The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-09-09
SHAMROCK SCORES
FOR CHICAGO O'BRIEN
Owner Sticks to His System
and Wagers on Him to
Finish Third.
ny HENRY ". KING.

i. W. (Chicago) O'Brien, a wealthy
horse owner and Handicapped. one of
the few men who made fortune play
ing the races and kept it. saw his colors
flash home in front for the first time
this season yesterday afternoon at Bel
mont Park. His green and white polka
dotted silks were borne to victory on
his colt Shamrock, a son of Rock View
and Tuscan Red.
Shamrock ran a tip top race and
beat a good field of juveniles in the
Sea Cliff Purse in a gallop. Buddy Ensor
had the leg up on him and got him
away from the barrier. Miss Star, from
the Riviera Stable. had more early foot
than Shamrock and Ensor rated him
along in second place until turning into
the homestretch. There Miss Star
began to come back, as Tnsor and thou
sands of racegoers expected, and Sham
rock without urging went to the front
and earned the purse handily by a
length. Miss Star was second and Rob-
ert l.. Gerry's William Tell third.
BY his victory Shamrock proved that
he was better than an ordinary colt.
He stepped the five and half furlong
course In the real good time of 1:S 20.
Despite the fact that his owner be-
lieved he would win he didn't wager on
him to finish in front. O'Brien wagers
on horses at short odds as far back as
he can. He didn't diverge from his
system even on his own horse. He bet
heavily that Shamrock would finish
third.
Once BriclIayer.
Twenty years ago O'Brien was a brick
layer in Chicago. He knew nothing
about horses. One rainy day when there
was no work his friends insisted that
he accompany them to the races which
were then being held at Hawthorne,
Chicago. Tom went along. He had
previously seen his comrades return
from the track day after day losers.
He also had heard that most of the
horses his friends had wagered on had
finished in the money. So he decided
to play them third If possible. He
made half dozen bets and won them
all He didn't win much. because his
odds were what his friends called pro-
hibitive. but O Bren insisted that 1t was
much better to get your money back
with a little interest than it was to try
to make a whole lot in few minutes
and lose everything.
Spurred on by his success that day he
tried his system again. Again he won.
But as before his winnings were only
trifling. He continued to play his sys-
tenn. the favorites third If possible, and
continued to win.
When the racing ended for the season
Tom became q frequenter of the pool
rooms in Chicago. In them he played
his system and it was only on rare oc-
casions that he lost. One afternoon he
met Steve L'Hommedieu. one of the
largest plungers on the turf He
watched O'Brien play the horses, and
seeing how successful was his system
advised him to go East. O'Brien &C
copied the suggestion and throwing
away his trowel came to New York and
since the day he arrived here he has
been big winner
sticks to His system.
Some horsemen say he is worth at
least two million dollars. Others say
less, but all agree that he is wealthy
man. He has small, string of thor
oughbreds of his own and small breed
ing farm in Kentucky, but every wager
he makes Is in accordance with the
system that made him rich.
Under a powerful ride by Clyde Ponce
Brainstorm won the Cedarhurst Handi-
cap. He ran an excellent race and beat
June Grass, Bit o. Black and Chester
brook in a gallop.
Ponce got him away from the barrier
in front and let him step UP the back
fore the first furlong had been covered
Bit o. Black ranged alongside of him.
Ponce didn't become excited and he
didn't urge his mount to draw away.
Neither did he pull UP. He kept his
mount running alongside of Bit o. Black
until rounding the bend. There, Bit o.
Black began to tire and Brainstorm came
on by himself and passed the judges four
lengths ahead OF Chesterbrook, which
finished with a rush and took the second
end OF the purse.
June Grass was the favorlte for the
event. As the barrier went up he
propped and before Hummer got him
going Brainstorm was half a dozen
lengths in front. When he got to run
ming June Grass displayed a good burst
of speed, but the best he could do was
reach the leaders, heels To do this
tended to sap his strength and he tired
to almost walk In the final run.
IL. r. Bradley's Banker Brown beat
a smart lot of three-year-olds In six
furlong sprint in tho final He took the
track at the start and was never headed