Another

HORSE TAIL

By LINDSEY TOY

As Told to Her by Harold Washburn

“Heady Eddie and The Outlaw”

Harold’s job was to take fifty-four horses from Chicago out to the west coast on a train.  Along with him went three lead ponies; eighteen exercise riders, nineteen grooms, the trainers and a stable agent. Tom Smith was the head trainer For the Ada L Rice Racing stable. After getting set up at Santa Anita, Tom asked Harold if he felt he could handle one more horse, but he wasn’t just any horse, he was an outlaw.  A horse is considered an outlaw when it does dangerous things on the racetrack, things the rider cannot control, and is put on the Stewards List. In order to get off the Stewards list the trainer must show the stewards that the horse has been trained to do better. That was not done with this horse so he was still on the Stewards. Tom saw something in this horse and thought he could win a few races after Harold worked with him.  Although Tom never told Harold what the horse did to be ruled off, Harold accepted the challenge and Tom sent for the outlaw. 

Upon first seeing this outlaw, Harold didn’t think he looked too bad besides an unkept coat.  Harold was going to use his brother Raymond, who he had sent to Kentucky for earlier that year.  Raymond was to ride the horse and Harold would be beside him on his lead pony.  The first day they started walking the outlaw around the track, then jogged him, and then brought him to a gallop.  He was fine for a little while until he decided to dig his toes into the dirt and turn himself completely around, almost throwing Raymond.  They got the outlaw moving again and yet again he dug his toes in and came to a complete stop.  This time he didn’t get a chance to turn around as Harold had a lead shank on with the end tied around the saddle horn.  After Harold dragging and Raymond whipping the horse, they finally got him around the track.  It took several days to get him galloping all the way around the track

To exercise the horse, Raymond was okay at 130 pounds plus the saddle at 14 lbs making him carry about 144 lbs. Tom really needed someone a little lighter, so he got a rider named Halfday who only weighed 118 pounds.  Haftday worked and breezed the horse and used the whip when he had to.  The horse seemed to be making a great deal of progress. About six months later Tom decided the outlaw was ready to race at Belmont Park. When they arrived at Belmont Park in New York, It was in the spring and the Belmont meet was not to start for over a month.  However, they raced horses across town at Jamaica and Aqueduct, the track vanned the horses over for them. Harold went over with the horses and groom in van and Tom and his son Jimmy would meet Harold in the paddock.

 On this day when the outlaw was to run, Tom never showed up and Harold didn’t have a New York trainer License. The paddock judge told Harold the outlaw would have to be scratched from the race without an official trainer present.  Harold had to agree to take full responsibility for the horse and have a stand-in trainer by his side to make it official.  Harold had complete confidence in himself and the horse.  Eddie Arcaro, known as Heady Eddie, who got his nickname for having a hot head on the racetrack, was the jockey.  Eddie was an outlaw of sorts himself.  He had been outlawed (ruled off) from racing forever because of a stunt he pulled back in the mid 30’s when he ran another horse and rider into the inside rail.  When the Stewards asked him what he was trying to do, Eddie said He was trying to “kill the SOB.”  Aside from his temper, Heady Eddie was masterful on a horse and was called by his fellow jockeys “The Master.”  It was a year before he was reinstated.  Harold hoped he would not give him any problems. 

When the jockeys came into the paddock, Immediately Harold asked Eddie why he was not carrying a whip with him.  Eddie said he was the rider on this horse the year before and when he hit the horse he bolted to the outside rail taking horses with him.  Harold insisted on Eddie carrying his whip because the horse would try to stop and he would have to hit to make him keep going, that was how the horse had been trained.  Eddie accepted that, and sent for a whip, Harold was now worried, he didn’t want anyone or a horse to get hurt. He also felt like Tom was somewhere watching what was happening, making Harold take full responsibility for the horse.  In the race the outlaw did just as Eddie had expected and bolted to the outside rail bumping a couple other horses on the way.  Eddie was furious at Harold because he feared he would be fined or given days of suspension.  Everything turned out all right and Harold decided the outlaw needed some more work.

Later that month Tom and Mr. Rice sent Harold to Chicago with 12 horses.  Harold worked and worked with the outlaw to make sure he would not do the same thing again.  The pressure was building as the race got closer and closer.  The day of the race came and went and the outlaw preformed beautifully even when hit with the whip. He was in over his head and not much chance of winning that day.  Their confidence in this horse was growing and they entered him in another race, a legendary race for the outlaw.  He ran his heart out and ended up winning by 19 links.  He was claimed that day.  That was the last Harold ever saw or heard of the outlaw. Harold still keeps the winner circle picture showing him winning by 19 links that was taken on that legendary day at the racetrack.