Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-16


said to Col. Davis:
Now, colonel. you leave Orifamme's han
ding to me. you say. Well, am going to
take the track just ahead of Burch's mare
II 1 have to whip to get there. mean
whenever we two get of am going to lay
just in front OF her and give her all the
mud can from my horses heels right in
her face. That is my only chance to beat
Biggonet."
Among those who knew the tactics to be
followed with Oriflamme was Andy Wynn
I guess I'll put about fifty on the gray"
And we all 'moseyed back to the betting
ring to also play Orifiamme. The odds
were 10 to l, and as we scattered for tops
Andy Wyngardt was standing in front of
George Haughtons book handing him his
collateral.
A Large Wager.
George 'Haughton was an English book
maker that came to this country after
Henry Stanford and made much bigger
book than the latter. who was put out OF
commission on future book laying-mostly
combinations. Haughton, who was In part
nership with Charles Reed for quite some
time was the leviathan layer of those days.
and a $4,000 wager in one hand was fire.
quently laid by him.
Consequently when Wyngardt handed him
bill with the words put that on ORR
famine straight 1t was all the same to the
Englshman-if his book stood for it
whether the bill was fifty or five hun
bred; a one hundreG-dOllar bill or one of
thousand. And, knowing Wyngardt to be
quite plunger at times, Haughton took the
rendered amount and said nothing, handing
the Brooklyn man his ticket, which the lat
ter stuck In his vest pocket without looking
at it,
Az afterward developed when the denoue-
ment occurred Haughton was laying the
favorite and favoring Orifiamme. Up to the
bet made to Wyngardt the Haughton sheet
had not laid a dollar against Ori1amme
straight and stood to pay out thousands on
Biggonet So, seeing a chance to partly
round up his book by the Wyngardt
transaction, he tccepted the latters money
as a matter of course, without comment OF
any sort, either to the hacker or his own
clerks.
A few minutes later three Of us-myself
Wyngardt and Tom keator of mutual-ma-
chine fame, were sitting together in the up
per tier of the old double decker grand
stand at the end nearest the betting ring.
where the entire progress of a race round
the famous BLUR turn could be made out
Those in the north end of the stand could
not see the horses for fully fifty yards or
more as they rounded the club house bluff
and made the turn into the south field, the
abrupt turn causing countless accidents IN
the twenty EIGHT years history of the track
So many of them proved fatal that the bluff
twist was named the CORY" turn. But
from where the three of us sat in the lower
end of the stand every move of the Jockeys
and horses could be seem
Race Was Exciting.
The track had then been partially recon-
structed and heightened from mile to a
mile and a furlong, two new "chutes' put
in. etc. And the race in question was a
mile and furlong the start was made d.
rectly in front of the grandstand. True to
his program laid out Mccarthy got away
in the front division with Orifiamme and
laying in front of Biggonet along another
h1 ,rf all To- ,Iro<
from the outset but getting the mud from
both the others in heavy doses.
By the time the bluff turn was reached
Mccarthy crossed over with Orifamme. go
ing from the outside Of the track to the in
side rails, rounding the south field Here
Maynard had got Biggonet out of her pocket
and close up to within length Of ORR
famine looking as If she could go to him
later. But round the lower turn Orifiamme
still showed the way and the way Biggonet
was getting ''plastered'' was a caution.
while, as for her jockey Maynard, his face
was so covered with mud that his own
mother would not have known him.
Gamely the half-blinded mare and Jockey
came down the homestretch hill in close
pursuit Of the flying gray leader But the
latter. with hardly fieck of mud on his
skin, always held her safe and won very
easily at the finish.
Then Wyngardt said: well, boys. let's
go and cash. and as he got up he took
from his pocket the supposed $3.50 ticket
AS he did so and looked at the ticket Wynn
gardts face underwent a transformation
that would have made the late George L.
Fox or any one of his fellow facial artists
turn green with envy. His eyes got as big
as saucers, and, waving the ticket in his
hand. he was off down the stand steps, three
at time, and we after him, as best We
could. To all our calls for an explanation
Wyngardt turned a deaf ear, making bee
line for the rear of Haughtons stand.
Mistake a Lucky One.
AS our wagers on the winner were mod
crate ones and would keep. we both waited
to see what was up. realizing that some
mistake had been made in Wyngardt's bet
whether for or against him we would
soon know, as he was at the head OF the
small lire waiting behind the Haughton
stand.
Soon the call of "all right" was heard
and as Wyngardt made no protest we were
satisfied when he handed the cashier his
ticket that he had not got any the worst
Of It," And when Haughton's cashier
handed him number of bills Of which the
top was a thousand dollar note we knew
then that Andy had quite 1.-THE best of IT.
in some way or another.
Before coming to US Wyngardt, grinning
like a "chessy'' cat, started for Haughton,
who was standing on the front of his box
The bookmaker, who was nothing If not
philosophical was chatting pleasantly with
Charles Reed as II nothing had occurred
out of the usual routine. And, as far as he
knew, up to wyngardt's temperance moth
ing unusual had occurred for his book had
broke nearly even to the race. and but for
Wyngardt's Orifiamme bet would have been
a good winner
But as Wyngardt came up with II say
Haugfton. why in the h did you think l
meant to bet you $500 on Orifiamme even
IL 1 did hand you a five-hundTed bill in
mistake for nifty Haughton's whole de-
meanor changed.
TS,rnine TO Reed he said: Listen to this
chump, will you? He handed me $500
bill before the race when had 10 to up
against Oridamme and says Put that on
Orifiamme straight and now he comes and
says he thought the bill was a fifty! You
know. Reed, that will take $500 bet as
Quick as q IS bet II 1t suits my book and
in this case had not yet written ORR
famme's name on my sheets when this
| chap comes along and now he asks me why
wasn't I q mind reader don't you know
The Irony Of Chance.
with a grin Reed answered: Say. George,
l. xd<u Az ma ,f the nirbt 7 cifflu a.