Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
SENSATIONAL BUT
SHORT TURF CAREER

A letter from John Higgins in Texas
| where the veteran trainer of II. B. Duryea s
| stable is at present on a hunting trip, ex-
presses surprise and regret at the uneN-
pected death of his former employer, A. j.
Cassatt. He relates some unwritten history
of the turf career of the deceased Pennsyl-
vania railway president.
Had President Cassatt's health not gwen
away it was almost certainty that lie
would have gone into racing again, perhaps
in connection with the new Phlladelphla
! Jockey Club so long talked of by the iate
Captain Sam Brown and other PennsyiVa-
MIA racing enthusiasts. And revival ol
his breeding enterprise at Chesterprooh
farm was another probability OF the near
future making his sudden death great
loss to racing and breeding interests In
general. -.
A. J. Cassatt would never have owned or
bred a thoroughbred horse, nor become liit
arbiter of the destinies of a great trunk
line of railway but for the timeiy-act Oh d
friend during the railroad strike riotS o.
Pittsburg in the seventies, which CUM, IN
mated in the destruction by fire OF the
Union depot at the Smoky city.
The late railway president. then minor ".
division superintendent OF the roau, wao -.
the midst of the melee with tle iotce u , III :
to uuell the disturbance, and IKE seHei d !,
others of the officials wore large Whi'e
or drab felt hat. Suddenly the word Went
round among some of the more desperate
of the strikers, Lets shool 'he oiiiNit
with the white hats.
All of Cassatts fellow-o officials put MN
were hurriedly warned TO don tielr WIZ. VIZ.
hats at once which they did, ana on ,aS
satt demurring to the precau' ei a. III ,.l
eating fear of Inc strikers, a frlehd graz,
he'd his hat from his lead. Just as ne u!u
so a badly aimed bullet whiZZed over as
salts head, showing that ms WIlte lIe'
close call for the man destined to cohtroi
such vast interests as he was called 10 90
a few years later
Won a Suburban and Brooklyn.
Very few men who go into racing on such
= moderate scale as did Mr.. Cassatt are
fortunate enough to develop both BROOK
lvn and Suburban winner, where so many
of their fellow-turfmen have failed. Ana
vet almost before the Kelso, afterward
Cassatt. ..tricolor' had became fairly Wen
known to the racing public most OF the
classic handicaps at Jerome Sheepsn,eau i
Gravesend and Monmouth PARK had peeh
won by his horses.
When John Higgins first took charge OF
the Cassatt stable in the middle elSn.ies
they raced under the nom de plume OF M
Kelso" The Bard, destined TO earn the slaole
its greatest honors, was then yearnnS,
little bay mare called Heel and Toe, by
Glenelg La Polka, winning the first races
of note for the red. white and blue;
Heel and Toe won the Fordham hanoicap
at Jerome Park and other events -and was
a useful mare. but rather small ana not
up to much weight. Her full sister, Los
Angeles, was a much higher c;ass mare
and some years later won many great races
for Lucky Baldwin of California
liberal purchaser of yearlings. Mr.. cas-
satt about this time secured the future
Suburban and Brooklyn winners tiurus ana
The Bard, Eurus, by Eolus-War Song, was
FL
Charlottesville Va. A fair performer in his
earlier years, Eurus in the early spring OF
1887 was at his best, especially in mud or
heavy going. -
a good race under I24 pounds, and as he
was in the Suburban Handicap at Sleeps
head Bay with much less weight, ne was
considered a factor especially IL the
track should prove heavy.
Consequently, the future books received
unite a play on Eurus between Jerome ana
Sheepshead meetings, but at GraVesend lhe
horse failed to show any or MS form at
Jerome, and his Suburban hackers did not
have much hope of his success in that race
Entries at Long Odds.
Three years before Virginia-bred horse,
War Eagle had only failed of Suburban
honors by the head margin that separated
him and General Monroe at the finish. Ana
had Garrison, then a ninety-five- pound lad,
seen old White Face as Monroe was
called the latter would not have got UP
in time. For Master Garrison was watch
ing Jack of Hearts on the inside, When
Monroe with an unexpected rush nahed
him on his whip hand.
But Virginia scored with Eurus and made
amends for War Eagles defeat-the only
time a horse bred In the Old Dominion ever
won the Suburban. 1t was a heaVy TRACK
all right on the day Eurus carried the
Cassatt colors to victory but so many
1arkS at the post
that Eurus was at long odds in the market
Ben Ali and Quito were the favorltes,
while Lizzie Dwyer, the Corrigan mare;
Blue Wing and others also carried tons
Of money. Ben Ali had beaten Hidalgo
in a trial and James B. and Ben All Hag-
gin placed enough on the son or Nlrgei TO
have started a country track in business
Representative William i. Scott and his
friends could not see how the gentleman's
Erie-bred horse Quito could lose in the
mud, and the handsome son OF Rayon u Ut
was supported for a kings ransom. Other
horses were heavily played, and Eurus
went to the post at 20 to 1, Owner Cassatt
not having a dollar on the morse, letlns
him run for the $4,000 purse and stake
money.
$500 on Eurus across the board, and as he
gave Jockey "Bilf' Hayward the leg up
said to the veteran jockey: 'Bili, get the
little cuss off in front if you can ana then
let him go like HI.
AS matters turned out it was compare
lively easy for Hayward to obey these or
ders, for he got away to a running start
with Eurus, and before his opponents were
fairly under way he was six lengths IN
front and going like scared wolf
Bandusia at 100 to 1.
James F. Caldwell, in his day called the
prince of starters, never made such an I'M
fortunate start as marred Eurus' Suburban.
The post favorites, Quito and Ben Ali, never
had a chance after the flag fell, and the
stable and public money lost on them went
away up in six figures.
Bill Hayward kept the flying Eurus al
ways up to the lead he had been given, and
with Trainer Higgins frantically waving
him from the infie'd to go on Hayward
kept on and was never reached The gray
colt Oriflamme, three-year-old, ridden by
McCarty who had just won the Brooklyn
with Dry Monopole, closed a tremendous
gap, finishing such strong second as to
Indicate that he would have won with an
even break.
It was a great bit OF luck for Owner Cas-
satt and Trainer Higgins. and both came
in for many congratulations on Eurus luck.
But the general public was not SO philo
aophicaI and htsSed moor Caldwell SOindly