Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-15
WHEN CHARLEY REEDS
THORA BROKE DOWN
By C. C. Pettus.

BY c. c. Pettus.
Charles Reed the Tennessee turfman,
had three horses that won fortunes f.;
him. Thora, Henlopen and Tromble. from
BILE, in his day. was king of the timber
toppers, while Thora, as four and hve-
year-od was almost invincible.
Thora, by Longfellow-Susan Ann, was
one of the most level-headed performers
Of her day. She could be ridden by
small boy and was a popular idol at
Jerome, Saratoga and Monmouth. Foaled
in 1878. Thora was at the zenith of her
fame in her four and fve-year-old form,
and in the winter of 1888 was pointed
for Louisville events, especially the Cup
at two miles ard a quarter.
Trained by James Lee. the great mare
the spring of 1883, made her DEBUT ior
the season at Nashville. Nothing coulu
have been better than her plepdi .io.,
NashyilIe Thora made show OF some
good horses at a mile and furiong over
a heavy track. Five days later, III tue
Rock City stakes, at mile anu 4ual
ter Thora defeated ShecnAi''e' Si
Jennings and Blazes. -,
Edward Corrigan backed his mare,
Pearl Jennings for big money to defeat
Reeds great mare, and Jim Williams aiso
had a large bet down on Checkmale;. but
Brophy just waited with Thora until the
last quarter, when she MADE her run anu
smothered the others
There was a three weeks interval pc
fore the Louisville Cup was 10 pc run anu
as Reed stood to win somethihs line
$1,000 on Thora in the winter DOCKS
She was given a very careful preparation
for the race Reed and his trainer Lee
gave the daughter of Longfelow few fast
trials. however, for she was so good at
Nashville that very little was needed to
keep her on edge.
Three days before the cup was 10 De run
Thora showed her owner and trainer Two
miles in 3.35 and was lighting FOR her
head at the end. And Reed turned to
Lee and Brophy with the remark: Boys,
the old marc will smother those other
horses
Too Many Trials.
Not the least interested of the Reed
family in the great mare and her prowess
was Mrs Reed. She fairly idolized Ihora
and noted her work almost as closely as
did any one-too closely as it turned out,
for two days before the cup she persuaded
Lee to give Thora another fast trial.
Against the trainers judgment and that
of Reed, who was not on hand at the
time, Thora was worked two miles IN
1891 and pulled up quite sore after the
trial to the dismay of both Lee and Mrs.
Reed When Reed reached the track and
learned what had occurred he was Wild
Trainer Lee was the scapegoat and what
Reed said to him would hardly look well
in print. But Lee had already been hard
at work on the mare and when walked out
her soreness seemed to have disappeared.
So Reed had to make the best of it.
There were some good horses at Louis
Vile that spring. Chinn and Morgan s
great colt Leonatus won the Kentucky
Derby cleverly from Drake Carter, Lord
Raglan, Ascender, Stamford Keller and
two others, and the sire of LongfelloW
went through the year with an unbeaten
record.
Then there were Apollo, General Hard
ing, Checkmate, John Davis, Buchanan,
Richard Loud. Mediator, Metropolis, Free
land, Pearl Jennings, Vera, Wedding Day,
Fellow Play, Ballard. John Henry, Force.
Saunterer, Lutte Fogle, Ascender' wal
lensee, Bob Miles, Fatiniza. Glengarme,
Farragut, Roy S. Clarke, Billy Gilmore,
Pope Leo, Ballard, Pearl Thorne. John
Davis and Ida Stanhope. The las. two
horses ran against Thora in the cup.
Cup Day Draws Distinguished Visi-
tors.
Gun day at Churchill Downs has al
ways been a gala occasion with Falls
City racegoers, and the renewal of the
great race in 1888 was no exception tc
this rule. Although scratchings reduced
the field for the cup to three starters
Thora, Ida Stanhope and John Davis
the prestige Of Thora acted as a magnet
to increase the attendance, and fully
10 600 persons were at the track.
Opposed to Thora, who carried III
pounds and Jockey Brophy. were G. w
LIQUIDS Ida Stanhope. 1l6 Isaac Muir
phy) and Charles l.. Hunts star gelding
John Davis Us (Spartling). Ida Stan.
hope was at her best just then and heI
people were unusually confident of beat
ing Thora. as the news of her soreness
after her fast trial had spread. The st
7 ,ouis turfmen took the long odds against
old John Davis.
John Davis was stout horse for a
long race. especially in mud, and the
sire of Harry O'Fallen was very pop
ed by the Chanteaus, Motifs. Hunts
O'Fallens and Greens coming on to see
him race for the cup.
The presence of these distinguished Wis
itors from St. Louis, as well as from
other cities, made the overnight selling
sold win Thora a big fayorlte at $40
Ida Stanhope, $125. John Davis, S15
And Bob Cathcart. the auctioneer, had
his hands full attending to patrons.
1t looked like rain. and Charley Hunt
owner of John Davis. little overenthusi-
astic about the old horse, BIT Dick
Loud s4CO to $500 that Davis would beat
Ida Stanhope. And when Loud then
offered to lay him again $500 to $500, the
mare against the horse, took that also.
Rather hasty as it proved, for only a
small shower fell. not enough to hurt
the track.
At the race course the next day Reed
was out early to see Thora breeze" and,
as the mare seemed to have recovered
from her soreness. his spirits rose in
proportion When Mrs. Reed came out
later he joked with her about her part
in the unnece ssary trial, and went over
to the. auctions, placing 5000 on Thora
against $4,000 Then Dick Loud, who
was on the warpath. bet Reed $50 against
Sl,CO0 that Ida Stanhope would beat
Thora.
The track was fast and Reeds two
year-old colt, Tally-Ho, by Great Tom,
won the opening event. half mile. in
1874 seconds from ten others. The Reed
family at once accepted it as good
omen for Thora's success. The young
ster a peculiarly marked colt, had the
big dash of white on his flank just where
his sire was badly burned shortly after
he landed from England.
After Green Morris old war horse, Eel
low Play. had won the second race from
a strong field the cup was rung up, and
the three horses were the observed of all
obs rivers when they came on the track.
Ida Stanhope was the first out, and the
chestnut daughter of Waverly and Ada
Chatham showed to rare advantage as
Isaac Murphy gave her a mile canteP,
ending up with a flash through the
stretch in meteoric fashion, a quarter in