Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-05
MIKE CLANCY, noted
H0RSEMAN, DEAD
Every Race Track Follower
Knew the Genial
Fellow.

dollar silk shirt that Mike Clancy wore
one day last season at the Gravesend
race track is hanging limp on the back
Of the door in his modest home. Mike
passed into the great beyond yesterday,
and with his death there went away a
personality SO decent and true that the
yelling teardrop was ready in the eye
Of every sport who knew Mike at the
tracks.
The reason why this article starts with
reference to Mikes eight-dollar silk
shirt is because. that particular piece of
personal property was an exemplification
Of the man himself He had toiled with
pick and crowbar and had eaten the
hard bread of the streets, but he worked
his way along until he reached the point
where he could drive to the race track
and lay down his thousand or two on the
horse Of his choice. And his great de-
light was to meet Father Bilr' DAILY
and exploit the extravaganza that grew
as did his income.
Shocked "Father Bill"
Let's have no doubts about Father
Biz DAILY. He is In a class of his own
when 1t comes to the question Of 'loos-
ening up" He has Tom Sharkey, Corse
Payton and Harry Lauder dashed to the
mast whenever arises the question of get
ting cents out of a nickel. Mike, who
was the opposite extreme in the money
thing, liked to give Father Bill a shock
once in a while. So he blazed onto the
track one day last summer wearing the
fine eight-dollar outing shirt, but he
didn't want DAILY to think he was ex-
travagant
Look at me new SHORT. Bill" he said
to DAILY.
"'Tis a foine one" said DAILY. How
much did it cost you?"
"Oh. mere trifle. Bill: just 9S cents
Mike Gets Stung.
Pa made dig for his inside coat
pocket and pulled out that old leather
pocketbood which every horseman knew
on sight. He peeled off a dollar bill
from among the many greenbacks and
showing 1t into Mikes hand said: Mike.
buy me a shirt just like yours. and ye
may keep the change"
Mike had to make good, although he
Mike never sauealed. He was as ready
to give as to take. At no time in his
turf career did he show the yellow
streak. Withal, he was the noisiest man
on the track when he had bet down.
1t didn't matter whether it was 81 OF
his own or a commission of million.
He literally rode his horse from the bar
rier until it breasted the wire, and his
wells during the race were music to the
ear.
Cheered Loudest at Track.
1t mattered not to Mike" whether
Maxine Gomez, Tommy Waddell or LAM
bert, the three good race horses he
owned, was in q prominent position at
the finish of any race in which it took
part. He was there with his ballyhoo
lust the same and his go on, you
Tommy drowned the cries of other race
goers and gave form of race track ex-
preston that is now general.
Clancy was proud OF telling how ne
came to this country a greenhorn boy,
with only a shilling In his pocket.
'I had no education, SO / took job
driving a cart" he would say. with
the few dollars l earned I saved e,iougl,
own With that horse and cart 1 soon
earned the price of another horse and
cart, and before long l had string of
them.
for me. 1 used to work for thim.
His Barney Made Horse Win.
Mike bought Lambert from the late
John A. Morris, the Louisiana lottery
king and founder Of the Morris Park race
track. The mare did not cost Clancy
much. because she was a failure in the
Morris colors. But under the eloquence
of Clancy's barney. when he would say
to her. Me darlint, do your best for me. -
she won many race and established him
as winning owner.
1t was with Maxine Gomez that
Clancy became noted as a turfman. That
horse had shown the speed Of a startled
| buck in private for Billy Lakeland, 1.-The
Duke of Brighton but in public Maxine
Gomez ran like lame hog and never
earned a bone. After several failures
Lakeland in disgust said to Clancy:
Mike, take this horse and see what you
can do with him.
And Gomez made good. He won race
after race for his new owner. 1t was