Be Kind to Horses

Horseplayers not only had the usual range of choices at pari-mutuel windows last week, they were also watching an unscheduled race between a couple of jockeys, Willie Shoemaker and Joe Culmone. At California's Hollywood Park the money was on Willie; at Maryland tracks it was on Culmone. At week's end both jockeys had broken or tied Johnny Longden's modern (1948) record of riding 319 winners in one year,-* and Willie, with 326, was seven ahead of Joe.

With six weeks of 1950 racing to go, 20-year-old Jockey Culmone had one factor in his favor: at Hollywood Park, where most of the top stables and jockeys are now located, Willie has a lot tougher competition to beat than Joe. Nothing seems to worry 19-year-old Willie Shoemaker less. Says he with a shrug: "If I win at the end of the year, swell. If I don't, O.K."

Such remarks (and that was a long speech for Willie) have built up his reputation as a cool customer both on & off the tracks. Little (4 ft. 9 1/2 in., 102 Ibs.) Willie early learned to handle himself in his own league, at 15 won the 90-lb. boxing and wrestling championships of San Gabriel Valley High Schools. Because of his size, wiry Willie determined to be a jockey, got his first job as an exercise boy on a California ranch three years ago. From the day he brought home his first winner, in April 1949, Willie has made a habit of being either the leading rider or the leading apprentice at every track he has raced on.

Willie has no explanation for his success. But Will Molter, last season's leading West Coast trainer who uses Willie's services whenever they are available, explains it with exhaustive fervor: "Willie's great. He doesn't try to knock the spirit out of a horse; any horse he rides can be raced again in a couple of days--and that's unusual. Willie's a great judge of pace. He doesn't whip the horse right out of the stall like Longden, but gets the feel of the horse in the first few strides, then knows instinctively how to race that horse to win. He's the kind of jock who 'rates' horses ... He has good hands, and horses instinctively like him--because he's kind to them, I guess."

By being kind to horses, sad-faced Willie will earn about $75,000 this year. Some 70% of those earnings (after taxes) go into a trust fund, to be held there until Willie comes of age. Meanwhile, he is sending his 18-year-old brother to college, supporting his bride of four months in a Los Angeles motel, playing a few rounds of golf (low gos) in the mornings, and driving a new Buick. Records were all right, Willie figured, but nothing to lose sleep over.

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