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Mere and There on the Turf Re-entry of Jockey E. Dugan. His Fame and Feats of Riding. Soft Weather Eiders at Jefferson. If Eddie Dugan conies back with something like the skill that was his some twelve or fifteen years ago, he should speedily find his way to the top rank of the list of present-day riders. During the Tijuana meeting, if he shows considerable of his old-time skill in the saddle, he should not want for mounts, and a successful experience at the Coffroth track would mean a good "contract in the East. There is plenty of room for jockeys at all times and Dugan has a wonderful opportunity to climb back to the proud place he once enjoyed. He is still able to make weights that would give him an abundance of employment. He was always a high-class horseman and, if he still has the punch and the courage that were winning attributes with him from 1907 to 1911 in this country, his return means much. A grown man at this time Dugan has gone through that dangerous term in any youngsters career, when he is liable to be the victim of laudation and temptation that has j wrecked the future of so many riders right . at the beginning. Dugan went through all that many years ago and he went through with flying colors. It did not spoil him and, while his last season of riding on this side of the Atlantic was spent principally in Canada, he was in his best form and among his victories that year were the Kings Plate at Woodbine Park with St. Bass, Hamilton Derby with Whist and the Dominion Handicap with Flint Rock, when he beat two such good ones as Ocean Bound and Zeus. Then there were many other victories to his credit in 1911. One of the most pleasing bits of team riding was shown by the Dugan brothers, Will and Ed, in the running of the Suburban Handicap of 1907 that was won by C. E. Durnells Nea-lon. It was Will that rode Nealon, but it was the skillful pacemaking of Ed that made the victory possible, and his riding of Faust, the other one to bear the Durnell silks, was perfect team work. Faust was in under the feather of ninety pounds, and his only duty" was to make the pace so as to make it possible for Nealon, carrying 113 pounds, to beat them through the stretch. Leaving the post running fast, Ed took his position next to the rail and, clipping off his eighths in close to twelve seconds, he made no attempt to draw away, but kept two such horses as Superman and Frank Gill pretty extended out to keep pace with him. Will, in the meantime, was waiting with Nealon and keeping him free from interference in the field of sixteen that raced. When the stretch was reached both Superman and Frank Gill were all through from chasing the lightly weighted Faust. Then it was that Will Dugan called on Nealon and he quickly rushed up to Faust, his stablemate. For an instant it appeared the Durnell pair would finish first and second, but both Montgomery, bearing the silks of Emil Herz, and Beacon Light, racing for H. P. Headley, came with a mighty rush in the stretch. Nealon was an j I j j j i ; j j . easy winner by two lengths, while Mont-gomery beat Beacon Light a length and a half and it was only in the last stride that the Headley four-year-old beat Faust for the third money. It was a perfect piece of team work by the Dugan brothers and there was equally as much credit due to Ed, who made the pace, as there was coming to Will, who rode the winner. Eddie Dugan earned his spurs when some of the best jockeys of the past twenty years were riding. It was at the tune of Walter Miller, W. Knapp, Joe Notter, Carroll Shilling, Phil Musgrave and many another, whose feats are well remembered, that his name figures prominently in the winning list of the big stakes that were decided from 1907 to 1911. Some of the horses that he rode to victory were Salvidere, Fitz Herbert, Fair Play, Strom-boli, Stamina, Joe Madden, Friar Rock, King James, with which he won the Brooklyn Handicap; Montgomery, Meelick, Lovetie, as well as no end of others of lesser note. Hardly a stake race decided during the term of Du-gans riding about New York but what he figured at one time or another on the. winner. He was a two-times winner of the Brooklyn Derby, now known as the Dwyer Stakes, when in 1908 he won with Fair Play and in the following year with Joe Madden. He won the Lawrence Realization with Fair Play, the Brighton Cup with Salvidere, when that good colt beat Running Water and Ballot. He also won the Annual Champion Stakes with Salvidere. But one could go on almost indefinitely through the stake races of the Dugan time Jof riding and find him piloting the winner. .What is of interest now is that he is to be riding again at Tijuana and he cannot fall back on what he has done. All wish him every success in his return to the saddle. The stewards at Jefferson Park have let it be known that rough riding will not be tolerated and have been handing out punishments. One of the latest to incur official displeasure was II. J. Burke. He was afforded a chance to explain his roughing in races. His explanation was not satisfactory and he was suspended for ten days. Jockey Brooke was another that offendd in his riding of Amaze in the third race Monday, and, while his riding was not considered reason enough for disqualifying his mount, he was warned that he would have to pay more attention to the rights of the other horses and riders in the future. It is by this prompt punishment and admonition I that riders are kept in line. Time was when fines were mainly imposed, but the fine means little or nothing in the life of a jockey. If he was riding roughly and foully under orders, there was always someone to pay the fine. But no one can take his place on the ground when he is suspended. It is the one punishment that means something and that is sure to bring results. Some of the free lance riders at New Orleans have been in no hurry to accept mounts and various excuses are offered. One is that they do not care to ride over the present bad track or in inclement weather. Others complain that the riding fees of 15 for a winning and So for a losing "mount do not make riding attractive. The jockey who is only a fair weather rider is losing time when he goes to a winter track. It is natural to expect considerable disagreeable weather in December, no matter what the climate. The fair weather boys may not find much employment. As I far as the fees are concerned, they are fixed by the purse values and in comparison with the money hung up appear to be fair. These finicky jockeys were not so hard to please when they were working their way up the ladder, and if they want employment through the winter months they might just as well accept what is offered. No good reason ex-sists for any change in the riding fees to suit the demands of a few who, after all, may not show up when the weather is stormy or the track muddy. There are little fellows only too eager to ride and Jefferson Park will suffer no severe handicap on that score. A
