Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-25

front of Elopement, ridden by anoth'
er American Jockey, Rigby. The coup
had been successful, but there was q
frowning in the ring and a frownine
in the stewards stand that showed
how deeply the iron had struck.
One of the stewards. who was
nameless in the English papers, but
who was generally supposed to be
Lord Durham, petulantly remarked as
the horses went past the finish post
that "if he had his way he would rule
off any man that stood to win $780,
900 on any race" When Gates was
told Of this at dinner party in the
Cecil that night by reporter he was
quoted as saying that his lordship
must have been misunderstood. and
that what he undoubtedly meant was
that any man who had such horse as
could win such race easily and only
stood to win a quarter Of million on
him was either an imbecile or q piker
both Of which would be undesirable
patrons of the English turf. The Roy
al Flush episode concluded any large
wagering Of futures In England.
Probably no one except his son,
Charlie Gates, and his friends and
partners, John A. Drake and Ortson
c. Wells, knew exactly how much
money the winning Of the Steward s
Cup by Royal Flush netted Gates, but
after he had given $4,000 to the
trainer. Wishard, $4,000 to Johnny
Reiff and was a most generous Lord
Bountiful to every one connected
with the stable, he told his friends on
more than one occasion that after
paying all expenses Of the trip he re-
turned with more than 100000
British money to this country-a sum
which he Immediately sent into the
ton Of President Mckinley.
After his coup Mr.. Gates was not
popular with the English racing folks.
There were insinuations that stimu-
lants had been administered to some
Of the horses In the stable-insinu-
ations that had not a title Of evidence
to sustain them-but Gates did not
like the harrying, and he returned to
this country He had harvested his
crop, and the aftermath did not ap-
peal to him. Up to this time he had
been particularly prominent on the
turf. In fact, 1t was not until two
years later that he became one OF the
spectacular figures on the American
turf
In 1902 the Drake stable contained
an important part in the stakes Of the
year. One Of these was a three-year-
old. Wyeth. that later won the Amer
lean Derby from Lucien Appleby.
The other was Savable, a two-year-
old, that in one Of the most sensation
al Futurities beat Lord Of the Vale by
the shortest Of heads. Gates had a
big wager on Wyeth. but he won
practically nothing on Savable, not
caring for the horse as an individual.
The excitement Of betting, the quick
exchange of money, the enthusiasm
Of the minute or so when fate was
held in the balance, the openness OF 1t
all, appealed to Gates. Then, too, he
had triumphed in England, beaten the
game in its own home, won the Amer
lean Derby and the Futurity, and so
he went at II with Zest that was
amazing. OF course, he did not daily
bet the huge sums ascribed to him,
but he never was piker. A wager
Of $4,000 was not at all unusual, nor
was one of $4,000 extraordinary, but
he was not an indiscriminate better.
He accepted the judgment Of an own
er or trainer in whom he had conf
dence precisely as he would the re-
port Of an expert that he had sent out
for a judgment on railroad, mine
or a mill.
Having got that report or that
judgment, he went ahead. He play
ed information almost exclusively,
and as he was generous in his re-
wards he usually obtained the best.
He detested going into the ring per-
sonally. Sometimes he bet ready
money through agents in the ring.
thus affording no clew as to the
source whence 1t came, but ordinar-
lily he made his own wagers. AS a
rule he wagered with Richard c..
Duggett, one Of the clubhouse COM
missioners. or with John Walters
the two most daring and wealthy OF
the set that accepted wagers from the
high-rolling constituency.
Gates seemed to find particular en-
joyment in dealing with Duggett.
There could not possibly be two men
more widely different in stature and
temperament than these two. Dug
gett, a little fellow, not much more
than five feet in height, once light
weight jockey for the Oneck Stable,
cold in demeanor, sparing of speech,
there could scarce be two more di-
rectly opposite. Gates was big, hus-
Ting, breezy, talking in superlatives.
And yet Gates liked to wager with
Duggett. It may have been that the
common quality Of gameness In both
was what attracted.
Pc that as 1t may, Gates liked to
deal with him, and 1t was one OF the
features Of the days when the Wall
street man "unbelted" himself to
hear him and Duggett.
1.-The price against Roseben?"
Even money, Mr.. Gates" Duggett
might answer.
"For $25,OOO?" Gates would query.
"All right, SIR" And then, turning
to his clerk, Duggett would say, Mr.:
Gates, $4,000 even on Roseben.'
And then to Mr.. Gates, "Will there
be anything more on this race. sir y
And the $4,000 would go. II Dug
gett didn't want to accept all OF 1t as
a personal wager he would lay 1t of
among other pencilers, frequently at
profit, so he won, even though
Gates did.
Reports differ as to how much
money Gates and Drake took out of
the ring at Morris Park on the day
that Roseben won that maiden race,
but It Is conceded that 1t was little
short Of 100000. 1t might have
been more had the stable had the
confidence in Roseben that Roseben
deserved. Gates had made all ar
rangements for the killing" but
Roseben got a trifle "of his feed
within twenty-four hours Of the race,
and a stable companion, Rudabeck
was started to aid him, both horses
being coupled. Roseben won easily
Gates, while a bit bizarre, always
was natural, and at Saratoga he par
ticularly shone. He bet in the most
sensational way. had the fastest au-
1ttf1n h O
in the clubhouse and the most ella
borate dinners at the lake, and was
by far the most spectacular player at
Canfield's when it was at its zenith.
Sporting and fashionable Saratoga
went to bed when he "cashed In and
they awoke while he was breakfast
ing.-New York Press.
TILE DpEcENT INSTANT