Imperial Valley press., 1938-11-01
Betfors Flock
to Biscuit Colors
n. Picks Admiral
f. HENRY McLEMORE


One hundred and seventy six
years ago a gentleman whose name
may be familiar to some OF you
came to Maryland and tried to
make some money betting on the
horses.
He was George Washington, and
his experiences with the bookleS
here have come down to us in his
diary. Under the date of 1862
washington wrote that he was a
consistent and persistent loser
and listed The pounds and shillings
which he had lost by backing the
wrong horses.
This excerpt from the diary OF
the father of our country hearten-
ed me no little today when | sat
down to pick the winner of this
afternoons match between War Ad-
miral and SeabiSCuit at the ancient
Pimlico track. If George Wash
ington found the picking of the
winners too much ior him, then
why should m5 mead be bowed in
grief and shame il every once in
a great, great while 7 should fail
to name the winning horse of a
race? The horses are no easier to
pick in Maryland today than they
were back in Revolutionary times,
and it is only by dint of a great
deal OF hard work and a lot Of Al
thinking on my part, that l am
able 10 name the winner OF tOday'S
race.
But thanks TO my tremendous
lcbors. which include daybreak
visits 10 the track, secret clockings,
hours of poring over past perform
ance5, s-y snoCping around the
stables, and midnight rendezvous
with a peg-legged, one-eyed man
who knows man who knows q
man who knows the MAN who
braids W.r hdmirals tail, I defin-
italy have the winner. Even more
tnan that I am going to give you
the finish one one-tWo order. Here
it is:
War Admiral.
2-Seabiscuit.
I wish General Washington was
here today to take advantage OF
that selection He would go back
to Mount Vernon tonight loaded
with doll>r bills. OF course, it
might surprise him a bit to find
=, ia+t
I doubt if a man who means over
his persistent losses would object to
taking any sort of money, even II
it had a picture Of his entire family
on il. I know there isn't McLe-
more who wouldn't pose from dawn
till dark if he were to get some
of the money his picture was on.
As a matter Of fact, I used to pose
fer an uncle of mine who was in
the counterfeiting business. If you
have any bills with my picture on
! them they're no good.
But to get back to the horse race.
Seabiscuit is not Cling to be with
out hackers, even if l have picked
| WAL AUlllIIdl. fAS q uldlJcl VI ldCC'
W,len Charlie Howard, owner Of
/ Seabiscuit. heard thai I had picked
War Admiral it was all that his
friends could do to keep him from
going right down the store window
where the cup is on display and
claiming it for his own right then.
Many other turfmen refused to al
low my selection to. lessen their es-
TEEN for Seabiscuit. They believe
he will outfoot and outgame the
Admiral That he will outfoot the
Admiral is within the realm OF pos
sibility, but outgame him-neVer.
I'll grant Seabiscuit as much cour-
age as War Admiral, but no more.
Because you can't get more in one
horse than the Admiral packs.
It stands to be a whale OF a
race and with the craftsmanship
which has characterized my family
since Great Great Great Grand
father Ezra shot his first sitting
, bird, say: May the better horse
Win-provided it's War Admiral.