The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-27

uuIlHg lneSe pleasant sum fner mornings
was Secretary Whaley, the Nestor of
American racing officials. Partly was
this due to natural sentiment on his
part, as he had himself bred Optime, the
dam of my colt Richard L4ouion and after
ward sold her to the Endorf farm stud.
Prior TO foaling my colt. Optime had
thrown that good race mare Peruvian u
the English horse Glengar, and her breeder
was naturally ANXIOUS to see how the Law
yer cross, as exempliied by my colt, would
turn out. / believe he had no reason to
feel ashamed of the result of the union,
Judged by subsequent Developments
Wei. the Saratoga meeting that summer
was good one. The usual meeting OF the
best OF horses from the Western meetings
with those from Eastern and intermediate
tracks produced some exciting sport. But
as my tours de force. the backbone of nv
story. did not materislize at Saratoga,
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-quarter mile course in the pines of
Horse Haven. deep with sand where the
first race meeting at the Springs was held.
nearly thirty years ago, is not within four
seconds of the race course proper as to
speed. Hence, when my colt, Richard
Loudon. showed me one morning three
quarters of a mile on the old track in 10,
L knew that l had ''cinch" on the first
race next day. And I had, for I beat a
large field OF horses and got as good as 10
to for my money.
This gave me a start in the line of ready
capital. and now l made up my mind that
L would go slow with the colt at Saratoga,
with view 10 coup at the early fail
meetings at Coney Island. | knew that 1
could win a small fortune in cash any af-
4 L
tanned his form and L could control the
requisite capital to back him. So, like the
proverbial "Brer Rabbit" / concluded 10
LAY low" and bide my time But as my
two Southern purchases proved of little
account. | got rid of them for fair price
TO fellow kentuckian. and ran Richard
couple of more races for stable expenses
and keep. The first of these he was show
ing further improvement, but the other he
lost by head to the Santa Rita crack from
California, the great Valiant, whose owner
was so successful IN all his undertakings
that he was dubbed Lucky" Baldwin by
his friends.
In this race my colt was not as well
ridden as was the California. who had the
famous Smoked Irishman" on his back.
But as | had only backed Richard FOR a
place and was out no money | felt almost
as much pleased as if | had won. | knew
that my colt, although receiving lot of
weight had made the great Valiant stretch
his neck to beat him. and that the 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 got the material for a scoop of
these bookmakers; you have got nearly
enough money to do 1t with, and you just
pull up stakes and git" and | got" The
next day | walked my horse the thirty
two miles from Saratoga to Albany. rested
him up, and the following morning found
US on the boat bound for Gotham.
Sheepshead Bay was reached without
incident other than that Richard took a
sudden antipathy TO milk wagon horse
on the streets of BROOKLYN, and showed
his good health and pugnacity alike by
wicked effort to smash the commoner's
Uranium with his heels. Fortunately, per-
haps, for my horse, the scion of plebeian
parents failed to resent the attack of his
aristocratically bred assailant and Richard
subsidized as if ashamed of his sudden out
burst of spleen, and logged on quietly
enough the rest of the way.
At the Island race course / again found
myself one of the early arrivals, and put
up i'll one of the older stables across the
track, as "far from the madding crowd"
as possible. Here I worked nv colt along
slowly, as he was then nearly lit to race at
his best. and did not want to overdo the
matter and get him too finely drawn before
his time came.
Well, was in no stake events with the
colt, 80 picked out a seven furlong dash
on the third day of the Sneepshead Sep
TENDER meeting. which gave my colt by it's
conditions an allowance in weight As it
was an overnight event l did not know
just what horses | would be likely to run
up against, and yet as most horsemen can
do in such matters / mentally figured out
those thought likely to go in, and came
surprisingly near the correct list.
Two days before the eventful day 1
worked Richard the distance of his race,
seven furlongs. in 1:2S1s. with lot of
overweight up, and then l knew in racing
parlance, that l had moral" as the
colt was good doer. hardy and tough.
and not likely to get off from bad weather
or ordinary climatic changes.
That afternoon between races engaged
Harry Baylor. the crack Canadian jockey,
to ride Richard and promised HIM The
respectable retainer of 800 to ride and
$1,000 if he won the race. But did not
tell him how good the colt was, as l had
dealt with jockeys before and knew how
easy it was for them to fOrestall an owner
in the betting.
Now came one of the most important
parts of my plan. / had fair amount of
money, but as wanted to back my colt
for a very heavy stake l found the neces-
sity of taking in partner with the
requisite extra capital.
Among the acquaintance 1 had formed
at Saratoga was young man who had en-
joyed a phenomenal run of luck in two
racing seasons. From an employe at the
race track there James McDonough had
progressed with the aid of a lucky 81, 600
winning on combination bet, to the
ownership of a few horses and fair
amount of cash as well. This latter had
helped him to increase by a hint from me
to back my colt in his l0-to-l at Saratoga
and he looked to me to be the man /
wanted for my partner.
He was not at the track that day so
went up to the city i'll the evening and
found my man at his hotel. He was most
enthusiastic over the scheme, and offered
to advance the whole amount of the
money, and if we lost | could repay him
my half when convenient. This was
better than had expected, for the money
l intended to put in would, if lost, make
me pretty short for a time.
So McDonough agreed TO be on hand at
the Bay the second day after with $40, 600