Marcus Dalys Big Coup on Ogden: Copper King Credited with Cleaning Up 80,000 in Wagers When His Colt Won Futurity of 1896, Daily Racing Form, 1910-07-24

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MARCUS DALYS BIG COUP ON 0GDEN. Copper Kin? Credited with Cleaning Up 80,000 in Wagers When His Colt Won Futurity of 1896. Every once in a while newspaper correspondents at various racing centers send out information of a betting coup alleged to have been made on this or that horse. In former days, operations of tho sort referred to would hardly have been dignified by the employment of the term coup. The latter-day "coup" Is a puny affair when compared with some of the gigantic operations of the pant. Marcus Daly figured in one of the greatest "clean-ups" on any track when he won the Futurity with Ogden. John S. Campbell, who previously had been trainer for the Beverwyck Stable, A. F. Walcott and Hatikins and Johnson, engineered it. In 1800-96, Campbell wintered a portion of the Daly stable in Montana at the Anaconda race track, where at times it was thirty and forty degrees below zero, but a dry, bracing climate, and the colts and fillies became enured to the arctic-like tempera-tare. Among the yearlings was an Imported colt. Ogden. that in his trials was so slow that his trainer tried to sell him for .~rfl. without success. By the next May, however, this two-year-old had come on at a great vale, and Campbell sent word to Marcus Daly that they had a youngster above the average in tho Imported colt. At the June meet ing in Batte, ogden made his debut, running second to a stable companion. Jim Blackburn. Two other times, once at Butte and once at Anaconda, ho repealed this performance. This was to save penalties for the Futurity, for which trainer Campbell and owner Daly already were planning tho biggest coup of the con tury with Ogden. ogden then was entered in a race at Anaconda against the two fastest matured horses in the northwest at five furlongs, they ta concede the two-year-old the scale weight. Ogden beat them both. In | the middle of July Ogden was sent from Montana to Saratoga. Campbell preferring to give him his work for the Futurity at the Spa. There was no racing that manner 1006 at Saratoga, and tho track IU virtually deserted, which gave Campbell the opportunity to work the colt almost without observation, and after resting tho youngster after ids 2,300 mile ! trip, he sent him along in earnest. In spite of the I slim possibility of any "Peeping Toms" getting on I to Ogdeus work. Camphell was cautious about his | trials, which took place in tile early morning and late evening. | Three days before the Fatality. Ogden was still at Saratoga. That morning at 4 oclock was set for a last trial of the colt, and Campbell and jockey "Doe" Tuberville. who was to ride Ogden in the j Futurity, were at the track before daybreak. Madge , I., a three-year-old of proven speed, was selected | as Ogdeus companion in the trial, and she carried 110 pounds, while the two-year-old carried 125. The pair were started in tho chute, and Madge D. took the lead for the first quarter in 23] seconds. But | Ogden was lapped on his older antagonist, and at the half, run in 47*. showed half a length in front. The rest of tho way Ogden held the three-year-old safe and won tho trial by two lengths in 1:131 for tho six furlongs. No one but the stable people and bluff old Puckett. the track superintendent, saw the trial, and all hands were much impressed. Ogden and his stable companions were shipped south that day and joined the rest of Dalys horses at Shcepshead Bav. where Matt P.vrnes was in charge. The latter had Scottish Chieftain In the Futurity, with the crack jockey. Fred Taral. up, and when he saw Ogden. which was rather undersized, chaffed Campbell a good bit about his little brown "broncho." But when Campbell pinned him down to a bet of a suit of clothes that his "broncho" would come in ahead of Scottish Chieftain, the man who had trained three Suburban winners, began to think Camphell had something "on" him. After the race he was sure of It. Such a crowd wan at Shcepshead Bay on the day of the Futurity fhut it was a matter of dlAenlty to get inside the bolting ring, except at intervals on the track side of the enclosure. So when Marcus Dalys commissioners. John K. McDonald and two others, started in with 0,000 each to back Ogden, they had trouble from the outset. Ornament T. SloanJ was favorite at 2 to I. with Keenes Rhodesia iSimms rated as second choice at 4 to 1. Then came the Dalv pair at S aud lo. with Challenger Doggettl. Rodermoml J. Hill I. Box W. Martin. Beatroo Clayton. Ianmnre II. Origin, New ■gatherer Ballard ami others at long odds. Nailing several layers out of lino for moderate amounts at 12 and IS to 1 on the Daly pair, the commissioners butted their way toward the center of the ring, where the principal operators were and got several thousand dollars on at 10 to 1. In one or two cases, where moderate prices were laid on Hie Dalv pair for a place, they got lo to 1 on Ogden for the place. On down the ring, here ami there, as well as the crowd would let them, hurried Hie Daly commissioners, betting 00 here, a ,000 then, until S to 1 was the best price obtainable. They accepted that price, and were taking 7 fo 1 When the ory of "theyre oft" stopped further busi neaa. Ornament, the kicker, had. as usual, raised a circus at the post, following this colt and that, trying to kick them, in spite of all his jockey. Tod Sloan, could do. Twice he missed Ogden by a small margin and label lllln was kept busier Hatching the vicious chestnut than the starter. When they did get off, it was Ornament and ogden all the way. the Daly "copper, silver sleeves and green cap" and the brown colt from Montana drawing away from his bliiegrass-bred antagonist in tin- last furlong, and winning by a length and a half in 1:10, a new rci oi d for the old Futurity course. ■adenaoad was a close third and Rhodesia fourth. By mistake of the judges, the number of Scottish Chieftain was tirst hung up as the winner. And trainer Matt Byrnes immediately grabbed his fellow-trainer. Campbell, and lifted him in the air. triumphantly claiming, "me for that suit. Johnny." But when in an instant Scottish Chieftains number was taken down and Ogdeus hoisted in its pined the trainer of Pontiac. Balvator and Montana dropped Campbell like a hot potato amid roars of laughter from the bystanders. Dalys commissioners wore not able, owing to the crowd, to get down all of the 0,000 they had planned to bet. But jointly they placed enough of the big wager to win 80,000. They were several days collecting the money and some of the layers were badly cramped to make good. Ogdeus victory was worth S44. nm . the value of fho first money in the Fatarity to his owner, besides the betting proceeds of 80,000. This was probably the heaviest betting coup ever made by an American turfman on a homo track and had Mr. Dalys eom-niissioners been able to get all his money down, the Map would havr amounted to close to a quarter of a million. But the wagers and value of the purse amounted jointly to 24,000 a wonderful showing for a little brown colt that less than a year before would have been considered well sold at ."iO. Jockey Tubi rvilh? received a $.",INM» fee and Marcus i in i treatan all his employe* with princely liberality.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800