The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-24
THEY BET THEN sHIRTs ... NO. S- DoVy Johnson Bet As Much As $l0O,000 On Mighty Roseben, Which Never Failed PIunger
Another of a series.
 
 By NED BROWN (NEA Stan COrrespondent)

(NEA Stan COrrespondent)
 David c. Johnson, a born gam- bier, was a plunger too reckless even for his auction pool-selling father, Thomas.
 T can't exercise any control over Davy," Johnson pere would say, as his son, a high gambler at anything, bet everything he had and then some in the iron hat and winged collar days. At 9, young Johnson, a native New Yorker, had won $100,000 at metropolitan tracks.
 It was always now or never with taciturn Davy Johnson, a bespec- tacled, good-sized man with black hair and a full mustache. When he tapped out, he'd hook his famous sprfnter, Roseben, and with the money bet his way back. He took immense winnings and losings with equanimity, was the same in afflu- ence as in financial straits.
 Johnson differed from Pittsburgh Phil in that he cared little about figures and from Mike Dwyer, the chalk-eater, in that he didn't care what the odds were.
 BET ON INFORMATION
 Wagering on horses other than his own, he preferred what he con- sidered good information.
 Johnson took whirls in the stock market and at faro bank. He be- came associated with immensely wealthy Lucien o. Appleby, but the firm was dissolved after few years when Davy became too fast for his partner.
 Johnson on several occasions wagered os much as $l0o,00o on mighty Roseben, 17.2 hands high, daddy of weight-carriers and the fastest thoroughbred up to seven- eighths of a mile that ever looked through bridle. The Big Train never failed him when the chips were down.
 When Johnson was broke, he gave his friend, Lucien Appleby, the papers on Roseben as security on loan of $50,000. Appleby liked to see the big bay run in his colors, which he would do until Johnson bet himself out and redeemed his speed marvel.
 Roseben kept winning under steeplechase weights-from 135 to 150 pounds, prevailed conceding from 20 to 30.
 "No wonder Roseben can carry weight" wagged White Hat McCar- thU ftEvo1.ry fitSaa lao l,a l., to carry tons of money bet by his owner"
 WAGERED ON RECORD
 When only Beauclere accepted the issue on the main course at Belmont Park, October 16. 1906, Johnson bet all he could scrape together that the 5-year-old Roseben would break the world record for seven furlongs -1:25, equalled the previous June 5 by Aeronaut.
 Roseben, lugging l26 pounds, the bulk of which was Willie Shaw, ran away and hid from the lightly weighted Beauclere-86-and time, slicing three full seconds from the standard. His l.22 stands today, which is made the more remarkable by the strip now being a couple of seconds faster than it was then.
 Toward the end of Rosebens rac- ing career, when he was 2, Johnson put Willie Holmes, a heavy but skill ful rider up, and chucked it in when the bookmakers offered fair price. They didn't know Holmes, and when the jockey in the blue, gold sash and cap flashed in front, Johnson was again in the chips.
 Davey Johnson died a few days after being suddenly stricken while watching baseball game at the Polo Grounds.
 It couldn't have been from ex- citement.
 NEXT: Betcha Million Gates.