New-York tribune., 1918-06-09
10000 Witness Race;
Big Upset in Classic,
Son Of Spearmint Little
Considered in Great
Handicap
By Louis Lee Arms

More than a decade ago King Edward
VII Of England whispered into the ear
Of his commissioner, who forthwith
went down into the betting ring at
EPSON and got aboard three-year-
old colt named Spearnint. Spearmint
vas an unknown and an outsider. and
the Kings party didn't think very
much of the Kings Judgment But the
King didn't care about that.
Fifteen minutes later Spearmint came
busting down the stretch, kicking up
little lariats of dust into the faces Of
the field trailing two lengths back. He
won pulled up and established world s
record for the Derby of two minutes,
.hirty-six and three-ffths seconds. So
the King went over to the clubhouse
and bought drink.
Yesterday Johren, the handsome
three-year-old son of Spearmint out Of
Mineola, came scooting down that lit
tie brown pathway known as the
stretch, an unknown and an outsider,
but champion every inch and credit
to his illustrious sire. The King
wasn't there to see him, nor to bet on
him, but former Ambassador James w.
11dI dy ne w tlIilSy anu Ill
most everybody else in New York was.
The whole fabric of racing is predi-
Gated on the assumption that blood will
tell-and 1t did yesterday. Johren (pro-
nounced "Jorrun"O, a name as musical
as the deep chords of cello, takes it's
PLACE in the running pantheon that has
given Whisk Broom, Stromboli, Friar
Rock, Boots and a score of other slinp-
legged celebrities to the turf.
The Suburban and perfect June; the
Suburban and 10000 spectators; the
Suburban with bands, patriotic music,
soldiers. sailors and government post
planes bouncing into the infeld. It
yielded the thrill that comes only with
the Suburban.
Bugle Calls to Post
Outsiders had come romping in and
jockeys in their silken breeches and
shimmering boots had been tossed upon
the grass in steeplechases, or the
steeplechase; ten thousand hopeful
wise men had jammed their elbows into
one snother's ribs in the betting pad
dock; dark-skinned "rubbers," with dia-
lects as smooth as syrup, coddled their
favorites beneath the pine trees in the
paddock; beautiful women sat upon the
verandas of the clubhouse or in boxes
and seats in the stands; these were
some Of the concomitant details that
precisely at five minutes after 4
o'clock, and half dozen thoroughbreds
danced nimbly, if impishly, down to the
post.
There was Commander j. K. L. Ross's
Cudgel, the favorite. VINO one week ago
won the Kentucky Handicap, valued at
sl2,500, and earlier at Jamaica had
shown clean pair of heels to the field
in the Kings County Handicap; Spur,
almost equally we'll liked; Hendrie, Bat
tie, Hollister and Johren, the last two
named with limp" in parenthesis be-
side their names, meaning that they are
imported Tor the American racing sea-
son.
Forty thousand eyes gazed at This
aristocratis procession of horseflesh
,,-aristocrats that knew no melting pot,
put that were especially bred and espe-
clally reared by the best brains of the
turf.
Six pairs of thoroughbred eyes locke j
AZ the twenty thousand spectators with
tne lmpersonal regard and the innate
hauteur that is the hallmark of the
turf aristocrat. "The look of eagles
John John Taintor Foote has called it. 1t is
.nat and more. 1t is an unconquerable,
unnamed something that lifts the thor
oughbred of the turf miles above his
more democratic and slovenly brothers
ana has made his races for centuries
the sport of kings.
Racing Crowd Is Different
These thoroughbreds, if they really
were interested, which we doubt, saw
not typical New York crowd, but a
!ypica! New York racing cro~< There
ls difference. Baseball, golf, tennis,
Yachting and other Of our national
sports have their true followings, but
none OF them are quite like the
vto1aries OF the track. Perhaps it is
me dress; the atmosphere of mystery
and machnation; nervous tension that
could contribute pathologic chapter
cut it is something that makes racing
different.
There were sports and sportsmen
nun and stage actors and actresses
rch owners and their "hired help
young United States army and navy
emcers-and older ones, too-as well
as an odd appearing little French avia.
.'9r, with string of medals on his
view.
In the infeld they might have seen
postplane "taxi" to it hangar; in the
vest the sun. which was sliding toward
'secnpse, and across TIE track and to the
NV the barrier, one mile and q quar-.
VT from the usual finishing line from
wnich wWnich they were to make their start
.es we doubt if these nervous aristo.
erass we're interested in any Of it.
They swept casually down to the
;arsing Judge. screwed about the track
.mpa,iently when that official essayed
va, align them and finally submitted
Win small grace to his orders.
They're Off"
They're off" ran through the
.ssn, Msnds In chorus, and Johren, the
sr,sessnng son Of Spearmint, with Frank
r~sU"Ialnson, clad in blue silk and long.
Yea ysaked brown cap, scooted into the
M; IN; Twenty thousand spectators with
srar sssir eyes moving from left to right
au sr back again saw these six aristo
rats rats step eff the mile and a quarter
h;sssy saw Robinson. riding almost OF
s's mounts neck, plying his lash like
scythe as the field swept into tn,
;u1eseh, and they saw Johren. like hi,