The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-08
lChlcago No Ocean.l

OF track knaVery than the story OF an
honest contest III try ana accommo-
date you. But 1 want il distinctly
understood that l had no part in this.
I only know about il from having been
there at the time.
Il believe I've mentioned before that
in my younger days I had A good deal
TO do with horses down east Along
in the early los l made my headquar-
tiers at Prospect Park, in Brooklyn.
which was then one of the best tTot-
ting horse Centers in the country.
There WAS a rOadhouse near the track.
run by a man named-I guess ] won't
mention his name, however, as he's
still living. and 1 might get into trou-
bic. I'll call him Brown for the pur-
pose of this story.
Brown had a strong stable for those
days. There wasn't a race trOtted on
the grand circuit, hardly, but what
you'd find one Of his entries in IT,.
What was more, he generally managed
to get a share Of the purse. even II he
didn't get first money. In his stable
he had a big black mare that was Ger
tainly a CraCkerjack for those days,
and that was certain to cover a mile
in the twenties any time she started.
The Prospect Park meeting was about
to come of. and Brown had entered
this mare in an event with big added
money that was on the card
There wasn't anybody knew this at
that time, but out on a little farm that
Brown owned on Long Island he had
ar exact counterpart of this black
mare. 1t was "a half sister of the trot-
ter. having the same sire, but a differ
ent dam. Put the two mares together
and it was impossible 10 tell them
apart This mare in the country was
also as good a gOeT as the one with
the record. Brown had her trained
regularly on the farm, and she was
fully up to the half sister in speed.
But of all this Brown never told liv-
in6 soul
The day of the race came off and
there was a big field to face the start
eT. I was handling the ribbons over a
gelding which 1 thought had pretty
good chance for a piece of the money,
even if it didn't get first. There were
a number of other good horses in the
race and the chances of most of them
were so nearly equal that there was
not a pronounced favOrite. Browns
entry wasn't even one. two three in the
pools, but sold with the field.
when the start was made the driver
of Browns entry began TO force the
pace from the word go. Says I to
myself: Just keep up that gait old
boy, and / can see your finish. The
result of this cOgitatiOn on my part
was that / refused TO let Browns mare
set the pace for my geiding, and just
kept the latter up to enough speed to
keep him from being distanced. The
F.aa Of sol
along. and il was a bruising heat from
first TO last. It was won by one OF
the favorites, with Browns mare a
good second
after the horses had been rested and
rubbed down a bit, the bell rang for
the next heat We got off TO a pretty
fair start and again Browns driver
repeated his forcing tactics. All the
bunch went over the course at the
same lickety-split gait and the winner
Of the first heat was again the winner
I still kept the gelding back. and after
that second heat I thought I had the
purse all but in hand. Just keep that
up a little longer, Brown I says to
myself. and there won't be anything
but TObe in it for the long end of the
purse
We'll. Browns driver did keep it up.
The third heat was simply a repetition
OF the first and second, except that ii
was won by another horse. The win
ner of the first two heats had been
forced so hard that she was all in
when called on for the third. The pace
had begun to tell on all the horses in
the race. and the consequence was that
the fourth heat, which was another
bruising one, went TO yet another horse
That made il Cinch that either
Browns entry or my gelding would be
sent out after the next heat, as the
horse that did not take a heat in five
had to go way back and sit down. ]
thought ] knew which horse would so
back, too. and in my opinion it wasn't
going to be mine, as 1 had nursed him
carefully and was ready to give
Browns mare a lively tussIe for the
heat
When the horses lined up for the
fifth heat I scanned them over care
fully, especially Browns mare. She
looked lively. but I was certain that
the strain Of the previous heats had
told and could see nothing with a
ghost of a show to beat me. The other
horses all plainly exhibited distress
We got away with a good start, and ]
thought ! would let the gelding out
a little and test the condition Of
Browns mare. She trOtted along with
out an apparent effort and kept right
up with me in a way that I didn'i
altogether like. After we passed the
quarter I warmed him up a little more
but the mare took it as kindly as the
gelding and stayed right with him. Al
the half we led the field and It uas
plain that Brown and lobe had it al
their own way.
When we reached the three-quarters
I called on the gelqding for all there
was in him, and he started down the
stretch at a clipping gait. The driver
of Browns mare just ehiTTUped 10 her
and she kept with me until within d
Turlong of the pole. Then she just
walked away from me. For a horse
that had gone through four fierce heat:
such as that mare had. il was one OF
the most amazing exhibitions Of speed
and endurance that had ever been seer
on any track. The grand stand simply
went wild over il even If il had not
backed the mare. J was beaten by TIVE
lengths. and. of course. was out.
After that Browns mare had il al
her own way, and she went out and
captured the next two heats and tht
race without an effort. I was sore al
the result. you can bet. but the rae,
had been fairly contested, and I had
no kick coming.
That evening I went to a Brooklyn
restaurant for dinner-a place thai
was much frequented by horsemen
There 1 happened TO meet the trainer
of Browns stable. I sat at the same
table with him. and after a while
staid.
That's a pretty slick trick Won
worked on Us feIl0 < today.
He locked around IN q startled
manner, and said. Hush. Don't speak