin and Dave Wilentz. Atlantic City delegates were Mr. and Mrs. Leon £ Levy, Robert Levy and Frank Fiore ... Young Bill Holsey, last of the gentleman riders who rode in a couple of races at * Atlantic City two years ago, showed up as a spectator Saturday. He is now de- p-, voting himself to the more prosaic automobile business but was a rooter for his brothers Sky Command, who competed *in the Healey Handicap .... Here as guests of the state police, whose methods they are studying, were Col. Reza Ajdari and Lt. Col. Fathollah Fartash, of the Iranian National Police. The uniformed gentlemen were interested paddock ■visitors before the running of the stakes.
