New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-19
PARAGON BEATS SIR DIXON
! TIE OMNIBUS GOES TO MR. CAssArr.
AMAZING FAILURE OF THE saaooo COLT
SEVEN rAvoRIrEs DEFEATED

SEVEN rAvoRITES DEFEATED
Tho inexhaustibls uncertainties and the erotesQus
accidents Of racing remarkably illustrated yes
teraav in the Omnibus Stakes at Monmouth Park
Mr. Cassatt's Taragon has started many times this
year In all sorts of company. UP TO yesterday ne
had succeeded In winning only once, an extremely
door race in the mud against Teiie Doc 1t Is true
that with heavy allowances In weight no had sue
oeeded In getting second place In various contests,
hut his true class was we'll determined In hts only
fcw days ago. when that little bit OF thoroughbred
Badse carrying 100 pounds to Tsragon's lie, beat
him in a common canter. When Taragon was worked
for the Omnibus he pulled up so stiff and sore and so
lame that his trainer, John Higgins, despared Of his
chances in that If Mr.. Cassatt, his owner, had
not come 10 the yesterday Tarsgon would have
hcen withdrawn as Mr.. Higgins thought him in such
condition that he had little claim to first, second, or
third Mace; but Mr. Cassatt said that the colt might
as well run. The result that Taragon won stake
worth 10000, with the fayorite Sir Dixon. in sec
ond place.
the effort must be made Michael Dwyer came down
from Saratoga with Sir Dixon and thought, as every
man at Long Branch who knows the primer Of the
turf thought that. taking into account the Baxter
ST. quality OF his opponents Sir Dixon would VIII IN
canter. Mr. Dwyer backed his colt with confidence
and spirit and he Bella B. Also with the Intention
Of getting first money with Sir Dixon and second win
Bella b. and for that purpose Murphy was engaged
to ride the FLY, Mr. Baldwin, with all his usual
caution, had withdrawn Los Angeles from the omn
bus. Yet as the running of the race proved II Los
Angeles had gone to the post in anything like fair
condition she would have It with the greatest
ease imaginable. But Mr.. Baldwin was never true
sportsman The idea of putting up ESQ for the start
Ing money of Los Angeles made him turn pale with
fright because he believed Sir Dixon had an absolute
certainty of the big prize and yet he would have been
betting practically only $3.50 against about 10000
thnfp
red of first money: for Sir Dixon, BY some inscrut-
able dspensation Of the evil detes that watch over
the turf could not bit.
DETAILS OF THE OMNIBUS.
Many of the heavy operators among the oookmakers
held Dixon and would not bet dollar against
him. Some of the others gave only z TO D against
him. while a few daring adventures offered as much
as TO 5. but would not take any large amounts at
these prices The was run in fantastic and
iliotc way the first half mile being covered In the
wrctchcdy slow time Of 55 seconds. Defence quickly
took the lead and showed the way for more than
mile, Taragon running second and Sir Dixon and
Bella B. waiting behind side by side. II 1t had been
ppoed that there the least danger of Sir DiXon's
falling win Bella L. might have been used to help
him by setting fast pace from the fall Of the flag
But as Sr Dxons success deemed an absolute
certainty the plan TO capture second money with
Bella b.. and therefore she waited alongside OF the
colt. When Defence gave UP the contest-ho is
short distance colt ana can never go nile anu
IN any company-Taragon moved up TO the front
Mclaughlin gave Sir his head at the lower turn,
but the Dwyer colt did not respond. At the furlong
post Mclaughlin using whip and spur freely,
but Tarason still remained in front. After ding,
squirting and whipping Sir Dixon for half furong
Mclaughlin gave up the contest as hopeless and took
tho colt in hand. Taragon, although nursed with
marvellous dccacy and skill by Hayward, was
getting enough Of 100 yards from the finish, firing
badly Mclaughlin set Sir Dixon going again. and
II the race had been hundred yards further Paragon
was such an utter wreck from exhaustion that the
favorite must havo won But Hayward rallied all
Taragon's expiring forces, and Just got him over the
Inc a length before Sir Dixon
1t a comical race In many ways The winner
was covered with a thick lathei, so weary and
worn That he could hardly put one foot before the
other and crawed to the paddock with his head down.
his legs trembling and his whole frame quaklng ana
sbiverinc with exhaustion. But Sir Dixon, the
beaten horse fought with Mclaughlin for his head,
mr. cled his cars and looked fresh as paint" as
the phrase goes II seemed If SIR Dixon, In spite
of the good that he has has the faintcSt OF
hearts, and is without stubhornness or courage ior
he was fresh and vigorous after the race that he
ought 10 have made better finish with Taraeon' ana
ought TO have caught tired and exhausted horse
The Omnibus OF 1855, rich and important stake as 1t
IS must be considered a wrctched huke great
three yearold stake is rarely by so poor race
horse as Taragon, in so poor tme-2:4l Inc result
resembles that Of the Lorllard Stakes few years ago.
which the Dwyers, by series Of lucky accidents,
captured with Ecuador, of the worst horses thai
ever stood on four legs in any decent company and
one that failed to make even a successful selling
platter and stecplechaser afterward Taragon belongs
10 Ecuadors class. lie cannot win really Gooa
selling plate in fast company He would not MAKE
hch-class stcevlcchaser. lie IS hardly likely 10 WIN
a rich stake again $1,000.
What then defeated Sir Dixon. the famous s2oOOO
col,? Michael Dv-yer whose long series Of rcveIses
IN the turf this sumner has made him patient
and resigned a. any calamity, was cheerful ana good
natured in spike of his heavy loss in backing 'hc con
and the falling TO win tho big stake. lie iemafNcu
with a pleasant smile after the race thai II was I'M
possible now 10 tell anything about racing. No man.
No matter how. long his experience OF how extensive
his associations with the turf could get a Inc on
horses lie and his brother had both supposed tha'
Sir Dixon sure winner VI int
Omnibus He hardly knew what he couic
say 10 his brother when he went back 10 saratoga IA
exclamation of Sir DxoE's defeat. Perhaps IL might
he this; They were bllged to work Sir Dixon at a
mile and half before coming down to Ions Dranch'
and tic track Wa, very deep In mud at tho uMc'
lie covered the mile and half In thu deep mud IN
c:57 only. bat it possible that any running d
all in mud so deep might have taken away ms sP"o''
rbis certainly seems plausbic theory, for sir DIXON
lad not the least Of his noted speed and couhl
never get up TaragOn, who in far meeting VIA
nrsAclass mule would be by means certain OF
,e,,inc homo first. Other expert turfmcn spoke
If the fact that sir Dixon had no'
mad a race since no won the Iraveis
,,akcs and said that he needed at least one good,
hard contest to fit him 10 run nile ana nan
for the Omnibus There is something in both theo-
RES no doubt. No one but an IN
sane imoecile could suppose Tor moment
that this was Sir Dxons trus form the colt That has
shown the speed which he has shown in the past
beaten badly in al on track 80 fast that tnzroy
- N. first race in :42ie!l.s Sir Dixon and Taragon
.e both IN the Choice stakes a mile and hall on
Tuesday This is rich stake for thrcc-year'oius'
though not neary valuable as the Omnibus lar
acon will run in that 1l3 h and Sir Dixon al ll0
" Now II both come to tho post, lei us see any
turfman. who knows thoroughbred nom ucdu
do,lev heinz boiled out for fertilizers al barroh