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j R. T. WILSON. JR.. AND HIS TRAINER. The Latter Thinks The Parader Should Have Won the American Derby — Wilson Rejects Hermis. New York. January 13. — Not very far down on the list of winning owners of 1507 you will find the name of R. T. Wilson. Jr., credited with nearly $ 5O.0M ill round figures. His stable has never had but one really good ban*, The Parader, winner of the Lawrence Realization of 1901. twelve days after hi-- defeat in the American Derby of that year. Yet. despite the paucity of good material. "Tom" He* ley. Mr. Wilsons trainer, nearly every season does surprisingly well. The owner of the stable likes to bet on occasions, also, and each year probably gets back enough to repay him for his large annual outlay. Healey. whom I met today coming in from Belmont Park, where Mr. Wilsons horses winter, lives at Westchester, but would now be the owner of a home at Queens. 1,. L. but for the tie-up of the Knickerbocker Trust Company. In that hank the trainer has 9,000. On the morning »t the day the bank was closed. Healeys wife had a tip that the institution was in trouble and sent a telegram from Westchester to her husband to come to town and try to save his deposit. The telegram was sent to Belmont Park, and Healey. who was racing some horses at Jamaica, did not get the telegram until the next day. Probably it would have done him no good, anyhow. The depositors have an excellent chance, however, to now realize by degrees on their money. J. itussell Soley, the very able lawyer who for more than a year has been the counsel for the Empire City track, is also the counsel for many of the depositors of the Trust Company, and by dint of hard work he expects to have good results soon. James Rowe is said to have at least 0,000 in the Trust Company. Those of your readers who recall the defeat of The Parader in the American Derby of 1901. or some of them, will no doubt agree with Healey that the colt should have won the race. He was off last, was a half-dozen lengths in front at the end of a half mile, and at the end of a mile his lead was still large. Then he ran out wide, and Robert Waddell and Terminus both beat him home. The jockey who rode The Parader was "Joe" Piggott, who has for several years been in Russia. Healey says that Piggott acted like a crazy man throughout the race, shouting like an Indian to the other jockeys, "if you come near me Ill ride you into the lake." The result of the Derby that year was a great blow to the pride of eastern turfmen. The Parader was certainly the second best of that year. Commando being the best. Neither was up to a tirst-daat performance in the Realization, as was well known. Commando was lame some time before the race. The Parader, after he won. left a streak of blood all the way down the track from the judges stand to the gate opening from the track to the stables. Both his feet had spread badly, yet he achieved his greatest distinction under those circumstances. Truly, the gameness of the dumb brute is often justly a matter of enthusiastic praise. It is, of course, well known that The Parallels death was due to the rotten condition of his feet, which eventually poisoned his whole system. This year Healey will train twenty horses for Mr. Wilson. For the first time we are promise, 1 a sight of the progeny of Mexican, which horse was purchased by Mr. Wilson for a high price when Mr. Clarence Mackay sold his stable at Saratoga a few years auo. The youngsters by Mexican now in Healeys care, showed better trials and are better lookers than others, but their trainer has no hopes of the. Iieing a high-class one in the lot. But for Mr. Wilsons hasty judgment a few years ago. the great Hermis would have earned his fame iu the name and colors of Healeys employer. In I002. when Hermis was a three-year-old. Healey. acting under a standing order from Mr. Wilson. had purchased the colt from H. M. Ziegler for 0 OOO. He called ii] on his employer and informed him of the deal. "Humph. I dont want a selling plater." was Mr. Wilsons comment. Healey turned on his heel and left the tnited States Hotel cottage, ubere Mr. Wilson was living. Meeting "Jimmy" McCormick. he told him the story. "Ill take him off 011r hands if fa* dont want him." said McCormick. "Done." said Healey. and that is how the famous horse became the property of L. V. P.ell. fat whom that year he won all his engagements and never lost a race in his colors. It was t tit- following spring, at Morris Park, that Mr. and Mrs. F.. R. Thomas saw Hertui-- ael so admired him that for 949,000 he changed hand.-. Tin $»;o OOo story was the usual exaggeration. McConnhk. by the way. enjoys the reputation among ids i-ontemporary horsemen of being a first-class business man. From stock of a tug-boat company he collects twenty per cent, return-. He is a large land owner down towards Coney Island, aud has sold some of the plots to James Rowe and others. He lias stock in several race tracks, ail paiing well. He is the first man down on the li*; far substantial sums When a fellow horseman, in hard luck, needs help. When "Daredevil" Fitz-pa trick died, a subscription" for his widow was gottoa up by ■ turf paper in New York, and away off in taliloniia McCormick. then training for Bana ft Watei l.ouse. got "Tom" Williams interested and BltBM was gotten together iik a few-hours. Many a sick man has had reason to remember McCormick* thoughtfulness. J. J. Burke.
