The Homestretch

  

The way they used to write in the newspapers back in the day...very formal, very flowery language. 

F'rinstance, this, from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle: "The grim reaper paid a sensational visit to the Belmont Park track yesterday,” in an article from 1923.

And it was accurate, although ponderous. What happened at Belmont that June 4 has never happened before or since: Frank Hayes, a 22-year-old jockey, brought home a winner in the one and only race he ever entered, up on a nag named Sweet Kiss.

Oh sure, lots of people have jockeyed just one race and lots of people have only won one race, but all the others lived. Frank Hayes did not.

He was a stablehand and at the last minute, he was asked to fill in for the regular rider. Sweet Kiss went off at 20-1 odds that day; the crowd was backing a hoss named Gimme.

They figure that sometime in the latter part of the race, Frank Hayes died in the saddle from either a heart attack from the excitement or from complications of going from 142 lbs to 130 in a very short time.

Sweet Kiss was owned by Miss A. M. Frayling, who, not knowing that her jockey was no longer with us, went to congratulate Hayes after the steeplechase race. Sweet Kiss had thundered down the home stretch and won by a head.

“The exertion and excitement proved too great,” said the New York Daily News, which also described Hayes as “well-liked … favorite in the saddling room and stable and took a great pride in his calling.”

Reflecting on Hayes's weight loss, the Buffalo Morning Express said, “He was confronted with the task of taking off nearly 10 pounds in 24 hours. This morning he spent several hours on the road, jogging off surplus weight. He strove and sweated and denied himself water and when he climbed into the saddle at post time he was weak and tired.”

Miss Frayling is believed to have retired Sweet Kiss, who never raced again, but was tagged with the rather unfair nickname "Sweet Kiss Of Death." 

One week later, they buried Hayes in the racing silks that he wore for his one and only race. 

It was surprising to me that people went on those crash diets 98 years ago. They are still dangerous.