The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-05
BETS ON A wIFES WHIMS.
ONE WAY or MAKING MONEY ON THE
R1CETRACKS.


said an old-time racing man 10 n BUN reporter.
Tho story of how some people backed an OUT
slider because IL was n white horse and they
had Just seen n red headed girl. and how they
won. sounds forced. but It is no stranger than
what happened to n well-known man the day
the Webster affair came on at Gutenberg. He
went TO the track with his card marked by q
young woman who did not know one horse
from another. Yet she marked him six
straight winners, and at the fifth he vaa
over $1,000 to the good. Then he decided
he could not stand Torchlight, the DAILY
~cast-ofH. at 40 to l In tho sixth race.
and backed the favorite at 8 TO 8 and 30 lost
nearly all Of his winnings. while Torchlight
won easily. Another case Is that OF a wells
known cigar manufacturer who went to Sheeps-
head and for fun turned back his roll OF bills
and took the left-hnnd figure OF the number OF
one Of them and backed the jockey whose NUM-
Der correspondcd. He, too. had i've straight
wins. and finally lost by switching TO the favors
ito. when every one knew that Sol Liohsten-
stein was practically holding Emin Boy, the
! horse indicated by the number. out OF his
book. and Emin Bey won in walk. He tried
that trick several times after. but 1t never went
through again.
Another racing man has a wife who loves Q
horse dearly. and. without being an expert. she
is a good all-round judge OF q sound animal.
When Domino was in his prince she looked him
over In the paddock one day and told her hus-
band never to back him running down hill.
She went into the paddock the day Henry OF
Navarro, Domino and Clifford ran at Morris
Park, and. seeing Henry move around with that
swaying motion OF his loins. something 90 n
wolf moves, she recognized a wonderful resem-
blance between him and q horse she once
| owned called Phil Sheridan. Her husband was
a strong Domino man and stood to lose q lot.
but she persuaded him to hedge on Henry.
Well. the race was Domino ahead at the half
and Henry at the three-duarters and an easy
winner. Domino. coming down hill from the
water tower. was eased up by Taral in the last
furlong. That fiat toe of his could not stand
the incline. The most curious thing she ever
did was in. 1 think. 1892; anyway IL was al
Sheepshead. and on a June ~. Early that
morning she woke her husband up and asked
him what time it was. He Rrunted sleepily.
looking at his watch. Five minutes past 3. Go
to sleep She said, Remember I have some-
thing to tell you at breakfast In the morning,
remembering her dream, she told him II was
about a horse with yellow and black stripes
rushing down the track away ahead Of every
thing. and she wanted him to play q horse
carrying yellow and black stripes In the race
about 3 P. NJ. that afternoon. He looked over
the entries but found no yellow and black
stripes. The nearest to that description were
Lawless, with yellow body and black sleeves.
and an Empire Stable horse. Think Comanche.
with yellow and red stripes. That confused
her. as she was dead sure Of the colors; but
later when she saw an ice wagon driver with a
yellow and black striped blazer on. that settled
1t. There you are.' she said. Play the
yellow and black. stripes II they are
there. body and sleeves II not Lawless was
quoted at S-5. Comanche at s3o-1. land, finally
the man put So on the former. and the EN-
pire Stable horse won by q block, pulled up.
The wife was right about the stripes, but
wrong about the color. Another time she ins
sisted that her husband should play Wilfrid be.
cause it was his name. and. getting 100 10 !. she
cashed a SIS ticket. So far as ! know the horse
never won before or after that race. Then she
played Sullivan at 40-1 tho same;way because
1t was her servants name and the servant
being a negro 1t was bound to DO lucky. Then
she quit going to the track.
Il remember the time when the DwyerS
changed their colors. Mike DIVERS hoodoo
started to work when he changed from tho red
and blue to the all white and gold tasseL. I
was at the Gut on May z. 1891. and placed q
bet with Ike Thompson on Meriden. I was
PLAYING a system which called for a bet Of $50.
The horse was at 3-5. and I said $50 to $50.
Thompson grabbed the bills and called $50 to
500. Then / was pushed away from the block.
Well. 1 went to see the race. which was Just
finishing. and I saw n white Jockey sweep
past and thought my cash was gone.
but not knowing the colors I asked q
man and learned it was Dryers new rig. 7
went In to cash my ticket. and seeing the
bookie went to him and said: You made
mistake on my ticket Before Ioould say any.
thing further he burst out: How much do
you want to rob me out OFF Knowing his
manner l laughed and replied: Nothing. I'm
satisfied If you are. What do you say p Let
me see it, he said. and handing my ticket up I
told him what it represented. Balancing up
hsn anaI, H. E-I
right amount. and saying. There's honest
men among the punters as well as on the
block led the way to the bar and re-
marked: That's a drink on me- Coming back
to the ring he said, Play Running Deer for tho
next race. It's a cinch. | am going TO hold IA
out OF my book entirely and of he went. II
opened at 4 to 5. and in n minute was l to q on.
and as / was well ahead / let 1t 60 past. Well,
Running Deer. in a seven-furlong race. ran
fourth to j. Forbes's Ketchum. Bohemia and
Amiel. i went across to Ike. who was looking
black ms a thundercloud. and said. That was
a blamed good tip to give an honest man. He
looked at me a second. and then plunginr his
hand into his pocket said. How much are you
outT Nothing l replied. Then you've more
sense than l had came back.
1t was at the Morris Park meeting one day
that a young man and his best girl came over
from Paterson. n. j.. to see the races. Ia yaa
one OF those yellowish blond men who alvayG
manage to get a suit OF clothes. q light over
coat. hat and tie about the same color as them
selves thin and neryous-like. He and his Gid
sat on the stand at the end OF the alIeyway
near the press stand. In the fourth race. I
think 1t was. there were only four or dyo
horses and the Morris stable Risk was the out.
slider at 10 to !. The mai had evidently won
ot on the other races. and put some of II. posi-.
bly, $50. down on Risk. The racers came round
the water tower with Risk trailing, and an they
struck the stretch the Morris horse began to
close up. and at the end OF the chute was run.
ming third. five or six lengths behind tho SEQ.
ono horse and ten lengths behind the leader.
suddenly a voice like a calliope rang out.
Como on-n-n. Risk = tho last word being
snapped out like the crack OF a whip.
Come on-n-n. Risk 7 and every head turned
TO SEQ fhla fallnNr GtanlInn LA