Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-15
VANITY THAT COST A MILLION,
The Foiiy Of Jockey Threw Away Fer
tune at the Post.

The FOLLY Of Jockey Threw Away Fer
tune at the Post.
A number Of racing men we're
chatting In an uptown hotel on Broad
way a few evening since, says the
New York sun, and one Of the party,
who had been abroad In company
with Walton. the famous plunger,
when that heavy Spectator made his
second trip to highland, told how near
the American came To creating q
sensation which would have made the
country ring from one end to the
other
''l'he vanity Of a jockey" said this
man, cost Walton and his friends
$1,000, 900 and this Is how IL all hap.
peued. Walton had In his stable
among other horses Mr. Pickwick,
sutler and the 3.year-old Hopeful,
which he still owns ani has in the
stud somewhere near New YORK. We
had been winning our share Of the
money. both on our own horses and
on those 0f other owners and the sea.
son had opened up In the most
propitious fashion. All OF the Amer.
lean contingent took advice from
Petite as we called Walton, and we
had maze the ring vince several
times on settling day. sherwood.
vino trained for Walton, had q very
high opinion Of Hopeful, aud wanted
to run him IN stake race. but we
begged him TO hold of and pick out
selling event instead, aud prepared
to make coup that would he talked
about for months to come. After
seeing the City aud the Suburban run
we ran back to London, ana from
there took the train to EPSON, where
our horses were quartered. 1t was
our purpose to deceive everybody as
to our intentions, and that morning
the horses were brought out trotted
and centered, and carefully pat away.
as though they had had all their
work for that day In the afternoon,
when the Downs were deserted,
Hopeful and Sutler were brought out
in company with Richmond, a high.
class horse, then trained by Sher.
wood but afterward bought by Walton
and brought to this country, rum nH
third In Pontiac's Suburban. The trial
was a great success and showed US
that Hopetul was a grand :.vear.old,
of quality sufficiently high to win
many stakes for race horses of his
age. Richmond beat him about u
length, aud the 3.ycar.old beat Sut.
Ter away OF; 10 fact We were In high
feather and considered the money we
intended TO place on Hopeful In the
Ginning race as good as won.
''Racing In England 10 vastly DIFF.
fereut from the sport In this country,
aud the great public knows ter less
about the merits OF the horses than
tney do In America Horses run fewer
races. are trained privately, and some.
times are not seen In public fol
months together. As q cOnse lucncs
form Is much harder to follow, and
those who have q bottlcl.up good
thing and know how to guard thelI
secret get q price that Is ut times as
tOnishingiy coed. We were amazed
20 get as good at 10 to l asains,
Hopeful, and the strangest part OF Il
all was that the more we bet the more
the ring seemed apabe Of absorb bling,
We told our jockey Il won't mention
his name, but he was good one II
his day, and most Of you know him
that We stood 70 win fortune ant
to take no chances From the star
Hopeful was In good position, ant
after making q splendid turn q
TOttenham Corner We began to cheer
for our chestnut beauty was stridtnI
along In front and moving over tn
turf 10 aghidcent style. A hun
dred yards from the finish We wer,
exulting In our triumph, Hity yard
from the line nothing but u miracle
could keep Va from getting tn,
money Whips were living behint
us and our colt was still In hand
When think Of what happened thel
grow faint and want to swear. Gu
Jockey, with the insane desire o
showing what good thing 1t was
I ok q DULL at Hopeful's head, tn
great, long.striding cit becam
tangled and was thrown oil hi
stride. Webb was on the nearest q
his competitors, and he had all bu
given up riding, but, like the grea
.hOrseman that he Is, he gathered hi
horse, by one Of the grandest effort
I've ever seen. nailed Hopeful an,
beat him on the post went brOk
over the race, but nothing could sta
Walton's luck that day, for despit
his losses On the race he quit the da
80, 900 to the good. What would Il
have won II our jockey hadn't blum
dercd? Full; $1,000, 900; aud tn
entira story OF his life might hav
teen, changed. Had he got that niue
money together they never could hav
made him surrender. I'll never fol
get what Webb said after the race
IL was this The overweight Dea
you' pointing TO his upper lip. whic
like all OF Engiand's jockeys, va
clean shaved. Our man had moui
tache."