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PHIIi AND MIKE. i The story of the Dwyer brothers, Phil and Mike, , is always interesting to turfmon. It was in Aug- . ust, 1876, that they won their first race with Rhadamanthus up at Saratoga. They had been batchers in Brooklyn and fascinated by the stories of triumph ,on the turf they had gradually drifted into the game until they registered under the firm name . of P. Dwyer and Bro. Although Rhadamanthus was not a high-class racehorse the Dwyers handled him , so skillfully that they won again and again with him, in each instance backed to win small fortunes. Had Rhadamanthus been a loser the future of , the Dwyers in the turf world would never have , turned out so sensationally successful as it was up to about ten years ago. Encouraged by success, the , brothers soon began to branch out. They purchasd , Vigil, then a three-year-old, and the unnamed , brother to Bassett from Col. D. McDaniel and paid ,000 each for them. In a few months Vigil won himself put and also enabled the Dwyers to cash some hesvy wagers made on him. Going down to a meeting in Baltimore in the latter part of 1876, the Dwyers started Vigil in the historic Dixie Stakes. The colt waB an outsider in the betting yet the Dwyers, particularly Mike, bet heavily on him. Pierre Lorillard, in those days the king pin in turf affairs, was represented in this race by two horses, one of them Parole, tho famous thoroughbred which later won the City and Suburban Handicap in England for the master of Ran-cocas. Parole and his stable mate were big favorites in the Dixie yet Vigil won and incidentally turned over 2,000, the value of the stake, to the D wyersv In that year alone the Dwyers won 7,66L in stakes and purses with only three horses, which was encouragement for them to continue operations on an even larger scale. But poor racing luck confronted them during the following campaign, theii gross winnings in stakes and purses being only ,755. Convinced that there was a fortune awaiting them, however, the Dwyers went ahead with a successful campaign in 1878 in which they won 6,89,? in stakes and parses. After that their power was gradually increased until their stable was the maE-ter of the situation. In fifteen years that their partnership continued their Horses won a total ol ,310,554. Believers in the best blood, the Dwyers were always ready to spend fabulous sums for great horses. They paid 5,000 for Hindoo and the horse became the most famous of his time. Then the got hold of Luke Blackburn and developed hin. into a cup horse which beat the best horses of his year in long-distance events. It was under then care and the expert handling of James Rowe,who trained for the Dwyers, that Miss Woodford became the most celebrated race mare of the time and one of the greatest ever seen on an American track. George Kinney, Hunnymede, Barnes, Inspector B., Dewdrop, Passique, Pontiac, Tremont, Hanover, Kingston, Bootjack, Dan K.. Longstreel and such famous stake winners occupied stalls iv the Dwyers stables at various times, their successes on the turf being the talk of the horse world. In 1886 the Dwyers enjoyed their greatest series of triumphs. Tremont won every racj he started in that season, having moro than 0,000 to his credit at the end of his campaign. Other horses which carried the Dwyers colore that season were almost as successful as Tremont, so that the stables winnings in stakes and parses on the season was 8,169, a record in its way up to that time. The Dwyers, who had become heavy buyers at the yearling sales, adopted the policy of buying the yearlings on blood lines that they themselves had found to bo productive of success. Vigil, which had won tho first big stake for them in Baltimore in 1876, was sired by Virgil and for that reason they alwayB showed a fondness for Virgils get. That was why they secured Hindoo, Tremont and other big stake winners. When Hindoo went wrong and was sent away to the stud, the Dwyers bought the mighty Hanover for ,350. He raced three times as a two-year-old and was not beaten. As a throe-year-old he swept the decks and his share of stakes and purses was 9,772, which was more than had over been earned before in a single year by an American thoroughbred. When Hanover wont to the stud, Phil Dwyer bought Handspring, the son of Hanover, and when Handsprings racing days were at an end his owner purchased the famous colt, Major Daingerfield, whose wonderful performances this year have not been forgotten. With James Rowe as their trainer and later Frank McCabe, the Dwyers engaged James McLaughlin to ride for them. For eleven