Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-10
ST, ANTHONY AND
KNAPSACK MCCARTHY
When Famous Trainer Changed
From TrotterS to the
Pulled Off Big Coup at Clifton
Race Track and Then Re-
turned to First Love.
By G. G. Pettus.

Since John Madden has engaged knap-
sack Mccarthy to handle his stable Of
famous trotters, the two young Maddens
now fell-fedged owners of trotters also
have kept the veteran trainer pretty busy
going over old times when he was one OF
the most sought after drivers on the grand
circuit One of the last tales they have
gotten from him, when he left the trotters
for the runners, is perhaps the most SEN
sational of all.
Along in the early nineties. when John
Campbell and other knights of the sulky
graduated with success from the harness
ranks to those of the gallopers, w. H.
Mccarthy followed the lead set by his
former comrades and bought few race
horses and opened a public training stable
But matters did not move along very
rapidly for the newcomer. His own horses
were not quite good enough and new ones
to train did not come in very fast. So one
day at a sale of horses from the sta..e
of D. D. Withers he purchased st. An
thony, four-year-old by King Ernest
Echo by Lexington.
st. Anthony was full brother to winners
like Duplex, Retort and Eccoia, and NC
Carthy got him for a reasonable price on
account of 'osselets," a growth which the
ex-trotting-horse trainer had dealt with
successfully on more than one occasion.
Mccarthy took his new purchase, "osse-
let's and ALL over to the Clifton race course
in New Jersey, where the fall meeting in
cIuded a four-mile race for a large purse.
Clifton and Gutenberg tracks were then
alternating their dates and each drew con-
siderable patronage.
The Engemans, the same family that own
the Brighton Beach race track, managed
Clifton, which was only three-quarters OF q
mile in circumference. But 1t was well
graded with gradual turns, and the horse
Being of easy access from New York and
Jersey City, it was well attended in favor
able weather.
The Hindoo Of Clifton.
AS the day set for the Clifton stake, four
miles. drew near, all hands interested kept
their horses hard at it, in some cases too
much so. as they stalled off weary and
track sore. But McCarthys horse St. An
thony took kindly to every question asked
him, and stood the hard work 80 we'll that
his owner had every reason to plan a
substantial betting coup for the occasion.
J. H. Mccormick, now racing Tileing and
Glorifler at New Orleans, had the Hindoo
of Clifton in the mare Early Blossom. But
she was only a three-year-old and too
GOOD a stake mare to send out on a four
mile trip.
The horse Mccarthy had most to fear was
Vendetta, flve-year-old by Ventilator,
owned by another ex-trotting horseman,
small horse compared with st. Anthony,
and the latter was the better weight car
rier of the two.
TWO days before the race st. Anthony
worked two miles in 3.38 so cleverly and
with SO much left at the end that his own
er went over to Gotham the next day and
made arrangements with two Intimate bust
ness friends to come down to Clifton and
back the horse.
thy to ride st. Anthony in the long race.
The Jockey had ridden Dry Monopole to
victory in the first Brooklyn handicap, and
though not quite as eood now as tneh; was was
in names Mccarthy regarded as bunch.
The day of the race was favorable and
the track fast A large crowd was on hand.
as four-mile races, while not such rarity
as now. we're not of frequent occurrence.
And forty beekmakers were In line. large
number for the little track in the-Preak-
ness valley.
splan and the Englishman.
Some pretty well-known people were
among the 5000 spectators. All of Ford
ham and upper Manhattan that had sport
ing blood was on hand to see Peter Weber S
horse Vendetta run. And as he was ridden
by John Weber, a son Of the owner, he also
had the "hunch'' stronger than st. An
thony.
Among the trotting horse delegation that
came to see Knapsack McCarthy's horse
win was the noted reinsman. Jack Splan,
Az Splan was walking round the grounds
he met an Englishman whom he knew
slightly, who at once began to question
him about American racing in general.
Said the Britisher: '.Oh, l say. Mr..
splan. dear me, but how many classic fixed
events do you have on your turf over here,
don't YOU know" Splan and the English
man by this time were in the paddock and
had reached the group around st. Anthony's
stall. Winking at Mccarthy as he came
up Splan said to the Londoner: "Oh, yes.
dear old chap, you wanted to know how
MANY .f1xed' events we have on the Amerf-
can turf. Well" lowering his voice good
bit. between you and me. they are pretty
nearly all fixed over here"
Mccarthy exploded, but the Britisher did
not see the joke until it was explained to
him.
BY this time the third race had been run.
and the great event Of the day was rung
up Eight starters were weighed in and
as the bookmakers posted their opening
odds several OF the knights of the high
stool were away out OF line on st. An
shony.
One Of these layers, J. J. Carroll, known
to his friends az Virginia" Carroll put
up 10 to 1 against McCarthy's horse Gle
Of the latter's commissioners bet him q
hundred at that price. and as Carroll took
the bet he chalked up II to against the