EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 141 



I was on the lead, and seeing me commence to drive my 

 horse a little would say, " Go easy. Jack, I don't want to win 

 a heat, and I would not if I could, let's make a close finish," 

 when at the same time they were just dying to win a heat, 

 and if I attempted to make a close finish they would make a 

 rush the last few strides and beat me the heat if they could. 

 In that way I have seen many a heat lost, which would not 

 have occurred if a man had kept driving his horse and not 

 pay any attention to other people's talk, simply attend to 

 his own business and let other people do the same, for men 

 in this business are more fickle-minded than in any other 

 vocation in the world. I have seen many drivers declare at 

 the beginning of a race that they did not want a heat, and 

 would not win if they could, and when we would get the 

 word it would seem they were willing to drive the legs off 

 their horse to win in three straight heats if possible. With 

 many drivers it requires a pretty good judge to decide 

 whether. they are trying to win or lose, and I have often 

 thought they hardly knew themselves what they wanted to 

 do. The proper way is to .make up your mind before you 

 commence what you are going to try to dp, and stick to it, 

 and I think the man who is always willing to try and win 

 when he can has the most money at the end of the season. 

 Do not pay any attention to that old chestnut of a fast trial 

 of some horse, but if you have a fairly good horse yourself, 

 and the betting suits you, put a little money on your own 

 horse and go out and drive him or her from start to finish, as 

 in your judgment he should be driven to trot a good race 

 out. Be careful to not take too much out of him in any one 

 heat, as it takes usually three heats to win a race. 



For instance, you get a bad send off or you are interfered 

 with or your horse makes a bad break and falls back say a 

 dozen lengths on the first turn, you might win the heat by 

 driving for it, when by doing so you would take so much out 

 of your horse you would not be able to win another heat that 

 day. In such cases you should always say to yourself, " If I 



