Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-01
@0OO, 600 THE WRONG Way.
Murphy 10 Noted for His Honesty and
Has Fortune of 800, 600.

II is about sixteen years ago, says the New
York World, that Isaac Murphy, then lad of
fourteen, began his career in the saddle. His
mother was . slave belonging to Hunt Rey-
nolds, and Isaac owes his good manners and
his success In life to Mrs. Reynolds careful
instruction. The men whose memories 60
back to the days when two-mils heat races
were being run recall the slender lad with .
face like carved mahogany who rode Bob
Wooley to victory on the old Nashville track.
1t was in a two-mile heat race, and the boy
rode so well that he leaped at once into popu-
larity. This was Isaac Murpby's first notable
victory. His has been brilliant record since
that time. In many famous race has Murphy
carried the winner past the judges while thou
sands In the grand stand cheered themselves
hoarse. He was q master in the saddle. Never
before on the American turf was there jockey
whose judgment OF pace was 50 good.
Il need no watch when Isaac is up" said old
Eli Jorden, trainer for Hunt Reynolds. "The
boy can tell pace better than the watch"
His fame increased year by year, and when
like the Fleetwood became too small to pay
the great price Murphys services were worth
he engaged himself to Millionaire Lucky"
Baldwin. He rode all of Baidwin's famous
horses from Mollie Mccarthy to Los Angeles
and it Is matter of history how we'll he rode
Baldwin he inserted in it clause that when
ever Mrs. Reynolds wanted him to ride one Of
the Fleetwood horses he would be allowed to
ride. He has had this same proviso in all his
rode for Ed Corrigan, but he did not like Cor
rigans methods and left him. Since then he
has been riding for Mr.. Haggin.
During all these years Isaac Murphy was the
model jockey. He was never in the paddock
except when he was preparing to ride. He had
trQrE etatn hn Il lima tha
friendship of the book makers, and was never
known to gamble. lie was courteous to every
one. and when he left the race track he went
home. 1t became n proverb among racing
men las honest jockey as Isaac MURPHY" and
to all other good qualities was added in
tegrity.
AS the years went by Murphy began to ac-
cumuiate money. He first bought himself
handsome home in Lexington, Ky. and then
put his money into other property. He now
owns nearly an entire block in Lexington and
has other property in central kentucky. He is
worth perhaps 100000 He married one of
his own race several years ago and is good
husband. He rode Proctor Knot. in the Omni-
bus stakes at Monmouth last year and Mr..
Scoggan, Proctor Knots owner. openly
charged him with being drunk. Murphy ex-
planned to his friends at the time that he was
constantly troubled with faintness caused by
reducing. His mother weighs nearly two hun
dred and fifty pounds and all his family are
O'S PSopiC. ne Sulu tue IuIully teuueUcy was
strongly marked in him and that he became 80
exhausted from training down that he had to
resort to some kind of stimulant. Since then
there have been intimations that he was
drinking too much, but they have not been
generally credited.
Among the great horses Murphy has ridden
have been Salvador, Kingston, FordhalB Han
over, Proctor Knott, Falsetto, Buchanan-in
fact, there is hardly horse Of the first class
that has appeared during the past ten years
that he has not guided to victory.
1t is universally believed by those who
watched Tuesdays race that Firenze could
have won if she had been properly ridden as
Firenze was the hot favorite not only at Mon
mouth Park, but in pool rooms all over the
country. 1t is hard to estimate how much
Murphy's riding cost betting men. In an
ordinary race a book maker will stand to lose
$4,000 on a single horse. As there are
about ninety book makers this would
make $1S0,000 in the most common
place selling race where the masses of the pub
lie are not interested. In FirenZes race the
public were deeply interested, and they proba-
bly, bet S350.000 Tuesday at Monmouth Park
alone. In addition to this there are a score of
pool rooms in New York, Chicago, Louisville,
st. Louis, Covington, Albany, Philadelphia.
Boston. San Francisco and other cities. These
rooms will bet almost as much as the book
makers at Monmouth. There are probably one
hundred and fifty Of them all told. and it is
low estimate to put the money they took in
from the public at S250,OOO. The total amount
lost on Firenze could not have been far from
5000 600