Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-17
CAPT BROWNS COUP
How BE Wen Sl0O, 900 on
Troubadour's Suburban.
BET IN WINTER BOOKS
COLT WAS GENERALLY BELIEVED
TO BE A CRIPPLE.
As Much as 500 to Was Laid Against
Him-Not Dollar Wagered by the
Owner on the Day Of the Race.

A few days before Captain Samuel Smith
Brown died he was asked which was his
fayorfte among all the great horses he had
owned In the last quarter of a century
Turning round in the chair In which he
calmly passed away Monday the genial,
whole souled lover of the thoroughbred
horse answered. Well there was Blue
Wing, Troubadour. Senorita, Hyphenf and
Broomstick, all of which carried my colors
to the front in many hard-fought strug-
giles. loved them all. But if you ash me
which ! loved the most, it was Trouba-
dour.''
Troubadour, foaled in 1882, by Lisbon
Glenluine. by imported G,enelg, in appear
anee as well as deeds fully merited this
touchlng enconium from his late owner. A
Dig, powerful, rangy bay, with two white
heels and a star, Troubadour was grand
individual during his racing career His
action when extended was perfection the
very poetry of motion, a long, frictionless
stride that hardly seemed to touch the
ground, skimming along like swallow. He
was as honest and consistent as he was
handsome, and popular idol in the
cherry and blue of his proud owner
When Captain Brown bought Troubadour
from Milton Young of Kentucky in the fall
of 1885, for $S,O09 the turf world at large
thought that the staIwart Pitsburger, who
weighed 800 pounds at the time had been
loaded" down with gold brick. The
handsome three-year-o.d had been almost
'drummed' to a cripple by race after race
close together, and when he left the
Young barn for that of his new owner one
of his legs was under grave suspicion, and
breakdown looked imminent.
Preparing Coup.
The famous old Bascombe race course at
Mobile, Ala, was bought by Captain Brown
as private training ground and in the
SO the Brooklyn handicap hero, Blue Wing
(who only lost that race by nose), rrou-
bcdour and one or two Others, took their
gallops over the soft sandy course that had
witnessed the struggles of great horses OF
other days.
Under Trainer Rogers care Troubadours
leg was put IN gvoa shape again and the
horse was entered in the Suburban handi-
cap and other great events of 1856 that
closed on the first of the year. So well did
he. show in his work a Mobile that a coup
was planned for the Suburban. although
Handicapped j. G. K. Lawrence, the best
of his day, had taken good care of him
with lis pounds. On his three-year-old form
this weight looked excessive, but Pontiac,
the Suburban winner of the year before,
had been Thrown in with only 102 pounds
and Secretary Lawrence was not going to
be caught mapping again.
At that time propably dozen bookmak-
ers in various parts of the country opened
future books on the Suburban In February
after the weights had been announced. In
Louisville Watts Cathcarts ard Enright
published prices. while the Ullmans in st.
Louis, Riley in Chicago and DeLacy, Lowell
Kelly, Levien and others in New York fol-
lowed suit. The shortest odds We're 20 to
1, the favorites, and as high as 500 to ]
against others was offered, unavailingly in
most cases.
Along In March Troubadour and his stable
con- panions were sent north from Mobile
to Louisville. When the horses were un-
11xl Il ,l,,J rxr.,x tn ha
ominous red bandages on his front legs that
generally meant unsoundness and at once
the smart ~ people at the Falls city wired
and wrote to bookmakers elsewhere: .sTrou-
badour still cripple. Lay any price against
him."
Winter Betting on Troubadour.
At just about that time Troubadour's
odds began to and in several of the
future books as much as 100 to was on
offer, while one Gotham layer. William
Lowell, had the tremer.ty to post the start
ing price of 500 to 1 against Captain
Browns Suburban candidate.
The first onslaught on the books was
made in Lovell's place in Barclay street.
New York city, where young man I'M
known to Lowell placed 500 on Troubadour
at 500 to /. AS Lovell's clerk handed on.
the ticket 5000 TO so, that eccentric lay
err remarked, BET you a hundred the
the yovns ciiap only iausheu anu "ene
A few days later agents of Captain Brown
tackled simultaneously. the layers In
Louisville. Chicago, Nashville New Or
leans. New York and Baltimore Lynn and
Nall the la.e hooer. d lynn h h anu A Al aha
monumental city and ALI the odds OF loo
to were taken to the full extent the book
would lay, limit Of $4,000 in some and
$1,000 In others.
the most sensatfonal wagers We're mace
with Peter De lacey: :; =. heiiy ana VII,
lam LoveiI IN New Lork. me I2.mer lalo
r. n. DuHy. Capt. 6roWns psst.ns coM-
missioner, S1oOoV against ~ Wnile Low.
ell laid Dun one pet OF Slo,Vo 10 sIoo' ana
then. after considerable .cnan on potn
sides. laid MIN another OF SiV,OU 70 S1V-
This last was at odds OF % TO l. Uptown
Duffy secured from Kelly and Bliss. VINO
made the first future book ever posted IN
New York nthe monmouth cup OF 1871.
a wager of $4,000 to 500 on TrouDadour.
Here were wagers of sos. 600 to $3.50