The Washington times., 1936-02-24


1884 when Bert BarOni claimed
this big little giant Top Row,
from Mrs. w. PIunket Stewart,
the prominent Long Island
breeder, for $500, and do you
know after the colt was claimed
she was so sorry that the next
day she offered Bert a $1,5OO
profit to sell him back to her
for $4,000.
"Funny thing, too, 1 advised
Bert to sell. Not that / doubted
he had picked up q sturdy little
thoroughbred out Of the "laim-
ing box, as 1 had offered to in
sure Top Row for what Mrs.
Stewart wished to buy him back,
but my horse training had al
ways been to never hesitate to
sell at a profit and l considered
$1,5OO q tidy little pickup for
the time it takes the hour hand
to 20 twice around the clock. l
still think so, but I'm a cOnServa-
tive and Bert Bar0ni has always
been q plunger.
WORTH SAME TO HIM
81 shall never forget Bert'S
answer. He said he wasn't going
to sell Top Row, that he'd been
a gambler all his life and he
was going to keep the colt and
make some money with him. He
had won S1,5OO on Top Row in
the very claiming race in which
he fell heir to him and he
figured Top Row was q hot
horse and intended to 90 down
the line with him. Further
more, If Top Row was worth
$4,000 to Mrs. Stewart, he was
worth it to him, and that was
that.
you know the rest" said
ROhrback as he flicked a bit Of
slush off his mother of pearl
Spats with q snOw-white silk
handkerchief which had pro-
truded ruefuIly from his waist
coat pocket, "TOp Row has won
over S165.OOO for Bert BaFOni
and is now in the charmed
S2OO, 900 circle in so far as his
lifetime winnings are con-
cerned."
Before he Sauntered on down the
boulevard to gladden. the eyes OF
he timorous young things who
we're venturing out with a bit Of
straw millinery which shone in
odd contrast to their India rubber
yalosheS, Sir Albert reminisced a
bit of Top Rows owner, a man
who must be rising so and who
1ad as humble a beginning as
Tony Canzoneri, the New Orleans
oootblack.
In The Gay NinetieS
Bert Baroni, an American born
italian grew up amid the smoke
md curses, laughter and Burgundy
of Reno's palaces of chance.
twenty-five years ago he was
nothing short of a hustler, yea, a
roust-a-bout, for the plug hats and
Prince Albert coats of the gay
divorce and mining center.
So he came by his hard, cal
;ulating horse sense through the
;ough school of experience. He
mas seen fortunes made and lost
between sunset and sunup, and
hose early days of his when the
men for whom he would run er
rands gambled gold coins while
he flipped cigarette picture cards
must ha- passed before his Wis
ion as he saw Top Row romp
home a length and a half, to
pull down $1O4 900 and the great
Santa Anita Handicap.
And as I left AL Rohrback there
On the sidewalk, while Old Sol
slid down behind the Rock Greek
hills. thought of poor Mrs. w
Plunkett Stewart, the Long ISLAND
millionaireSs, whose Top Row had
been dropped in the claiming box
= year ago last fall at Narragan
Sett.
Saturday, her Laughing Sun
won a $1,000 handicap for three
year-olds and up at six furlongs
and a half, down at Hialeah.
Wistfully she must have pom
dered the running of the Santa
Anita, and she probably passed
the coincidence off with some
such phrase as:
tsThaf1s hnss racinRlN