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Lvx « -?-"y-" , i "-•■for New Jersey Report By FRED GALIANI : — » Youngster Making Hit as Trainer Tommy Masters Only 22 Years Old Began Career at Ripe Age of Eight MONMOUTH PARK, Oceanport, N. J., June 19. — Since the beginning of the east-ern season, the name of Tommy O. Masters Lvx « -?-"y-" , i has has appeared appeared with with has has appeared appeared with with marked frequency on the winning trainers list. The Wilmington, Del., horseman, who is only 22 years old, looks more like a juvenile in a Broadway musical than an accomplished trainer. The* blonde youth is training a string of horses here for Col. Col. H. H. B. B. Marcus, Marcus, "-•■for for Col. Col. H. H. B. B. Marcus, Marcus, owner of the Glade Valley Farm in Walkersville, Md., and has quite an extended background with horses despite his young years* the Glade Valley Farm in Walkersville, Md., and has quite an extended background with horses despite his young years. AAA At the age of eight, Tommy1 got a job at a riding academy near his home arid for the next four years was employed there. Even for one not- so young it would be a hard job, cleaning stalls, taking care of the horses and conducting parties on night rides. When he became 12 he went to the track landing with George Pell and worked as a stable boy at Bowie and the half milers. In the winter of 1946-47 he set out on his own, bought himself a pony and went to Sunshine Park, where he got by as an exercise and pony boy. AAA t Returning north, he spent the next two years with such trainers as Duval Headley, J. P. Doc Jones and Oscar White, until he joined up with Alan T. Clarke in 1949, where he was to stay for four years and be fundamentally grounded in the art of training. From exercise boy he worked up to foreman of the stable and in 1951, Clarke, one of Marylands leading horsemen, sent Tommy to the half -milers with three horses. In two months he won seven races, which was enough to give him confidence in his ability. He stayed with Clarke until 1953 when he took over some horses for Filipo Baldi. AAA With a five-tiorse stable he won eight races in a campaign through Maryland, Detroit and Charles Town. At Atlantic City he was claimed out of business, except for one horse, Dinner Winner, now one of the best in the Baldi string. Oddly enough, Masters had to borrow ,000 to be able to make the claim. After a brief spell as jocks agent. Tommy became associated with Marcus in December of last year. Marcus had purchased five yearlings and Masters was engaged to break and train them. Nine of the youngsters were of the high priced variety, their sales tags ranging from ,200 to. ,500. / AAA This spring Tommy brought them to the races. Four juveniles started, with Cockfight winning his first race, then getting two seconds and a third. Toyko Girl won two races in, four starts, while Clotted Cream got a first and a third in three starts. Black Mollie is the only non-winner and she started but once. With four older horses he won seven races, lost a first by disqualification and got five other checks for seconds and thirds. All in all this adds up to a commendable record. AAA Since he has been around horses from the time he was eight. Tommy was asked when he found time to go to school, if at all. He went as far as the eighth grade and then decided that was enough formal education. The other afternoon Tommys father was at the races and was asked what his reaction, was when his son called it quits in school. "I wanted to break his neck," replied the elder Masters. "I wanted him at least to finish high school. During the war I was in Europe four years. On one visit back he convinced me that he didnt want any part of school. As long as he was stubbornly resisting it, and it is a waste of time to try and force him, I let him go. It seems to have worked out all right thus far." AAA The elder Masters, Raymond by name, is a superintendent of maintenance for the Continued on Page Fifty-Three New Jersey Report By FRED GALIANI Continued from Page Six Moore-McCormack line and was a Colonel in the Transportation Corps during the war. In a way his son is in the same line, he conditions horses well enough to transport jockeys home. A quiet, modest chap, Tommy attributes whatever success he has had to Clarke and Marcus. The former for his help in teaching Masters the business and the latter for giving a young man a chance. AAA Warner L. Jones, Jr., who comes up from Delaware to race a horse or two, reports that full brothers to the stakes winners, Dark Star and Royal Bay Gem, were foaled recently at his Hermitage Farm. Isolde dropped a brother to the Derby winner, while Bayadere foaled a relation to Royal Bay Gem. Both are by Royal Gem II. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Donn journeyed from New York where they are vacationing for an afternoon. . , . Mr. and Mrs. W. Arnold Hanger were on hand to watch Iceberg U. win with ease yesterday . . . The first meeting of Iselin is chairman of the ball committee and Mrs. Geraldine Thompson of the Monmouth Couty CI. rity Committee . . . Henri Soule, owner of the famous Pavilion Restaurant on the east side of New York, was a guest of Maury Gross at the
