Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-25
He Lost Him as the Result of a
Selling Race.
HE AVY B E T T o r


at his Algeria stud near Erie, Pa, and car
ried her colors as a two and a three-year-
old Then he was sold to M. F. CMike)
Dwyer, who won with him in this country
in purses and stakes $107,0S5.
When Dick Croker and Mike Dwyer went
to England with their stables in search of
fame and fortune on the English turf, Ban
quet was one of Dryers string. AS there
was an English horse Of the same NAME
Dwyer was compelled to call his Banquet
H. and so ran him.
Mike Dwyer is undoubtedly the heaviest
bettor the American turf has produced since
the sporting days of Theodore Plunger)
Walton. He thinks no more of betting ten,
twenty or thirty thousand dollars on race
than ordinary bettors do Of wagering a 1.-THE
of these amounts. In sporting parlance,
HE is game man with his money" but
Ike all gamblers he likes to win, and he is
even ready to avail himself to the fullest ex-
tent of the widest latitude the letter of the
rules permits. At his door, because of this
propensity, and in view of the fact that he
was able to involve Dick Cookers political
power. is laid, by the best-informed turf
man, the chief blame for the extirpation of
racing in New Jersey and the anti-pool-sell-
ing amendment clause of the constitution OF
the state Of New York, which Is such blow,
at the profits of its racing associations. OF
course he had no intention of doing either
of these things, for they have hurt him as
badly as they have any one, but his greed
got the better of his judgment, and the re-
suit was entirely different from that antici-
pated.
A Turf Magnatc. as -
In the palmy Ives pool law days, Mike
Dwyer, as one of the leading owners Of the
Brooklyn Jockey Club, was "a turf mag
nate" and one of his favorite methods Of
winning races was by entering stake horses
in selling races at prices ridiculously below
their true value. For the benefit of those
unfamiliar with the rules Of the turf, I
will state that selling race is one in which
each horse is entered to be sold, and the
weights to be carried are imposed in conso-
nance with the price put on the horse. Then
If two horses Of equal breeding and records
81, 900 and the other at $500, the latter would
be given several pounds less weight to carry
than the other, and this Of course, would
give him great advantage In the race. AZ
ter the race Is over each horse may be put
up at auction. If no one bids on him he re-
verts to his owner. If there are bidders, his
owner is also privileged to bid for him. and
the highest bidder takes him. Ordinarily
only the winning horse Is put up. In the ma
jority of cases no one bids against the own
err especially If he be turf magnate, able
in many ways to make it unpleasant for
those who cross his plans. Dwyer was
enabled him to win (O thousands of dollars
not only in purses, but in GEOGRAPHICALLY
in bets.
The English Races.
When Croker and Dwyer went to Eng
land to race. Mike had charge Of the plac-
ing in races Of the horses Of both stables.
and after Banquet II had won the two thou
sand guineas trial plate at Newmarket, he
determined to give the English touch of
his quality in selling races "a la Ameri-
came" He succeeded in winning two of
these events with him, and besides purses
he won a. lot of bets at good long odds. He
bought him in," the first time for 76O gull
meas G3,SOO), and the second for 1910 gut
meas (s7,55O), but in a third selling race, 1.-THE
Trial Plate" though he was only second, a
| Mr.. Archer, who owned the third horse.
claimed him and got him. At first Mr..
Dwyer said that Archer was welcome to the
| horse, as he had fetched all that he was
| really worth. Afterward, however, he tried
| very hard to buy him back, but Archer
| would not part with him.
1t will interest American turfmen to learn
| that Banquet II has been broken over the
| STICKS" and that he Is now timber topper.
old timer, and, as he Is only nine years old,
| 1t is highly probable that he may yet earn
| brackets" and big money under @. N. H.
| rules. Mr.. Dwyer Is not much Of q senti.
| mentalist, but he showed genuine affection
for the little iron horse" That is one
| thing in his favor. I saw him the other
| night at Peter Makers show in Madison
/ Square Garden. He Is a small, why, insig-
| nif1cant-looking man. who began life as a
| butcher. He doesn't take take as lively an
| interest in pusilism as does his brother Phil,
| who was one Of Jim Corbett's hackers when
he defeated John l.. Sullivan. Dick Croker
| soon learned in England that Mikes racing
methods were not regarded by the past mas
tiers of the turf with favor, and he cut loose
| from him; and more recently August Bel
| mont. the president Of the Jockey club, rap
ped him sharply over the fingers at Morris
Park by running up" one of his horses af.
ter selling race and taking it from him
| Mike Dwyer, however, IL likely to be q
prominent figure on the turf for years tc
come. He has made business of racing
and 1t is the only one he seems to care for
GOSSIP ABOUT WHEELMEN.
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