Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-05-21
A WEIRD RACING TAI
How a Horse That Couldn't Run.
car1e In a Winner.
PULLED OFF AT Gu GUTENBERG.

The Story of the Way That Jockey
Hugh Penny Repaid an Impecunious
Owner Who Had IN Days Gone by
Helped Him on In His Career.
st. Louis, long center for merry go
round tracks, having at various times
fostered the East Side, Madison, Sports
mans park and South Side tracks, has i
had many a weird racing tale unloaded
upon tt Stories Of horses at the night
track being run In on the last lap un-
der cover of semi darkness and the like
have been common.
Here's one, however, that comes
from the days of the old Gutenberg
course, which seems able to hold It's
head up In almost any disreputable
turf company:
When prosperity commenced shining
on the Gut. a little rat faced Jockey be-
gan to attract the attention Of men
who wanted to get their horses home
III front. He was quick at the post,
had fair Judgment, did not know what
fear was md was willing to- take all
sorts az advantages, whether fair or
not. This Vas Hugh Penny. 1,
Penny had another virtue that IS rare
IN Jockeys In these days. he was
grateful. When he was making repu-
tation certain owner went out OF his.
way TO give him q mount
This was the making OF the Jockey.
The experience he got on this mans
horses taught him d whole lot, and
finally his services were In such de-
mand he was able to pick his own
mounts Money was flowing Into his
pockets. Hewore diamond drove fast
notters and was one OF the few visit.
ors tosthe hill able to afford fnr over;
coats. ~ 3
In the meantime the man who had
given him his start had fallen into q.
tuck and could not win race He
owed every one who would trust him,
BILE consisted of one plug that could
run a bit in the mud, but on a fast
track couldn't beat 4 ten-year-old
maiden.
i This was the state Of affairs when
one night after the races he approach
ed Penny and asked him to ride his
4 horse In a six furlong race the next
day. What's the use. Bill?" asked
| the diminutive Jockey. sHe can't rum
i fast enough to keep himself warm. =
You're right, Jock, hut I've just got
4 to take d chance. I'm down and out,
and is possible the old horse will be
lucky enough to squeeze into third
money. &
The next day came There was fog
surrounding the course that you could
4 chit with 81 knife. IN fact, 1T was 50
bad a bugler wentato the post with the
horses and with loud blast announc-
ed when the flag fell. There was not
4 q foot OF fhe track that could be seen
from the grand stand and the judges
had to leave the stand and go out on
the track to tell which horse had won.
AS Penny was mounting his horse In
the paddock he was greatly excited.
..How much have you bet?'' he ask
ed the owner.
Not q cent, son, was the reply. Il
4 haven't got a cent to bet with, and, be-
sides, the old horse can't win
Eyes, he cam said Penny. He'll
win by block. Here's hundred.
Hurry up and get it down. z ;s5
/ The hundred was bet, and the horses
went to the post. In few moments
there was a loud blast OF d bugIe, and
the race was on It was half mile
/ track, you understand, and the start
| was about where the mile and q quar-
| ter would be on a full mile track.
In few seconds the splash of
1 horses feet could be heard from the
grand stand and a few shadowy forms
seen passing along, the stretch. Then
every thing was silent until again came
the faint patter De horses, feet These
/ grew louder and louder until finally
they were right In front Of the stand.
Then It was seen that one horse was
/ ten to fifteen lengths in front OF the
field. In a few moments IT was an
nounced that Penny's mount was the
one that was 30 far IA front, and the
1 race, was; given to him.
- S0fAkk i1So W. ~
back to the paddock He did not have
1 a speck OF mud on his clothes.
The old horse was a runner today,
wasn't he, Jock n
Runner nothing, = answered Penny.
ssWhy, he couldn't run fast enough to
beat me-
How In blazes did he manage to
beat that field, then r was the query.
'sHc didn't, replied Penny. 81 stood
still when the flag fell, and when I
heard the Held coming after making
4 the circuit Of the track + drew the
whip on the old dog. and even then II
was all he could do to get home In
front =
And that was one way Of winning
races at the HILTON track.-St. Louis