Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19
P|TTSBURG PILLS JUDGMENT OF A HORSE RACE

Not many of them standing on the
lawn in front of the grandstand or
squatting in the grandstand itself nova
days can tell for a sure thing which horse
s going to cop when the field hits the top
nf the stretch said one of the old guard
AT tths~traek the other day. Anybody
AN call the turn, of course. when some
speedy slayer is tincanning out in front
At that stage of it with his mouth wide
open and the boy sitting still and looking
pack But it's different when well-match-
I'd and closely handicapped bunch hit the
stretch all together like a parading troop
Of cavalry doing right wheel 1t takes
a man with a Jockeys judgment of pace
and an almost mathematical knowledge Oh
how many ounces of run each Oh the
horses has got in him to name the cor
rect one when there's a rail-to-rail lineup
Of the best ones stretched across the
track at the top of the run home.
'.Pittsburg Phil had that end of it sew
ed up Nobody in the game ever APP
preached him at 1T. No matter now
A race were running at the turn for home.
Phil would commonly take his field
glasses from his eyes at That Juncture,
clap them into the case, and, without
looking at the nOTSeS again III thoS
flashed by quietly observe to the gang
that always huddled around him to get
his idea of things before the finish so
and SOIL win and 1 never knew him TO
name the wrong one, even when ne
named something that came from the
clouds at the very end and hooked up
with the leaders for a head1ong sprint 10
the wire. In addition to his perfect
knowledge of what the horses struggling
in a race were up to- he must have pos
1ad int,
game That's what everybody who knew
him thought. and they think so yet. de
always denied such a thing himself,
though. and even laughed at the sugses-
ton He said he could tell by the run
ming action of horse in the final stages
of the race how the horse was going TO
finish This involved his scrutiny through
the glasses of the flying action of all OF
the horses in field they approached
the telling part of the journey-pretty
fine work in itself. Whatever the faculty
was he had it developed to such an al
most uncanny degree that he could predict
the defeat of a horse that seemed even 10
good judges to be going like lion out in
front; a horse that with Il long lead at
the head of the stretch. appeared to be a
certain winner. Phil could detect the leg
WEAKNESS of the strongest KIND OF
front-runner when that one seemed 10
have many pounds left for the dash to the
tape and with the same quick eye that
caught. when nobody else caught II. the
curling-up Indications on the part of the
spread eagler, he could call the horse.
often away back in the ruck, that would
do the bulldog stunt within the eighth
pole and snatch the victory by a nod on
the string.
There were times when even Phil S
friends. familiar as they were with his
infallibility at this game, could not stand
for his offhand verdict. l happened to be
standing by once when George Rose, a
close friend of Pills, refused to believe
that the plunger had the turn called right
in a case like this.
1t was d distance race-the Autumn cup
at Sheepshead Bay-and Major Danger
field and Zoroaster were the two played
horses. although Major Daingerfield was
the overwhelming favorite to last the
o-mile-and-a-quarter route. Zoroaster
started out and made the pace like Aw-
kins' 'orse. Zoroaster wasn't any SLOUGH
of a horse. He was filter then than ne
had ever been in his life. and he was
getting a great ride for himself. When
he turned into the stretch the last time
around. with all kinds of daylight be-
tween him and Major Daingerfield, the
favorite, and going without the least
friction-that is he appeared TO be going
that way to practically eVerybody-the
crowd set up a Zoroaster roar.
Nothing to il but that California horse,
Zoroaster' even the bookies on their
chairs on the lawn said to each other.
'ZoroaSter something e-e-e-eaSy."
howled the cheerful folks in the stands,
who, because they hadn't been able to
touch the Major Daingerfield price, had
eaten up the TO l early on tap about
ZOroaster's chance.
But Pittsburg Phil watching the race
from chair placed near the cheap field
screen put his glasses down calmly when
Zoroaster swept into the stretch with his
fine lead.
"'Major Daingerfeld wins he said in
the tone of man making some observa-
ton about the state OF the weather. He
wasn't trying To root his horse home.
either The fact that he had S2oO0O on
Major Daingerfield had nothing whatever
To do with his placid announcement.
Wrong for once George" sang out
George Rose, who was standing close 10
Phii's chair. I'm laying fifteen hundred
to a hundred-and that's more than twice
the price-that Zoroaster cops.
You're on. George said Phil, with
out even turning 10 look AT Rose.
Down the stretch Numbered the good
horse Zoroaster, with his even, space-de-
vouring stride. showing no visible signs
of quitting or crawfishing. AS a matter
of fact. Zoroaster didn't dog il. at the
finish or at any other strage of the jour
ney. But the one behind him., Major
Daingerfield. the favorite, had more pow
er left. With tremendous leaps and a
courage that was not to be denied Dam
gerfield bounded after Zoroaster after
being we'll Strengthened out for home. and
he gained upon the leader by inches
Even this caused no CONSERVATION in the
minds of the Zoroaster folks. for THEN
horse appeared to be going, too easily
and he certainly seemed to have too gooC
a lead TO be caught. But Pittsburg Phi
had realized the immense reserve power
of Major Dainserield at the very instant