The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-26
A GOOD HORSE RUINED
Famous Runners That Have Been
Operated Upon.
LESS CRUEL THAN FORMERLY.
Men Have Learned New Methods in
the Fine Art of Disabling
Animals.

The recent alleged dosing of the Ameri-
can Derby winner, Rey ell Santa Anita,
and the suspension of counselor" Bill
Brien, trainer for the Baldwin string, re-
calls some incidents of famous racers that
were 'doped" and the methods most used
by crooked trainers and INSCRIPTIONS
horsemen. In England the crime of dosing
is called mo bbling," and was much prac-
ticed in the early part of the present CEN
fury.
In the year 1926 Dan Dsnson was caught
at the nefariOus practice in that country,
was condemned to death and executed.
The most celebrated case of recent years
was the dosing of Orme, the favorlte for
the English Derby of 1892. The horse was
given drug short tins prior to the great
event by some unknown miscreant. and
his owner, the Duke of Westminster. was
compelled to scratch him, thus throwing
thousands of pounds into the bOokmakers'
Golfers.
A large reward was offered for the APP
pTehension Of the offender, but no trace
of him was ever found.
Great excitement was caused in the
country at the time by the poisoning of the
great racehorse Wagner, at Nashville.
Tenn, when he suffered defeat from the
gray mare Gamma, not as good a race
mare by many pounds as Wagner.
Al ST. Louis in the summer of 1882 Ed
Corrigan's great son of LongfellOW, Free
land, was poisoned in a most fendish
manner. hole was punctured in one of
his legs, and the deadly drug Inserted
therein. This threw him out of training.
and he ran no more that season; but he
recovered and was q fine three-year-old,
and practically unbeatable as a fOur-year-
old.
Another case, the details of which were
similar. was the poisoning of the great
flly CipSetta, be Onging 10 L. j. Megibben,
the weli-kDOwn Kentucky distiller. She
was treated in the same manner at
Chicago shortly after the Freelsnd case
She had beaten all Of the best hlies
in the South, and was a hot tayOrite for
the Ladies' stake, but on the night before
the race this fend in human form, by some
means, gained access to the stable, and
she met the fate of Freeland, only with
much more serious results, as the splendid
hiiV died IN awful agony on the day the
stake was run.
Miss Woodford, who became the queen
OF lire turf, won the event easily, it being
her first start in public.
But Of late years, as In every other
sclance and profession, hOrsemen have
grown wise, and less dangerous drugs and
methods are used that answer as we'll and
leave no i'll effects on the animal.
One very ingenious method that has
been used is TO insert small silk spOngeS in
the nOstrlls of the horse. After running
well for some distance his breathing be-
comes labOred, and, in the language of the
swipes. he will cough it up"
Another stopping" drug that is used is
etner Ii is saId that two or three drops of
this on a lump of sugar given TO a horse
will make him think he has passed the
wire when about three-Quarters of the dis
lance as been traversed, and be will slow
up despite all hard urging on the jockeys
part. But unless well cooled off after the
race this is apt TO have an Injurious effect
Gu the animal
a good bran mash, with liberal supply
Of salt in 1t, is pretty sure guarantee that
the bookmRkers will not be troubled with
paving of many tickets on that horse.
A very clever trick was once worked at
the Bay District track by some parties
that owned a very fast Splinter. A piece
or gut was tied tightly around one of the
animals legs. She was then taken out
and warmed up through the stretch and of
course pulled up dead lame" This re-
port soon spread around the ring and the
horse from favOrte Immediately became a
long price in the betting. Tue owners
then played their money, the piece OF gut
was removed and soon after the race they
had plenty of money.
At the last Jockey Club meeting the
horse Alto Milo was said to have been run
il a race shod with lead shoes, and finished
in the rear Of his field. But this became
noised about and be was never cut loose
for the intended killing.
At another meeting a horse was started
with shotted boots and was supposed to
be a dead one" The owner and bis
friends on the inside then proceeded to
play another horse in the race; but the
dead one," getting off in front, ran like a
wild horse and was never headed.
But the method most in vogue when an
owner figures that his horse will be favor
tie at a short price is to run them short"
and is entirely harmless in its after effects.
For instance, If the race is over distance
of one mile, the horse will be worked
three-quarters. and after that distance has
been run in the race he will blow up"
and finish with the also rams. These are
but few of the many tricks that can be
resorted TO by crooked horsemen to fool
judges and public; but the best proof that
honesty is the best policy is in the fact
that very few Of the horsemen who resort
TO the methods above referred to ever
bave>any money. They generally get to
the end of their rope with one lonely plug
"a a sorrowful reminder of the days when
bill and me used TO get the stuff