Marshall Whiting Cassidy

Background

Marshall Whiting Cassidy was born on February 21, 1892 in Washington, D. C. , United States. He was the son of Mars Cassidy, a well-known race starter, and Inez King. Cassidy's brothers also continued the family Thoroughbred racing tradition: Wendell worked as presiding steward and head of racing at Hollywood Park in California, and George served as starter at tracks operated by the Greater New York Racing Association. As a youth, Cassidy became an exercise boy, jockey, and assistant starter at Thoroughbred racing tracks in Brooklyn.

Education

He graduated from Brooklyn high school.

Career

Hoping to become a mining engineer, he worked at a gold and silver mine in Chihuahua, Mexico. When revolutionary forces under Francisco Madero took over the mine, Cassidy joined their successful effort to overthrow the dictatorial government of Porfirio Diaz in 1911. Cassidy became an assistant starter for his father until enlisting in the United States Army in 1918. After World War I, he resumed his position as assistant starter until becoming a starter at the Bowie racetrack in Maryland in 1921. From 1921 to 1934, Cassidy worked mainly as a starter at tracks in Canada, Mexico, California, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. He helped plan two racetracks, including the Agua Caliente track in Tijuana, Mexico, and served variously as a track superintendent, patrol judge, entry clerk, paddock judge, clerk of scales, racing secretary, steward, handicapper, and racetrack manager. During the 1930's, he was steward at the Hialeah track in Florida and then state steward for New York. The energetic Cassidy was executive secretary of the Jockey Club of New York City from 1941 to 1964, enabling him to become an undisputed leader of Thoroughbred racing in New York State and across the United States. During this period, the interests of the elite horse-racing set were defended over those of nonclub owners, racing professionals, and the public. As executive secretary, Cassidy held the right to deny licenses. His rulings were accepted almost without question until 1950, when Cassidy refused to renew the license of the Marlet Stable because its owner, Jule Fink, was accused of "associating with gambling interests. " The lower New York courts upheld Cassidy's action, but the New York Court of Appeals overruled the decision. The court argued that the licensing power of the Jockey Club was an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority. Nevertheless, the Jockey Club and Cassidy both retained considerable authority over Thoroughbred racing. The American Stud Book was owned by the Jockey Club. Without a listing in the register, no horse foaled in the United States, Cuba, or Mexico could race in the United States. Cassidy helped develop blood-typing, thus reducing the number of double parentages listed in the American Stud Book. In 1949, Cassidy established the Jockey Club's school to train Thoroughbred racing officials. For more than twenty years, he moderated the Jockey Club's roundtables at the Saratoga racetrack to discuss ways of improving Thoroughbred racing. From 1955 to 1960, Cassidy was vice-president and director of racing for the Greater New York Racing Association. This nonprofit organization reorganized Thoroughbred racing at the Aqueduct, Belmont, Jamaica, and Saratoga racetracks. Cassidy helped design several major North American Thoroughbred racetracks, including an elaborate facility at Aqueduct, and modernize the Belmont and Saratoga racetracks. In addition, he was director of Thoroughbred Racing Associations, Inc. , and a trustee of the Turf Foundation and the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association Foundation. In 1963, Ogden Phipps, the chairman of the Jockey Club, called Cassidy "the most important figure in the development of horse racing in the last decade. " Cassidy perfected the photo-finish camera and provided motion-picture records of entire races, which made it nearly impossible for jockeys to use rough tactics without being spotted. His installation of electronic timing devices ensured the more precise recording of race finishes. Cassidy developed the use of mirrors in photo finishes (so that horses can be seen from both sides), encouraged the use of machines to figure odds for each race, and pioneered the method of identifying horses by night-eyes (growths on a horse's legs). At Cassidy's insistence, tracks throughout the nation adopted saliva and urine tests to determine if horses were being given drugs. Cassidy recognized that these changes reduced much of the traditional glamour and color of the sport.

Achievements

• Cassidy modernized Thoroughbred horse racing as a sport. He pioneered the mechanical stall starting gate, which separates horses by partitions at the starting line, gives them equal space, and releases them by machine. The Jockeys' Guild, the Turf Benevolent Association, the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, the Thoroughbred Club of America, and the National Turf Writers Association honored Cassidy at various times for his enormous contributions to Thoroughbred racing.

Views

Quotations: In 1953, Cassidy said, "Jockeys used to be more spectacular. We won't let them take chances with their lives or the horses' lives anymore. Betting used to be more fun when you could shop for odds among the bookmakers. The start of the race was more exciting and dramatic, a mad scramble with horses kicking each other and the assistant starters. "

Interests

• Cassidy held a transport pilot's license and engaged in boxing and acting.

Connections

On November 2, 1916 he married Carelotta Busch; they had one child.

Father:

Mars Cassidy

He was a well-known race starter

Mother:

Inez King

Spouse:

Carelotta Busch

Brother:

Wendell

He worked as presiding steward and head of racing at Hollywood Park in California

Brother:

George

He served as starter at tracks operated by the Greater New York Racing Association