The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-15
BOoENAKER M'DONALD's RBB
SUCCESSFUL CAREER BEGUN WITH
TKREE RACE COMBINATION.

~ ~ = = -
TEhEE RACE COMBINATION.
vifse 70 Keep an Indexed hecoRtl q Racing
Performances Conservative Layer.
Vet Made o Gainbie en- ERis Eirst Ven
turc-BootJAek woA out fer Him.
To Tun q 'shosstring' be- Of u 600 10 D. 70
moro than d 900, 900 since 1888 was tho record
OF Bookinakef Mcdonald, ono OF Che Amsri-
ans killed Ia the English railroad aooa-
dent on July 1. He dropped out Of racing
TO some extent In late years, although he
seldom missed q day at the track, and 40
quired large interests In telephone and
land companies. He W o regarded among
racing men ~ the most successful New York
Follower OF The turf In tho twenty-three
years Of his career, and 70 quietly we're
his operations carried on that Mcdonald was
nfcknamed the silent man OF the turf
b year Mcdonald began his winning
streak marked the retirement Of 'Phnger'
Walton and Of the equally well known
bettor Of the day, Clipper Bernard, one a
hotel keeper and the other q wholesale
merchant, who for come ssasons had tho
eyes Of the public on their racing specula-
tons. Unlike them and many more re-
cent turf speculators, Mcdonald was mover
In the Gmelight. In his entire career Mo-
Donald was never touched by tho breath
OF scandal on the turf. nor implicated In
any Questionable race or transaction He
was absolutely straight. Pittsburg, Phil.
o contemporary, left an estate worth % ,OO0,-
600. On Wall street Il Is thought that Mo-
Donald must have beeA the weather. OF
the two, yet the former was q national
celebrity and Mcdonald unknown, except
TO horsemen,
Although an Irhh-American, he had IN Q
marked degree the Scotch thrift. or canny
characteristic. H6 laid rather than took
the odds. yet few have been 70 uniformly
successful In winning bets. "A little sure
money for the book was bis maxim. but
Il hadt to be honest. clean money. A method
he had perfected was to buy auction pools,
In 1884 and 1885, when this form Of over
night betting fourishsd in certain PLACES
about New York. and to lay OF his invest
ments the next day In his book at better
figures. 60 that each race meant o little
pure money In most cases. For instance,
II Mcdonald had $500 agafnst $500 on q
horse In the overnight pooh at Brighton
Beach and laid $500 against $500 even against
the horse at Monmouth Park the next day,
no would stand to win $500 II the horae ln.
ished first and to lose nothing In any event.
While others Of the craft would be taking
their pleasure o. nights, Mcdonald 'vas
always on the hunt for q little sure money
Of this sort.
Later on Mcdonald had agents In cities
where poolrooms were open TO carry out
his transactions Of this sort and to back
his good things. Meantime he did not
neglect the early morning work. Mcdonald
was n Of the first bookmaken about New
York,h not the first, to employ a star Of
clockers to report the morning work Of
the horses He Kept for years before the
daily newspapers took up the idea a private
book OF indexed racing charts, or form at
q glance" tables, information which McDon-
aid supplemented by the reports OF his
touts. In brief. ss long as he made q book
it was conducted as nearly as possible as q
sound business enterprise.
To 60 back to the lucky hit. Kelly and
Bliss, Cridge 4 Co., the Stedekers and a half
dozen other firms clustered about Broad.
way and Twenty-eighth street In the early
sos, did some business over winter books
on the Louisville Derby. Oaks Cup and
Merchants Stakes, the jerome Park Wtthers
and Belmont and on other races Some
Of the books always included the English
Derby and a fancy form Of speculation was
to offer long odds against combinations OF
two or more races. Oldtimers say that
McDonald's bet Of 81 900 to SS ives against
Leonatus for the Kentucky Derby, Ida
Stanhope for the Louisville Cup and Media
tor for the Merchants Stakes. All three
won out from favorites. Asoender and
Drake Carter sold over Leonatus In the
Derby. but Billy Donohue got the latter
first to the wire. Thora and John Davis
were held in similar appreciation In the
pools for the CUP. but the little marc Ida
Stanhope captured the trophy. and In the
Stakes ChecAmate and Bond
holder sold over Mediator. Isaac Murphy
rode the last two on McDonald's ticket.
With two winners in and only the Mer-
chants stakes on n Of the last days OF
the meeting to wind Nd. McDonald's ticket
90 good that be expected some one
TO come around from the book he had bos
10 make an offer for 1t, No one omms
and he sct on foot an inquiry regarding
how the book felt about It's chances. He
according to the story, that the
bet vas 10 be thrown out as IN irregular oue
u be at the time had no standing a. Q betting
To forestsll such an action, Mo-
Donald wont to q Of tho noted turfmen
of tbs day, although no bad no per.oua,
acquaintance with him, and related tn
circumstance
'IaAve your tioiet with me- said the
horvs owner. II Mediator wins out, I win
take great pleasure In cashing for you.s
The horse owner thought 1t q good joke
IN tho layer, with whom be- had frequent
and bsaides the desire 10 ses
lair play actuatsd him. However, there
not O murlnur whom the turfman prs-
sented the t3cket for payment and some ons.
lfter an, may have been joshing Mcdonald.
Thro ughout tho spring and summer No
Donald followed tho raoes and at Saratoxs
made ND his mind 10 begin az q boohmaker
1t tho sheepshsAd Bay fall meeting.
Bootjack, Q speedy gelding By Bonnie
Scotland. had been bought by the Dryer |
from Milton YOUNG at Saratoea
1889, about the time they secured Miss |
Noodford from Clay and. Woodford. The |
was o fairly consistent winner for |
hem "a hrcushous 1850. spd 2 : e : f@syorlts
lie ShespsheaS Bay fan meeting. MeDon-
I'D was making book and he held out
Sootjaok, besides betting q good slice Of
lis banlrron on the geIding.s He laid q
POINT more than ms one else In the ring
Lsainst the other. starters, Q crack field
hat included Pearl jennings, W. p. Buroh,
Iuron, Voiusia and i've moro. Mcdonald
pade 2 eaponnG oook On re rsce. some