Sport: Old Man Longden

Johnny Longden, an old man in his trade, may not be the best jockey in the U.S., but he has won more races in 1947 than anyone else. At 37, when many successful jockeys are wealthy enough to sleep late, he is out at San Mateo's Bay Meadows track at 6 a.m., before the morning mists clear off. He wears tailor-made leather jackets with tassels, talks out of the side of his thin-lipped mouth, sports a $2,000 diamond ring on one hand. Jockey Longden is proud that he isn't slowing down.

Two weeks ago, at...