Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-27
TRACK SUPERSTITIONS.
QUEER BELIEFS HELD BY THOSE
WHO BET ON HORSE RACES.

| Signs Never Fail.
"How is it that gamblers, and especially
gamblers on the turf, are so supershtiouss"
This question was asked of an old race goer
recently, but be denied altogether that they
were superstitious He said: Backing horses
in race is all game of chance. You may
have the very best horse in the race and may
back him heavily, but through some mishap,
such as the horse being pocketed, or slipping
| his bride, he may be beaten Now these mis-
! haps make the chance In the game, and there
are certain signs that all race goers believe
| in that tell when TO back certain horse and
| when to let him alone. Why, would no
more think of backing horse that these
signs and omens said would not win than ]
| would attempt to fly"
allow is it, then, that you don't always
wini Are the signs sometimes wrongs'
Never The signs are always right, but
we don't always read them correctly, and
| even when we do we sometimes think we
know best. Then we have to suffer for our
conceit. :"
SAW TIE WINNER IN DREAM.
Gust tell me of some of the signs that you
go by"
First Of all, never make a bet unless
have my mascot with me- Ii is So gold
piece If | should happen to leave 1t at home
| Just watch the race Sometimes l have
tried to win when have not that gold piece
with me, but | always lost, and so now l
have given it up. l found that gold piece
several years ago when coming through the
gates at jerome park. l only had five
dollar bill with me that day, and in the first
race placed it on horse that won and paid
$50. IS for S. Iconcluded that the SIS gold
piece was meant to bring me good luck, and
/ determined to keep it, That day 1 won
s7Go, and ever since have never boon with
out money:
Monday is bad day to lose on. If one
starts tho week badly then you may be sure
it will end badly If 1 lose on Monday I
rarely make another bet until the next Mon
day comes around Sometimes have varied
this rule and tried TO win, but it is OF no use.
"In lacing my shoe this morning l laced
it wrong. If l had left it laced wrong all
would have been well and l should have won,
but instead / unfastened It and relaced it.
That Is a sure sign of IL luck
Some bettors believe In dreams. They will
sometimes dream that certain horse will
win a race, and then back that horse when he
next runs. An old turfman told this story
about dream recently:
1T was two days before the Great Ameri
can stakes was run at Gravesend dreamed
of the race. l saw quite distinctly number
Of horses start, and one, a big chestnut, win.
Who he was | could not make out tried
all day kong to find out the name of this horse,
but it was of no use. had his picture stamped
on my mind, and when Ii got to the track tried
again to find out the name OF this yOungster,
but 1t was no use. Just as the horses were
going to the post recognized my winner
in the dream. 1t was August Belmont's st.
Carlo ridden by Garrison ! rushed to the
ring and managed to put on some money.
Well, YOU know St. Carlo won, and I won
5000. That's one reason why l believe in
dreams"
Many believe that hunchback is sure
sign of luck. In this superstition tlrfmen do
not agree with actorn. Many an actor has
refused to play because he has seen bunch
back In the audience, and he believes IT a sure
sign of III luck Turfmen think differently
They say ii you are in search Of good luck
never let hunchback pass without touching
the hump, no matter how Hghtly-the tips Of
the fingers win do. Some say that you must
wish for luck at the same time that you touch
the hunchback, and i'll order to work the
charm the hunchback must be aware of your
action
Cross eyed persons bring good and bad luck
with them. Ifa man sees a cross eyed woman
he will have good luck, but this cross eyed
woman will bring bad buck to another woman.
In the same way cross eyed man will bring
>,oc.I l,1cl- To and ,u1 lrcl to
man.
ALL 4 GAME OF CHANCE.
All patrons of the race course are firm be-
levers in the old superstition about seeing
the new moon first. 1t is good LUCK to see it
first over the right shoulder, bad luck to look
at 1t over the left shoulder, but best luck of
all to look at it full in the face with money in
your pocket The money must be turned
over while looking at the moon and it win
double itself during the next swenty-four
hours.
Every one, of course, is familiar with the
fatality said TO surround the number L. If
there arc Is horses starting in a race the one
numbered Is has to be an extraordinarily
good one before the bettorS VIII back it, and
then they claim that nine times out of ten
sorpething will happen that viii prevent his
winning. Many believe that luck surrounds
certain numbers. More favor the number
than any other.
Some persons who play the races mover like
TO win the first race. They will make small
bet on some horses and expect TO lose. After
that they Will play heavily and are most con-
fident of winning. If they should win in the
first race by any chance they viii not bet any
moro, as they aFe certain they will lose.
Betbors on horse races are always on the
lookout for some sign that VIII point to a
certain horse in the race Going down TO the
Monmouth park races on the Sandy Hook
boat they are always on the lookout for
pilot boat, and then when they see the big
number on the sail they regard it as good
omen and plan according TO what the num-
Der points TO on the programme Others
watch signs and listen for names. If they
see sign that bears the name Of horse or
hear any one mention the name Of q horse in
some odd way they take Is as sure tip that
the horse viii win the next time be starts.
Some men have so little faith in their own
Judgment of the merits VI the horses engaged
TO run, and believe so firmly that winning on
a horse race Is al q game of chance, that
they viii place the names d the horses writ
Ten ON separate pieces OF paper In a bat azid
play the first one they draw out. Others
viii throw an open kuIfe at a card-of course
a lucky knife-and the name in which the
blade sticks is the horse they select TO carry
their .z,.,IleT. New York News
Sweet Revenge.
Naroieons iInpudent apology tor setting
Holland, that II was country formed by the
aIluvlum OF French rivers, and 50 belonged
to France, can scarcely have af-
lorded the Dutch much satisfaction. for they,