The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
LoANTAKA DREAM CAME TRUE.
The Dreamer Made His Bets on Horses on
Form, and So Missed a 10 to I Shot.

Back In ol when | was working at my occu.
patton as telegraph operator for one of the big
commercial companies said a former customer
Of roolrooms, Il had an odd experience. | was
working the Buffalo end Of the New York wire
and had access toall the inside Information which
the eastern horse owners were sending to thl
Western ~plungers. That was before the advent
Of the tout with his collect. message sure thing.
and 1--WE or three boysin the Office. myself included
had made a little money by playing this informa-
don iuliciously: and | at least was in a position
10 bet considerable money on anything that I
thought was real Juicy.
We'll, the spring handicaps came along.
Tcnny, the grand little swayback plloted by Pike
Barnes, won the Brooklyn Handicap in a common
canter. The Suburban, 10 Ia run a month later,
looked like a gift to the little swayback, al least
thought SO, and | made up my mind to bet the
bank roll on him The night before the Subur
ban was 10 be run ! had the most realistic dream
! have ever had, Up TO that time | had never
been on any but a trotting track and had never
seen a running race, but | dreamed | was on a
running track with its judges stand on the right
hand side at the finish and its ploughed up
course, and I was In the stand where I saw the
entire track. ! heard the cry I0antaka, Loan
taxa winS,' and saw the crowd waving their
hands and throwing hats into the air. just then
a black horse all lathered with swea, passed the
judges stand In front Of a bunch, and most re-
markahle Of all, the name Ioantaka was branded
In letters Of fire in the black coat Of the horse,
while the boy on his back WAS looking around
with a smile on his face. Now before | go any
further ! want you TO understand that in all big
handicaps such as this race | was a player Of
form and form only | was wise enough TO know
that a common, ordinary race might IN fra med
could no, b" framed and they were all out for the
coin, How then could l, bring a form player,
play the despi~ed outsider loantaka when Tenny
ilguredl went IL work the next day, but every
tick 81 the telegraph INSTRUMENT seemed Ia say,
loan'aka, L0antaka.' Try as ! would ! could
no, get that dram out Of my mind. | had to stop
work that morning because Of nervousness.
Il went up to the poolroOm in the afternoon.
made n few bets on the first three races and then
came the Suburban Tenny, with Isaac Murphy
up, was favor,e at ! 10 ). Tea Tray, who had
an ugly beast at best, was second choice at 3 10 l,
1Oantaka, with Marty Bergen In the saddle, Was
al 40 10 | II was Tenny everywhere, and every.
body with whom yon talked about the race would
say, Nothing 10 H. It's a walk for Terny. !
pulled out two $50 bills and walked up 10 the re-
~criver's window.
zone hundred and forty to 10 Tenny.' sang the
man who takes the money. lsent another hun
dred over to another poolroOm across the street
and got i down at 5 10 Justlthen the opera
tor yelled,
"'IIrr"'s a flash. Tenny is now even money
at the track
Il forgot my dream. and bet another $50 at
even money Then I'sat down 10 experience
that sweet delirium which Is familiar 10 all pool
room and track iienls Ny eyes instinctively
wondered over to the blackboard where the ma mes
OF the horses We're posted and somehow the first
name that caught my eye was lOantaka. Tia,
name seemed larger than all the rest. When |
turned ava | repeated the word 10 myself II
had liked Itself IN my mind and couldn't shake
H. thought ! saw II written all over. felt
strange and yet | laughed. To humor a vague
fancy or inner omman | pulled out a 81 bll,
my last by the way. and told u friend Of mine
TO put II on lOantHka. | was ashamed to de- II
myself lie came back and handed me q ticket
marked I.oantaka, so TO 2 and he smiled q little.
Alter u Along delay they were oil and If | live 100
They're off altogether. Major DUmo at the
quarter, CaSslIls, second Banquet, third Same
al the half bono AZ the three quarters: De-
muth. second taSSiuS, third; Tenuy is back in
the bunch. DomO at the mile; Cassius, second;
Fit2Iames, third. Tenny is eighth, Now comes
the stretch. Domo in the stretch, a head; Demuth,
second, a head in front Of Casslus; lOantaka il
fourth, a head away On the inside and coming
fast
"No need Of singing IL out for me. | read 1t
only too plainly of the telegraph instrument
Then there was q pause was da1rd. | heard
the instrument no longer
"Loantaka wins called the operator "Tenny
finished eighth
Il staggered ont Of the room. Alas poor form
player! and I've never had another such chance, "