The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-01-14
NOTED HORSE DRUNKARDs.
Thoroughbreds That Loved Their
ChampaQne and Whiskey.

race uOIScS d IOhuhCSS III
wine and whiskey that would make
equine drunkards out of them in short
order il they could always crafty
their thirst. 1t IL not generally
known that stimulants are frequently
resorted to to put false courage into q
faint-hearted horse or to key stout
game performer to still greater efforts
There have been tOpers among race
horses for many years, but 1T Is doubt.
full whether Mr.. James Galway's old
gelding, Rupert, by Falsetto, out OF
Marguerite, ever had an equal in the
drinking line. This old rascal knew
as well as his trainer when he was
going to race, and he would whinny
and champ his bit impatiently while
awaiting the sound OF the saddling
bell. He knew that the ringing OF
the bell was always the signal for the
appearance of a bottle Of generous
proportions, with a neck several
Inches long. The old rogue would
take as kindly to the bottle, which
generally contained whiskey, as an
frishman does to politics, and with
eyes kaIf closed would let the liquor
gurgle down his throat, holding his
head high in the air, meanwhile, so
as not to miss q precious drop. 1t was
an evil hour for Mr.. Galway when he
gave Rupert his first dose Of Dutch
courage, for having felt its exhilarat-
ing influence, he would not run yard
thereafter without 1t, and the old fell
low was never content with mig
gardly portion. In fact he was
credit to Kentucky, where he was
bred and reared.
Appleby g. johnson once owned
distinguished horse drunkard in the
chestnut horse Ban Cloche. Whether
from contact with ID. g. johnson, or
whether the horse naturally had ex-
pensive tastes is q q matter OF doubt,
but nothing but champagne would
tickle his palate and make him fancy
that each Of his legs-was a quarter Of
q mile in length and capable Of featS
unheard of in the way of propulsion.
It was at Monmouth Park one very
bad day in July that Ban Cloche first
dallied with the insidious juice OF
the grape, and, like the boy after his
initial smoke, he was sorry for it.
Appleby & johnson stood to win a
great deal of money on their horse. 1t
was known that he possessed wonder
full speed, but he was q coward, and
liked none too well to be pinched at
any stage of the journey. 1t was con-
coded that victory would be certain II
he could get far enough away from his
competitors in the first half mile, but
/. the race, and 1t was no certainty that
he could get to the front. To give
him courage pint Of champagne was
poured down his throat before going
TO the post.
Unfortunately for Ban Cloche and
his owners, that cratic performer,
Little Minch, was also starter, and
anybody who saw this horse during
his long career on the turf knows that
when he was in a race it was purely
problematical when the flag would
fan. He was q perverse, hard. headed
brute, that spoiled more starts and
gave starters more trouble than any
other horse in the history of the Amer
lean turf. Little Minch was at his very
worst on this day, and he was willing
to jump the fence, climb tree, take
a bite Of poor Polo Jim, Starter
Caldwelps clever assistant, who died
last year, or run the wrong way of the
track. For forty minutes the horses
figured at the post, and still Little
Minch was obdurate. When Ban
ClOche came upon the course there
was fire in his eye, and, in the false
starts, he could scarcely be restrained
by his rider, so eager was he TO be
away. AS the time passed and the
hot sun began TO make influence felt,
q startling change came over Ban
Cloche. Sweat started from every
pore aid he was covered with foam.
His eyes became CLASSY, and those of
the spectators who. did not know the
cause marvelled at the antics of the
horse. He rolled and lurched about,
and there was q most quiZZical eX-
preston in his eye. He was blind
drunk. When the flag fell he ran well
for short distance, and then left far
in the rear. He had been kept too
long at the post. The giving of stimu.
lants to thoroughbreds is still prac-
tised, though not to the extent it was
in former years. 1t is used extensively
on the trOtting tracks, where horses
have frequently to race six or seven
heats during an afternoon, and there
is no denying the fact that on occa-
sions 1t is absolutely necessary, and
has won many races.
But there is another stimulant
which Is used, although its employ
ment has been forbidden on many
tracks. This is called the ''iniection,n
and the originator of the system is
said to have made n great deal of
money out of it. 1t was first heard of
some years ago when the winter race
tracks at Clifton and Guttenburg
were f1ourishiBg, and il was in con-
slant use then. This "iDjection" is
said to be a preparation of cocaine,
and it is administered through the
medium of a hyperdermic syringe a
few minutes before the animal is to
race. The effect is marvellous, and
even a casual observer can tell when
a horse is under its influence. The
eyes have a wild look, and every
faculty of the animal seems to be
aroused; in fact, some thoroughbreds
OF high nervous construction act as
though craZed when under the effects
OF the potion. That part of the body
where the syringe is inserted becomes
wet as though with perspiration. 1t
was common thing in the days of
winter racing to see horses that were
kind and good actors at the post, ordi-
narily, go through the most fantastic
capers. Many animals that had been
deemed incapable of winning a prize
romped away from their competitors
when "doped''. and the fame of the
injection" spread.
The owner of the sacrat rarn tho