The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-17
COME.TO.TAW'S WINNING RUN.
BIG TOMS STORY OF A CRITICAL
TINE AT GLOUCESTER.
The Old Hore Put Into the Race ~ .
Blun A Phlladeiphian's Heavy Bet.
ting and BiE Toms DanKer OF Heart
Disease "A Win Not Yet Explained.

Blun A Phi%ladeiphian's Heavy Bet.
ting and HIS Toms Danger OF Heart
Disease "A Win Not Yet Explained.
Among the racing men who left the
Aqueduct track with a big wad Of money
at the end OF the Queens County Jockey
Clubs meeting on Saturday last was Big
Tom, who figured on tho Gloucester track
in the early COS. He got aboard the Rock
away train after the last race had been
run and seating himself in the smoker
with a party Of friends made the remark
that he always did nave luck with him
when pushed TO the wall.
The luckiest strike | ever made, though
he continued, was in the fall Of 90 when
we were about to shut down at Gloucester.
Me and my partner had a string OF ten
horses that were no earthly good.
I'VE hadn't had any luck from the day
King Solomon won at 100 TO 1. That day.
I remember it well, my partner had q
two dollar note on King Solomon. 1t was
March 81, 1898. We had both gone broke
and had but so cents left when we win out
on the King.
Tho 200 bones soon went and then w
had to hustle to keep warm. 1t seemed
that the only thing left for US to do was
to fly the
we decided to enter one Of u horses
for a bluff, just to borrow enough money
to get out of town. We looked them over
and decided that one Of them. old Gomez
to-Taw-he had been a good race horse
in his prme-ought to be good enough
TO make a fair appearance in the paddock.
we had a little old man with US, a stable
boy we called him, and as we could get no
| Jockey TO ride Come-to-Taw we ecide to
let the old man ride the horse, or at least
get on his back until we borrowed enough
to get away from Gloucester.
There was an old-time gambler down
there at Gloucester who was touting for
a guy from philadelphia;
For the purpose Of borrowing some
| money on the strength Of the information
l was furnishing / did nothing but talk
got the Philadelphia guy wild about him.
-The day OF the race when we learned
that the man from Philadelphia meant
to bet a few thousand dollars on the horse
the owner Of the ~favorite to see II he could
be bought on.
.The owner Of the ~favorite told me that
he could not change his plans, As he had
already telegraphed to his friends all round
the country advising them to bet on his
horse. This information just made me
and my partner sick.
Il went out TO a hickman and made
arrangements to have him drive me away,
for / did not want TO take the chance OF
/ knew tina the gambler and his Philadel:
| phia friend and all Of my creditors would
be laying for me after the race.
well, when old Come-to-taw appeared
on the track he looked fine. We had him
full Of life, but we never thought he would
be in the money. He opened at 20 to,t
and then the bookmakers dropped his
price and offered but Q TO on him.
The guy who had agreed to bet on him
ing on Come-to-Taw for further orders.
Finally his price went up to 20 to 1 and
the guy came to me and asked what IL
meant.
Il told him to keep a-bettins and pay
when C~ome-to-Taw went up . peg In the
betting the guy kept a-plunging. He
kept plungins until tho horse went to
sThsn I skipped to the end Of the track
where the cabman was waiting for me
and | climbed up on the picket fence and
sat there.
sThe ground was covered with snow,
for 1t was In November. The horses got
a good start and the starter, who was my
friend, did not give Come-to-Taw the worst
Of II. ! saw the old horse ~ploughing along
and noticed the little old man from this
stable clinging to his back with his right
hand raised In the air,
.In the stretch / aw old C~ome-to-Taw
eecond. ! almost had heart disease. 1
knew that II he could hold out long enough
he certainly would come in for third. money.
and ! knew hat the guy from Philadelphia
had bet heavily on him across the board.
As the horses came up the stretch i saw
that Come-to-Taw was holding his OWN.
Il ran toward the judges stand. Tbs
crowd was shouting and yelling like Indians.
The puy from Philadelphia rushed up
and yelled e1citedly. We've got EN-. Como
to-Taw wins
=. saw the sign 60 up with Come-to-
Taw frst on IL and my blood stopped circu-
latinR. ] got cold ] stood perfectly
dazed. A cloud arose before my eyes:
Then I got a dizzy feeling and Almost fell
on the ground
and shouted ! heard their voices. and
although I had NV eyes open ] could not
So them. NV partner finally came stroll
ing along with a big cigar In his mouth.
He was perfectly cool .
When I recovered nom the sh1ok of
hearing that Come-to-Ta~ won the raos
glanced al my partner and tried 70 say
something lie grasPod my hand and
said
well. Tom. there isn't a horse In Oh.
country that can beai that one. and ] told
wen. We knew thai veil enough 10 get
the money On him added the man who had
Lei "a Cufns-fotaS
Then a crowd - my friends, owners.
b.lknas. and stahlsmsu. pfuOsasted TO Abuss
m. fnr NOT l~ttins them into tho s-orct
| that I1m--io- IaW hat a nnoh on tho ran.
1hs suy tipon handed over tSo hAndfuls
~ tirks,s a. "a present 90 me AMI vent
around tu th" yanuts taspkins and oAsh"i
ihsm
xfh urk.ir ani b. tlld ne that oar fhuA-
dulpNla frrnd had stak-i him to1 Wei,
> 49, ! 80 'hrpush ashins Va ! oo1n'st