The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-18

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group we're men who have been identified
with the race tracks Tor years. Many were the
GOOD stories that were told before the party
broke up and among them two remarkable
tales Of the turf. which are youched Tor by the
man who told them. one Of the best known
gamblers in the country. A hall dozen
stories OF big winnings and big losings had
been told. and the conversntion had drilled
toward race track superstition whom the gam
bier remarked:
AN sporting mon are superstitious more
or less Why. I've seen fortunes won and lost
on the strength OF a mere within. Back In 1891
l recall how two OF the best known gamblers
In the East took n chance OF losing $1,000 Just
because butterfly with wings corresponding
In color to the cOlors Of one OF the jockeys in
the race happened to alight on the bnck OF
ones hand. 1t was Futurity day. and there
were o lot OF good things In the race. The two
mon speak OF had planned to place $40 900
on Yorkvlllo Belle. who was the crack Glly Of
the year and every ones favorte. They were
on their way to tho betting ring. when butter
fly with blue wings aghted on the back OF
the hand Of one OF the gamblers. Now. blue
happened to be Dave uideon's colors and Dave
had Ills Hghness entered. His HiGhness was
coupled with Merry Monarch. who was also
owned by Gideon aud the price against them
was 81 to /. Well. to make long story
short, these men switched away from York
willie Belle and took $1,000 worth OF His
Highness and Merry Monarch coupled at -,
to !. Ills Highness. ridden by Jimmy Nc
Laughlin. won by a short head from the Belle
and those fellows cleared SO. 900. DO you won
der that gamblers are superstitious
About the most remarkable case OF this
character that ever heard OF. however. was
Frank Snyder's dream about tho winner OF the
Liverpool Spring Cup More sports wen; brok o
on that dream and more made fortunes on IL
than on any other piece OF superstition ever
heard Of Than Frank SNYDER there was not q
whittier or suuarer sporting man In the country.
From San Francisco to New York he was
known as an expert Judge OF horses. and his
judgment on all big events was sought by
sporting men all over the country. snyder
was not much on superstition himself He be-
lieved In cold. hard facts. but he was con-
tinualiy having queer dreams. and these
dreams he used to relate In detail 10 his sport
ing friends.
Buck in 1881 the big horsemen and book
makers In this city used TO hang out In Murray
4 Cridges gambling house on Twenty eighth
street Every night would find from fifty to q
hundred gamblers In Murrays psrlors. smok-
ing. drinking. and talking over tho big sport
ing events OF the day. About three months
before the running OF the great Liverpool
Spring Cup Pierre Lorillsrd sent a string Of
two and three year o!ds abroad in charge OF 4
trainer. his idea being to capture some OF the
rich English stakes and purses. With the
string old Parole was sent along. Parole had
been n good horse but had gone wrong and
for long time had not won his oats. lilo was
q white elephant on the stables hands. and
bIr. Lorillard. making up his mind the horse
would never be OF any use as q racer again
sont him with the string OF youngsters to
mi To n for than whia thay "A tFai min "
on the other sido.
One night about three weeks after the
I.orillard string had sailed Frank snyder
walked into Murray Cridge's establishment
and. planting himself In O big easy chair. said:
Boys. have any Of you seen the entries for the
Liverpool Spring Cup:' Now there wasn't
much interest here in the English events. and
none OF them had seen the entries
We'll. said Snyder. 1 haven't the slightest
idea what horses are entered and what horses
not. and II | had wouldn't know much about
the event as they're all English animals. But
anyway you all know old Parole that Lorllard
sent over TO mako pace for his younGstersy
"Of course all hands know Parole.
WELL resumed Snyder. strange as It
may seem. considering poor old Paroles con-
ditiop. dreamt last night that the old fellow
had won the Liverpool Spring Cup and
There was n burst Of laughter at this iuncture
Wnlcn Interrupted Snyuer lOr mOment
When it had subsidized he resumed: Just
hold on before you laugh. boys. That isn't
the remarkable part OF this dream. dreamt
that Parole won easily by about six lengths
with horse called Atlantic second. l never
heard OF Atlantic before. and can't imagine
where the name comes from: but anyway. as
my dream went. Parole crossed Adamite
while they were turning into the stretch. and
when this race was over Adamites Jockey
lodged a complaint OF foul against Parole.
The foul was allowed. Parole was disqualified
and the race given to Adamite. That's the
dream. now make the best oft.
Nothing much was thought OF Snyder's
dream for nearly three weeks. and then re-
ports began to come from the other side to the
effect that Parole had suddenly regained his
old form and was fairly breaking watches in
his trials. From time to time reports OF the
old fellows marvellous speed kept coming
across the ocean. and finally one morning
sporting men were amazed when they picked
Pierre Lorillard's Parole had been added to
Cup. This brought Frank snyder q dream to
mind again. and the crowd around Murray X
FINALLY one dav an oiiicai list Of the an
tries for the race was received. some OF the
greatest horses in Lngland were entered. but
there was no such horse as Adamite named
however: and the crowd finally nut him down
dream. Fred Archer. the greatest Jockey in
| the world at that time. was down to ride Adj
vance This was about month before the
race and as each day brought news OF Paroles
great improvement and also word OF Advances
great work. the excitement became i'm
mense. SnYder's dream was told in detail all
over the city. and the sports were all willing TO
lay big money on the strength oI IL. but they
didn't JuIt know which horse TO play. Some
were willing to take stock In the dream to the
extent Of Paroles winning but they couldn't
believe that SNYDER could have dreamed out
such curious result for sucn a great race and
have 1t all correct Others were willing to trust
20 the dream and bet on Advance having great
faith In the horses form and greater faith still
In his Jockey.
p" Well. the demand soon became so great
that three or four gamblers opened books Ia
tho race Were posted, But only two were
played. Thousands OF dollars rolled ia on
Parole and thousands on Advance. The
men WHO had opened tho books closed up
In less than a week and refused TO take an
| other bet. They stood to lose enough money
already. they said. Then the sports began
cabling money abroad and having 1t placed
there on their pick. Every one who amounted
to anything In the sporting world had a good
bet down on one or the other Of the horses,
but most OF the money was on Advance. The
sports had great 60 lidence IN Snyder and his