The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-07-31
Battle For the Event Started
When Both Men Tried to Buy
Same Horse
OWNER FINALLY TELLS
WHO HE REALLY Is
Keeps Himself in the Dark Until
Horse Wins Event and Then
Speaks
BY RALPH L. YONKER.

II was Tommy Murphy vs. Walter
Cox at the Blue Ribbon races yes
terday in the elimination OF battle
OF buying and training and racinl
that has lasted a long time, The Oh
iect OF the battle was the winning o.
the Merchants a. Manufacturers 1914
stake.
The shrewd work OF Driver Murphy
finally won out over Cox, but by suct
a small margin that Murphy has
little real license TO gloat over ms
New Hampshire rival. Murphy car
tuck frst and third moneys Of the
great NJ. & NJ. $4,000 stake under nj,
arm. and he can have his name IN
scribed among the NJ, & NJ, winners
for a second time, but he can also bt
mighty thankful that a little twist IN
luck didn't turn against him and
throw the race 10 Cox.
Walter Cox missed winning his
third heat In the big stake with Peter
Scott, Wednesday, by very narrow
margin. With a little more good for
tune Cox would have won three heats
and thereby completed the race
But he didn't get the luck and the
final heat OF the race was put over
from Wednesday until yesterday
when Murphy's great driving gave
him the victory with Lasste Nc
Gregor. -.
Murphy went into the race bad
second in the betting with Linda
wrona a very long shot. There were
only these three heat winners racing
Peter Scott and Lassie McGregor
needed only one heat 70 win as they
each had two stored mp LINDA
Wrona needed Two.
Peter Scott sold for $50, Lassie Nc
Gregor for $35. and Linda Wrona lot
SIS. Murphy had been unable TO WIN
with McGregor until the latter part
OF Wednesdays affair The Cox gang
figured that Peter Scott was the
strong horse TO go into the frst neat
and sprint away with IL before Lassle
McGregor was warmed up 10 winning
stride
The. Murphy gang figured that Muir
ply was driving and they didn't care
much whether he had thoroughbred
or a truck horse. They bet on Muir
phys driving.
After scoring a couple OF times
they were of. Murphy left the wire
away on the outside Of the track,
Linda Wrona carried Cox along for a
while and then broke at the quarter.
Murphy stayed back with Peter Scott
on the outside, letting Cox set the
pace all the way around the track
until the horse headed into the
stretch.
At the stretch Murphy brought
Lassie McGregor into a hard drive.
He urged her for time and then sat
breathless while the brave horse shot
up to and ahead of the firing Peter
Scott.
And Cox was driving. Yelling and
rising almost out of his seat to lay
the lash on Peter Scott he punished
the stallion numerically. The game
ness was there, but the legs wabbled
and Peter Scott could not force him
self to battle the flying Lassie. Muir
ply was an easy winner.
One OF those breaks OF fortune that
come now and then was handed 10
McDevitt, driving Linda Wrona. He
had finished the second heat ia
2:05h, breaking the record for the
fastest heat in an NJ & NJ, Wednes-
day. Thursday he was distanced and
didn't even get a chance at third
money, that going to Murphy
The battle between Cox and Muir
ply for this NJ. e. NJ is one of long
standing. Cox as it happened, tried
to buy Lassie McGregor last year for
one of his patrons. lie failed to Sc
cure McGregor, but he did get King
Couchman on the same trip King
Couchman won the c. OF c., Tuesday
The ownership OF the NJ. & VI. win
ner was kept religiously secret until
after she had won the race II seems
that Murphy bought her for Henry
Oliver, a Pittsburgh millionaire. Mr..
Oliver was in the stand yesterday
and saw his horse win.
Straight heats and favorires win
ming ruled in all but the free-for.all
pace yesterday. In that event. Flow.
er Direct took three heats after Di-