The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-27
my story. did not materialize at Sat atoga, ]

my story, did not materialize at Sai atoga, I
must hurry along in my narrative.
All racing visitors to Saratoga who are
capable of judging of such matters are fully
aware Of the great difference in speed of the
two race tracks there. The old three-quar-
ter-mile course in the pinss Of Horse Haven,
deep with sand. whore the first race meet
ing at the springs was held. nearly thirty
years ago, is not within four con of The
race course proper AZ to speed. Hence,
when my colt, Richard Loudon. showed me
one morning three-quarters of q mile on
the old track in 1:19, l knew that I had a
'cinch" on the first race next day. And l
had, for l beat a large field of horses and
got as good as ten to one for my money.
This gave nae 9 start in the line of ready
capital, and now l made up my mind that
| would go slow with the colt at Saratoga.
with a view to a coup at the early fall meet
ings at Coney Island. l knew that T could
win a small fortune in cash any afternoon
at Sheepshead Bay if my horse retained his
form and | could control the requisite CAPT
TIA! to back him. So, like tee proverblal
''Brer Rabbit" I concluded to "lay low"
and bide my time. But as my two southern
purchases proved of little account, l got
rid of them for a fair price to 3 fellow Ken
sucklan, and ran Richard a couple of more
races for stable expenses and keep. The
first of these he was showing further i'm
provsment. but the other he lost BY a head
to the Santa Anita crack from California,
the great Valiant, whose owner WAS 30 sue
cessful in all his undertakings that he was
dubbed Lucky" Bald win bv his friends.
In this race my colt was not "a we'll
ridden as was the Californian. who had The
famous Smoked Irishman' on his back.
But as l had only backed Richard for a
place, and was out no money, | felt almosS
as much pleased as if l had won. l knew
that my colt, although receiving q lot OF
weight. had made the great Valiant stretch
his neck to beat him, and that tho latter
was good he showed the next day by win
ming the Saratoga cup in a canter.
So / said to myself: Dick, old son, you
have go. the material for a scooo of these
bo~okmakers; you have got nearly enough
money to do it with, and you just pull up
stakes and git" and + got" The next
from Saratoga to Albany, rested him up,
and the following morning found us on the
boat bound for Gotham.
sheepshead Bay was reached without in
cident other than that Richard took a sud
den antipathy TO a milk wagon horse on
the streets of Brooklyn, and showed his
good health ana puQnacity alike by u
wicked effort to smash the c~ommoner's
cfanium with his heels. Fortunately
perhaps for my horse. the scion of plebiaa
parents failed TO resent the attack of his
aristocratically bred assailant and Richard
subsidized az If ashamed of his sudden out
burst of spleen, and logged on quietly
enough this rest OF the way.
Atthe Island race course | again found nv
self one of the early arrivals, and | put up in
ono Of the Older stables across the track, al
"far from the mudding crowd'' Us possible.
Here l worked ray colt along slowly, az he
was h nearly tit to race at his best, and
l did not want to overdo the matter and get
him too finely drawn before his time came.
Well, l was in no stake events with the
colt SO ] picked ont a seven furlonQ dash on
the third day of the sheepshead September
meeting, which gave my colt by its condi-
tions an allowance in weight. AS it was an
overnight event l did not know Just wha,
no ,ses | would be likely to run up against
ard yet rs most horsemen can do in sucE
matters | mentally figured out those
thought likely to go in, and came surpris-
ingly near the correct list.
Two days before the eventful dav
worked kiehard the distance of his race
seven furlongs, in 1881 with a lot of over.
weight up, and then | knew III racing par
lance that | had q 'moral' as the colt wal
a good Roer, hardy and tough, and no,
likely to get off from bad weather or ordi
nary climatic changes.
afternoon, between races, / engaged
Harry Baylor, the crack Canadian Jockey
to ride Richard and promised him the re-.
spectacle retainer of 800 TO ride. and 81, OOl
II he won the race. But / did not tell hin
now good the COLT was. as | had dealt with
Jockeys bsfore and knew how easy it wa
for them to torestall an owner in the bet.
ting.
Now came one of the must importan
parts OF my plan. ! had 4 fair amount O