Blue Girls Defeat, Daily Racing Form, 1901-09-10

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BLUE GIRLS DEFEAT. Leonora Lorings success over Blue Girl in the Great Filly Stakes Saturday and the manner in which Shaw rode the latter are thus described in the New York Sun of Sunday : "Shaws ride on the crack filly, Blue Girl, was pronounced by hundreds of experts to bo the acme of incompetency. While Blue Girl was beaten only by a head by L. M. Myers Leonora Loring for the bulk of the prize money, it waB the consensus of opinion that Blue Girl, with any kind of good handling, would have been able to win easily. In explaining his action in applying to the BtewardB for an investigation, Mr. Whitney said to The Sun reporter : " I have asked the steward to investigate Shaws ride on my filly, Blue Girl, because I think the boys performance waB not what it should have been. In fact, it was about as poor a performance as I have ever seen. Shaw received no instructions to hold a position in the rac8, but was merely told to use his best judgment. If he did use his best judgment, it was anything but good, to say the least. From what I saw of the race, Shaw, after getting under way well, took Blue Girl in behind the bunch and stayed there until the beginning of the stretch was reached. Then he had a clear track ahead of him, but failed to put up a vigorous finish. In fact, I thought his finish was very weak. In my estimation Blue Girl should have won with ease and thats why I want to have the race investigated. Shaw had the mount on Blue Girl because he was engaged by Mr. Madden two weeks ago for this event, and before 1 had purchased Mr. -Mad-dens interest in the filly. That was the reason Turner did not ride instead of Shaw. Turner would have had the mount on my other filly, Bosa of May, instead, of Bullman, but he could not make the weight. "Mr. Madden also expressed the opinion that Shaws ride was either a. piece of gross carelessness or bad judgment. Down in the betting ring there were several ugly rumors, one of which was that in certain poolrooms Blue Girl, or rather the Whitney stable, was "laid against" extensively. Shaw is one of the best jockeys in this country just now. He is under contract to ride for George E. Smith, who is popularly known aa "Pittsburg Phil," but he has been riding for other owners, including the Fleischmanns, Frank FarreU, Madden and others, with, marked success. During the recent meeting at Saratoga Shaw and "Pittsburg Phil" were mixed up in an alleged scandal concerning the running of 3t. Finnan and Latson in a certain race, but after the stewards had examined the layers shoots no action was taken because of a lack of proof that any wrong had been perpetrated. "The Great Filly StakeB, distance three-quarters of a mile down the new Futurity course, was worth 8,705, of which 4,905 went to the winner. As Yankees share of the Futurity was 6,910, it can be seen readily what Mr. Whitney has lost within a week. But the winning of money prizes is a secondary consideration with Mr. Whitney. He wants to win because of the sport to be enjoyed, and the vast army of racegoers believe that he should win and that he is entitled to the squarest treatment. In yesterdays big race Mr. Whit.ey had Blue Girl, Gunfire and Bose of May, which were combined favorites, They opened at 4 to 5, but the public money came pouring into the ring so rapidly that the post price was 3 to 5 and out. Lux Casta, which ran second to Yankee in the Futurity, waB second choice at 5 to 1, while Leonora Loring was third in favor at 7 to 1. The others wore at all sorts of prices, the field consisting of twelve starters. Blue Girl carried top weight, 124 pounds. When they paraded past the stand 20,000 spectators loosed on and nearly all of -them expected to Bee the Whitney colors, light blue and brown cap, finish in the van. "Once at the post and there was little or no delay. Starter Fitzgerald dropped his flag when the field waB in motion and in perfect alignment. Blue Girl got away as well as any. After going a furlong or so Blue Girl suddenly seemed to be shut off. This was a strange proceeding, inasmuch as the Sir Dixon filly had plain sailing in front of her. Behind a bunch, however, Shaw kept Mr. Whitneys champion, and to those who saw the jockey when he got to the bend in the track it seemed as if he was Bitting perfectly still. Blue Girl was well in the ruck then and the onlookers were dazed. I Leonora Loring, who, by the way, had an unbeaten record up to last Thursday, when Clarence H. Mackays Heno took her measure in the Dash StakeB, was leading the procession all the way down to the bend and she was traveling bo swiftly, yet so easily, that Odom did not exert himself at all, except to keep the filly etraisht and true. Josepha and Lux Casta, who had tried to keep pace with Leonora Loring for the first quarter of a mile, feU back but of.it and their places were taken by Hataeoo, 20 to 1, and Sun Shower 60 to 1. Leonora Loring had a length the best of those two youngsters at the last furlong poet. "There it was that Blue Girl, getting into a position where she was unobstructed, began to movo after the vanguard in lively fashion, Shaw, however, did not seem to be riding with his usual skill, and the crowd began to yell in dismay. Blue Girl, however, was so fleet of foot that she killed off Hatasoo in a few jumps and then got even with Sun Shower. Leonora Loring, holding the rail, still had a lead of a length, and Odom, intently watching Beau-champ on Sun Shower, was not urging hia mount at all, when suddenly he caught sight of Blue Girl within a half a length of him. Shaw was now riding with his hands, but with no whip as usual, and Blue Girl waB gaining with every leap. Odom cut Leonora Loring loose and the finish between the two was a hair-raiser. Many thought that Blue Girl had won, but the judges decided that Leonora Loring was the winner by a short head, or a nose. Sun Shower was third, a length back, being a head in front of Par Excellence, Flora Pomona, Gunfire and Bose of May, heads apart in the order named. The winners time was 1:11. L. M. Myers, owner of Leonora Loring, a bay filly by Dr. MacBride Hoyden, purchased her as a yearling for 50. He and Dave Gideon, together with their friends, made a killing in the ring on the fillys victory."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1901091001/drf1901091001_3_2
Local Identifier: drf1901091001_3_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800