Saturday we motored up to Saratoga to sink a couple of sawbucks on the ponies at the Spa. Unless you’ve got a finif on the hosses in the sixth and a tenspot for your favorite to show in the seventh there isn’t much fun left for you.
However, we arrived at the track in time to see the fourth get under way and immediately we sauntered over to our favorite bookie, who has been living at the Waldorf on what he took from us at Hialeah, Aqueduct and Empire City. “Hi, Bill,” we greeted him, “Place a sawbuck on Open Range for us in the sixth.”
“Sucker,” said he. “Here’s your badge.”
“Anything new here with a good Jewish angle?” we queried.
“You bet. Our three best jockies up here at the track are Jewish kids from the sticks. There’s Eddie Litzenberger, the fellow who rode your hoss Open Range to a first place at the feature last week. Then again there are Sam Renick and Charley Rosengarten who rode triples and scored each time. This trio has scored more often during the past racing season in the east than many of the oldtimers together.”
“Tell me,” said this corner, “How old are these kids anyway? They don’t look as if they’ve been Bar Mitzvahed.”
“I’m a what?” shot Bill, our favorite bookie. “Oh, yes, those kids are all about fifteen or sixteen. Sometimes they’re only about twelve and thirteen. For all of that they are fine riders with plenty of experience, courage and horse sense. What is more, they make the handicaps and weights without the least bit of trouble.”
At this time the sixth race was getting under way. Open Range, with Eddie Litzenberger up, and Silver Stallion, with Charley Rosengarten on deck, tore away from the start, with Open Range on the fence. The rest of the field were stretched behind.
On the turn Silver Stallion, piloted by Rosengarten, led Open Range by a length. Litzenberger was giving his horse everything he had. Sitting well up on the pony, the jockey looked as if he were ahead of the horse.
Down the stretch the field came thundering, with Silver Stallion, Open Range, and Sullivan in that order. In the last hundred yards the first two horses were fighting it neck and neck. Two Jewish boys up, with the crowd on its feet yelling for their mounts to come through. As they passed the home stretch Eddie Litzenberger was a nose ahead of Rosengarten, with Open Range the winner.
Can we pick winners, folks!
MORE ABOUT HERMAN BARRON
It does seem as if there is no sport whatever in which we cannot find a Jewish face participating. Take the ponies (before they take you). This sport was only for the non-Jews with dough, and as for a Jewish jockey—well, that was in a class with pipe dreams. Yet, as we have told you before, the three leading jockeys this season are all Jewish kids.
Likewise in golf. Up to the time Herman Barron came out of nowhere and almost took Gene Sarazen for a buggy ride on the Buffalo links in the P. G. A. tournament, there wasn’t a Jewish golfer worth his salt. Sarazen bore down on the little Jewish pro and won in the last two holes. However, Barron wasn’t the least bit daunted and now we find him at Toronto, battling it out with Tommy Armour and the cream of the greens experts. As Joe Williams remarked last week, “This fellow looks good enough to be champion.” Personally, we don’t think much of Joe William’s golf game but when a guy like Sarazen says, “This fellow Barron will be the world’s champion golfer in a few years,” we turn up our ears and listen.
MRS. FEDERMAN, THE JEWISH GOLF CHAMPION
Mrs. Lee G. Federman of Lakeville, N. J., is the finest Jewish woman golfer in the game today. Only a short time ago she defeated Helen Hicks for the Long Island championship. Miss Hicks, you will recall, was the former women’s national golf champion.
Mrs. Federman has won seven consecutive one-day matches here in the East, grossing the lowest scores ever turned in by a woman golfer. However, the champ says she cannot compete in tournaments because of the nervous strain. Invariably she says she cracks up and the scores go higher than the Empire State Building.
This Jewish woman has been married seventeen years and has been playing golf for the last twelve. “I was feeling around with a club in somebody’s backyard one day about twelve years ago out in Chicago, where I was born, when I happened to hit the ball over the fence,” she explained. “I liked the feeling of that shot and immediately decided to go in for the game.”
THE SPORTING CALENDAR FORT HAMILTON POST—WRESTLING TOMORROW NIGHT
Vanka Zelezniak, the Siberian gorilla man, and Gine Garibaldi will meet tomorrow night for the second time in the feature wrestling exhibition. Garibaldi won the first match when Gunboat Smith, the referee, biffed the gorilla out of the ring for fouling.
Eli Fisher, the Jewish sensation, goes to the mat with the Masked Marvel. The winner of this match will be on the top card next week at the Post.
Abe Kashey, tackles Mike Romano and Floyd Marshall tangles with George Hagen.
CONEY ISLAND VELODROME—BOXING TOMORROW NIGHT
The usual Tuesday night boxing program at the Velodrome at Coney Island will be held tomorrow night. Promoter Otto Bass has scheduled a corking main eventer, with several popular supporting cards on the bill. Abe Yager has been loud in the praise of this match tomorrow night and we are looking forward to a hectic evening.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
