Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-27
LUCKY BALDWIN
TALKS OF HIS CAREER

| point in the history of Baldwin. SO far as
| the racing world Is concerned. He ac-
guired that property in southern California
| II might have had 1t for much less"
| he observed with a touch of regret in his
| voice. Il bought 1t in 1874. but a few years
Dalton, the man who owned it before that,
| took the place for an old debt OF $9OO, ana
of it,
Baldwin might never have come to be
| the racing man that he was but for an
| eastern trip that he took one summer.
Buys Grinstead at Saratoga.
Arrayed in fine purple, ne went to Sara
toga with friend named Mcguire. Grin
, stead was running at the time and Baldwin
] took a fancy to his chances-so much of a
fancy that he bought him in the auction
| pools. There were no books made on the
races in those days. If you liked the chance
of horse you bid and the highest bidder
was entitled to pick the horse he thought
would win.
Grinstead won and Baldwin won so much
money that he bought him. He turned the
| same trick with Rutherford
Then l had to start a racing stable,
| said Baldwin. Il didn't expect to do any
thing of the kind, but 1 was just thrown
| into it.
| I'VE had some big races in California
In those days, races that We're run in four
4
! House. Thad Stevens, owned by Treat,
| after night"
Baldwin didn't stop with racing in Cali
| fornia. He paid for cars at 1880 a car
| and for stable boys at $125 apiece for the
| trip and invaded the east.
Eastern turf writers spoke disparagingly
| of the California plugs. After Baldwin
had won the American Derby four times
] with Emperor of Norfolk, Rey FL Santa
Anita, Silver Cloud and Volante; after he
a had gone to Saratoga, where he annexed
| iifteen stakes out of twenty-five in which
| he raced, the east changed its opinion.
His One Big Bet.
| Then he was asked about the biggest bet
he ever won. Baldwin hasn't got the expan-
sion habit of White Hat McCarty, but he
made enough on one race to satisfy most
mortals.
1T was a cup race" he said, '.in which
| celebrated Kentucky mare in the race, but
We knew what Molly could do, and we put
| up just $0,7OO to win $63, 900. And I won
\ that bet. Bud Doble won some money
| on that same race.
There was once that was racing a sta
| BILE at Sheepshead Bay, with McClelland as
trainer while l was personally at Louis
! six races and L won two out of five Then I
| wired McClelland and asked him why he
| didn't win all six. He thought / meant it
anu was everybody what unrea-
| sonable fellow / was
In Isaac Murphy Baldwin had one of the
best jockeys of the country. Baldwin de-
| clares that Murphy was one of the best
| judges of pace that he ever saw.
Murphy was paid $4,000 season for rid
| ing the black Maltese cross to victory and
with him Lucky admits that he won over
$4,000 in purses and stakes.
What do you think was the best racer
you ever had in your stable?"
The Emperor of Norfolk / bought him
as a two-year- for 81, 600 and in his
three-year-old form he won two Derbys and
over 100000 for me. Snaloa was probably
the best racer that ever bred. She ran q
119 pounds up in 2.O4, and was the fastest
| mare that ever owned. What have 1 won
on the track? That's hard to say, for I
never counted it up. Down at the ranch I
have shoes of winners Of big stakes in a
case and 1 guess all told the amount will
run up over 81 100000
Has Four Stables.
Baldwin now has four stables-one at
Emeryville, one at Ascot and two at the
ranch-but he announces that he will sell
of his racers when the new track is
opened.
II will have an auction the first day of
the meeting" he said, land sell all my
youngsters. ] never believed that q man
interested in track or a bookmaker
should run his own horses on the track
That's why will have the sale"
And the four-mile races in heats: will
there be any more of them?"
Not as long as there are bookmakers,"
declared Baldwin, with more than usual
insistence. The books want quick action
They are not looking for the sport, but for
the money"
There are many who think that Baldwin
has run his last race. but Lucky" isn't
one Of them. -