The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-30
pLUNGREs OF THE TURF.
Men Who Make Fortunes by Betting
on Horses.
From the Netc York lG,ln

DONoAhss
50 than horse racing, which affords a larger
scope for good Judgment, clear discernment
and shrewdness than any other sport into
which the element of speculation enters
New York, with its great racing attractions
at Grav5send, jerome park, Sheepshead
bay and Monmouth park, is the mecca of
betting men every spring, and hither they
flock in thousands, from the west south
and north. All are in search Of the mighty
dollar, and all have an idea tnat they can
beat the game.
The most conspicuous and daring better
of the lot is Pittsburg Phil, who is known
from New York to San Francisco and
from Maine to Florida Phil, whose name
is George Smith, and who, as his sobriquet
indicates, is resident of Pittsburg, is,
along with Michael Dwyer. probably the
heaviest and most daring better on the
turf to-day. He is but % years of age, and
has been following the horses for the last
eight years, and is to-day worth a quarter
of million, all of which he has gathered
since 1880 by judicious betting on fleet
footed thoroughbreds. This young man
may be seen at any of our great race
tracks His slim figure is well known to
race goers, and his popularity is
wonderful. He makes study Of
race horses in the same manner that
a broker interests himself in the fine details
OF railroading, and adopts betting on them
as means of livelihood, Just as broker
buys seat on the stock exchange, in order
that he may speculate on his knowledge of
railroad and other corporations. The Sc
cret of Pittsburg Pills phenomenal success
is his close attention to public form. From
the day that q yearling is sold Phil never
loses sight of him until the colt appears on
the turf as 2-year old to begin his racing
career he is carefully watched during his
t'maiden" effort, and his good or bad polo is
noted, and marked down for future refer
ence. When Phil thinks the colt is we'll
placed-that is, engaged with youngsters of
an inferior class-the money goes on in
good Jumps, and is generally landed.
The same policy is pursued with older
horses, and days pass without Phil making
single bet. He occupies prominent seat
on the grand stand and, racing glass in
hand, closely scans the field and follows
every movement of the horses under SUPER
vision during the contest. When the time
is ripe for action he bets his money, and
wins or loses with the utmost sang froid.
Mr.. Smith acquired his title several years
ago in Chicago pool room. Pittsburg was
too slow to suit his tastes, and desiring to
see some life he went to Chicago. and in
variably replied "Philn to the call of
"Name, sir" from the auctioneer. His
wonderful success set the town by the ears.
whop Don't know" He is Pittsburger,
and that was all the information the in
quisitive received. He has since been known
as Pittsburg Phil. An incident of Mr..
Smiths Chicago experience is interesting.
He is very boyish in appearance, and looks
more like divinity student than shrewd
better. He was seated in Riley's pool
room, back of the old board
of trade, on the afternoon of the
day three years ago when Volante and
Dewdrop met at Monmouth park. Mr..
Riley was firm believer in the western
horses powers, and mounting the rostrum,
offered to bet anybody present any part of
5000 that Volante would WIN 'eI'n go
YOU" came from the lips of youth seated
in chair in the corner of the room, and
all eyes were turned in that direction.
Riley was nettled at being picked up by
mere boy, and shouted angrily, "any part
of S., 900 more Volante beats the filly.~
The bet was accepted with calm nod.
Five thousand more,n came from Mr.
Riley's lips with much less force than his
former challenge. Again that calm nod,
and Mr.. Riley, recognizing that he had
met his match, weakened, saying, Have
you got enoughg' mot of good thing"
was Phi's response. Have you got
enough on VolanteW Mr.. Riley thought
he had and sat down to await developments.
The wires shortly after announced Dew
drops victory, and Chicago had something
TO talk about for weeks afterward
The young Pennsylvanian's nerve is re-
markabie. The writer sat by his side one
day last summer at Monmouth park during
a head and head finish between Cambysses
and Banner Bearer. If Cambysses won it
would mean $12, 900 in Pills pocket, and
yet not an eyelash quivered as the horses
darted under the wire, nose and nose. AS
Cambysses' number was hoisted on the tele-
graph board Phil smiled quietly and re-
marked, "Well that lands my money"
He is always followed by horde of small
betters when he appears in the betting ring,
eager to learn which animal he is playing
His influence with this class is SO great that,
not many years ago, he was approached by
a Western pool-room owner, who offered
him very large sum to make ''stiff" or
crooked bets in order to mislead those who
followed him. Phil is as honest as the sun is
bright, and refused the offer with scorn
Like most betting men he is trifle super
stitious, and has his mascot-two of them,
in fact One is a small golden horse; the
other, and just now favored emblem, is a
gold horseshoe. Last season was a good
one for the youthful plunger from the Key
stone State and his earnings have been esti-
mated at 1926, 600. He won alone on the
horse Richmond at different times $50, 900.
One day at Gravesend last fall he landed
Slo,UUO on the brown son OF virgil Many
people think that Phil controls this horses
running qualities, and receives information
when the horse is ready to win. "This is
an error" said Phil few days ago 81
have no interest in him whatever, and re-
ceive no information from the stable. l
always play Richmond on the form he ex-
hibits in preliminary work; am so famil-
lar with his pecularities that can always
place him."
Mr.. Smith is at present at the Sturtevant
house, and Is accompanied by a younger
brother. In his hour of success he has not
forgotten his relatives and is devoted to his
mother and sisters.
Michael Dwyer, the younger Of the cele-
brated Dryer brothers, is a compactly-
built man of 3s years. and his ruddy face,
blue eyes, and close-curling brown mus
tache are as familiar to race goers as the
gorgeous costumes of Evander Berry Wall
He is an enthusiastic lover of good horse,
and he and his brother conduct their famous
stable on the most honorable and conscien-
tious principle Mr.. Dwyer generally con-
fines his betting to the animals in his own
string, but is not at all averse to taking
flyer an an outsider when a good thing
turns up. He rarely appears in the ring
himself, the bulk of his money being placed
through his commissioner, smiling Johnny
Kelly MR Dwyer is credited with having
bet 100000 against $1,000 in race at
Sheepshead Bay, last autumn, between his |
own horea Jpa Crftnu ard tha California |