Monday, Jan. 06, 1941
Photo Finish
Last week, on the eve of its winter racing season, California's Horse Racing Board trotted out an innovation for U. S. racetracks. Henceforth, in races with a purse of $1,000 or more, owners must pay jockeys $35 every time they win, $20 for every second-place mount they ride, $15 for every third-place mount.
As far back as they can remember, U. S. jockeys have received $10 for every race they entered, an extra $15 for every race they won--with no extra bonus for bringing in a horse second or third. Out of every ten-spot, $2 goes to the jockey's valet (who totes his tack and helps saddle his mounts), another $2 to his agent (who makes his riding engagements).
Last spring the jockeys organized a guild--primarily for the purpose of taking care of disabled fellow riders. But racing bigwigs saw its potential power as a collective-bargaining group. Beating them to the gun, California's Racing Board last week upped their pay rate.
Meanwhile, in Florida two 19-year-old kids, Earl Dew and Walter Taylor, were giving railbirds something more exciting to think about. Jockey Dew, a shy, baby-faced farm boy from Sac City, Iowa, had burned up Western tracks all year. Jockey Taylor, a skinny, swaggering hustler from Houston had booted home winner after winner on Eastern tracks. By last fortnight, Peewee Dew tallied 280 winners since Jan. 1; Peewee Taylor, 270.
Booting home the most winners means a lot to a jockey: it crowns him national riding champion, often helps land a contract with a rich stable, a chance to ride in big-money stake races, where owners usually give jockeys 10% of their winnings. So last fortnight, when Jockey Dew, racing in California, realized that an idle week gave his Eastern rival a chance to overtake him, he hopped a plane, flew to Florida to fight it out with young Taylor at Tropical Park.
To his disgust, Invader Dew discovered that Taylor's agent had dated up most of the live horses (favorites). In the first four days, Taylor won nine races; Dew won two. Christmas Day, with Taylor only three wins behind, both kids were as "touchy as gamecocks. In one race in which they were both riding, Dew, coming up on the outside, crowded Taylor. Taylor gave Dew the whip. Both finished out of the money. They walked back to the jockey room side by side; the moment they reached the doorway, they went at one another in an old-fashioned goto. "Just a flare-up of competitive spirit," explained Chief Steward Tom Thorp, fining each boy $50 instead of setting them down for the rest of the year.
Next day, when Taylor narrowed his lead by one more, Dew decided he had seen enough of Florida. Promised nine mounts at Agua Caliente on Sunday, Dew flew back to California. While he was traveling, Taylor proceeded to pick up two wins, two more the following day. Dew won two races on Sunday while Taylor loafed. At week's end, with two more days to go, both riders were neck & neck, with just 285 wins apiece.
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