TOD SLOANS PROGRESS

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 54

TOD SLOANS PROGRESS

Tod Sloan appears to be in a somewhat despondent mood (the Daily Telegraph's New York correspondent cables). When the authorities barred him from racecourses lie ra.n a billiard ealoon in conjunction with M'Oraw, tho famous baseball manager. Then he dri f ted to the vaudeville stage, in immaculate silk hat and evening dre*s, tolling stone* the most popular of which was his de-eription of how he wa« supposed to bo one day walking along the Strand with an illustrious personage Somebody stopped thorn with. "HuHo. Tod 1 Delightott to see you! Who's your friend?"' AVhon the vaudeville houses tired of him. Mr Hearst'* newspapers made him racing editor. All last season he gave tips to the evening paper reputed to enjoy three-quarters of a million circulation. Somehow the horses persisted in running regardless of his predictions. A fortnight a-go he was caul to be galloping hones at Benmnge, tbe

7 famous WaehLngton race track, while to1 day (Sunday) he published in one of the newspapers a page of "confessions," the burden of which is that one of tho world's most-talked-of jockeys owes his downfall to ' "swelled head" and high living. "I had £100,000 five year 3 ago," he says. "I have lost it through unfortunate speculations and false friends. When I was in England I was invited to hunting parties and weekends. I met lords and ladies, apparently on equal terms. Indeed, they would reI main perhap3 two days, and I for a week. I I forgot that I was only a jockey; that is how I developed big head. Most jockeys," he declares, "have a poor knowledge of pace. It was pace alone that won for me lon Caiman *t Newmarket in 1899. Morny ' Cannon, on Flying Fox, was consfdered invincible. He let me steal five lengths at I the start. I gradually slowed down, and Iso did the others. They waited for me to run my horee off hie feet and come back to them. Nearing the finish I let Caiman down with plenty of speed in reserve, and they did not discover the trick in time. Flying Fox conld have beaten Caiman by a street if Cannon had sent him on about his business." He gives his version of the lawsuit with the French Jockey Club, when Maitre Labori defended him, and he lost. He is seeking opportunities to establish himeelf anew in the hearts of racing patrons, and would like, as a. last resort, to found and conduct a riding school for jockeys. "I am exercising horses now, but the muscles which formerly served me in good stead have disappeared. I could ride to-morrow at less than 8.4. My hope in life is in & large measure based on reinstatement.''