years McLaughlin wore the Dwyer colors and became famous the world over. When he left tho Dwyers, he got too heavy to ride; then, failing as a starter, he became a trainer and he is still plying this vocation. There was always a marked difference in the brothers methods. Phil was careful, conservative and saving. Mike was more of a sport, a heavy bettor and inclined to be reckless as well as a dictator on tho racetracks. It was soon well known that when Phil wagered a few hundred dollars on one of his horses Mike bet thousands. In fact, Mike i , . . , , , , , , i came to be known as the most sensational plunger on the American turf. A 0,000 bet was nothing to him. He was on the lookout for sure things, and there were several occasions when he placed as much as 0,000 on a horse to win, say, ,0C0, tho odds being 1 to 10 on the Dwyer horse. It was in vain that Phil remonstrated with Mike relative to these stupenduous betting operations. Mike was headstrong, and even went so far as to dictate the management of the stable. When Phil saw that his brother would not hoed his advice a mutual agreement was arrived at by which the great stable was sold at auction. This was in 1890, and when the sale had taken placo the brothers continued to race each independent of tho other. Phil had in tho meantime built tho Brooklyn Jockey Clubs track at Gravesend, which ho still owns and which has made him a millionaire several times over. Mike went across the Hudson and built the Elizabeth track at a large outlay, only to have its gates closed later on by the enforcoment of the law against racing and bookmaking, framed by the Jersey legislators. Racing apart, the brothers did not begin to have tho good luck of previous years At tho sale of tho late August Belmonts horses in 1891, Mike bought tho Futurity winner. Potomac, for 5,000, and in that season ho won 6,CC0 with him. Phil bought Bolero at tho same timo for 5,000 at tbo sale of Congressman Scotts stable, but the colt did not come up to expectations and won only about ,000 in 1891. Raceland was also sold to Miko Dwyer for ,000 and tho following campaign he won 2,0C0 for tho plunger, who was constantly betting. With eighteen horses Mike won 63,512 in stakes and purses in 1891, while Phil hd to be contented with 8,600, tho earnings of fourteen horses. In 1893 Mike won 8,555 with Banquet, Raceland; Don Alonzo and others, but that was the beginning of his downfall. He made a disastrous- trip to England later and came back broken In health and spirit. Gradually the former plunger saw his fortune slipping out of his grasp. The horses would not run for him and his big bets went up in smoke. Through thiB adversity Mike Dwyer never complained. He never showed what his feelings were, though his inward sufferings must have been intense. One day he bet 5,OCO on a horse and saw him beaten by a nose. Those who knew of the wager expected to see Mike collapse. Instead they saw him turn away coolly, as if ho was going to dinner. Not a word escaped from his lips ond not a tinge of excitement appeared on his features. He was simply an icicle. Soon tho turf would have it that Mike Dwyer was "broke." It was. a fact that tho former plunger, broken down in health, because of the terrific strain upon his nerves had struck the down grade. In his distress, Phil extended a helping hand. Mike had a home on the Gravesend track, where he still lives with his family. He was heavily involved, it was said, and turfmen who had been his bitter enemies while he prospered felt sorry for him. But Miko never forgot his old love for the racehorse. To all of the Long Island tracks he was driven by his faithful attendant, Whalen, and sitting in a buggy, well wrapped up, the former plunger looked over the card and watchod the races with the old fire in his eye. He always had a bet down and soon he began to win a little. Ethics was his breadwinnrr. Tho colt bogan to win for Dwyer a year ago and soon tho report was current that tho man who once bet 0,000 on one race .was slowly but surely paying off his old debts. When the present season opened Mike Dwyer started with a clean slate and Ethics. Tho colt had been faithfal to him and today Mike owes much to the game little son of Charaxus Ethie. But while the father is getting back on his feet, his son Charlie has been meeting with reverses. The son had to sell his stable recently because of losses, but like his father he never gives up tho ship. One day last month young Dwyer stood to win ,000 on one race. His horse was beaten a neck and the son of his father walked away, chewing a quill. He is a chip of the old block. New York Sun.
