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! j ; , J THE TRIUMPHS OF ONE OF THE GREATEST OF WESTERN HORSES M ►u, , , — 4, McChesney I That was a name that formerly stined the pulses of Chicago admirers of racing, "liig Mae." as lie was affectionately dubbed, was a truly great race horse and well be rewarded the allegiance •. his army of faithful followers. Through two lines he was a descendant of Irish Birdcatcher and in ap- Tl pi arance probably was much like his celebrated ancestor. His racing covered four years and it would have been better for his fame if his last year in racing had bun omitted, he liemg then nothing like the grand race horse he had lieen the year before. Still showing a flicker of his youthful tire, he ran some good races that year without being able to win. -McChesney began nis racing at I.atonia when a two-year old as the property- of Dots Brothers. Before ii- w ui a raee they sold him to J. S. Ward and no doubt abundantly regretted the sale afterwards. He ran io two races at the I.alonia spring meeting of 1901 and was third in each of them. Then he was brought to Chicago and ii was not long before he became a Chicago favorite and It was here that most of his fame was ii hieved. His first victory was over the Hawthorne track. July 2.". when, at three quarters of a mile, he x! v"ii in 1:14%, with The Four Hundred second. Legal Maxim third and eleven more unplaced. Of the latter . two afterwards themselves became capita] race horses, they being Aladdin and Hargis. McChesney was al t: to 1 in the betting and won by six lengths. This he followed up by winning two more parses. Cnluckily for , tor his owner, he was without stake engagements anc he successes when a two-year nM were necessarily PJ ia purses. July 2ti. over a heavy track, he defeated tomnii-sioner Foster, South Trimble and two more at S s"ven-eighths of a mile in 1 ::J4. This was at Hawthorne. August 7. At Harlem he ran three-quarters in J 1:13% and won easily from Lord Quex, Commissioner Foster, South Trimble and Talpa. Then a spell of H bad luck overcame him ami he was beaten in seven consecutive races, of which lie was second in four and ,. in third in two, but at Haw t heme, on September 21. he Broke into the winning division again. This was in a " a lie dash for all ages in which, carrying SO pounds, be ran the distance in 1:30% and won by four lengths JJj as floss the three-year-old I ledi. 1U1 anil the foui -year-old Barries;, 108. Six ran unplaced, including such " or good ones as Dcnman Thompson, Searcher and Orontas-. and it was IO io 1 against McChesney. September " "..s, running ag.iinsi hi- own age, he won again at a male in 1:40% and gave weigh! and an easv beating to ". I.iieian Appleby, Mollie T.. Bes-ie Spil r and three oilier two year-olds. At Harlem. October 2. he ran six sl and a half furlong- in 1:18% and won mexteuded from Mel I lint lit. Aladdin and three others, and on Octo- !l her ! was beaten by Herodiade, over a heavy track at live-eighths in 1:01. His lasl three races of the reef were at Worth and he won them all without trouble. 1 Sam HiMreth bought McChesney after the Worth meeting, lie wished to win the American Derby, . V.ito a common sentiment Busang owners of that lini . McChesney had repeatedly beaten his coll, Llieiau ■ Appleby, ami since the latter could hold his own against the others of his age. it appeared to be good bus! im -- io add Mcri.i -liov to the llildretli stalde resources. And so it was, tint the big chestnut was mil des I1 lined to start in the Derby and. as it turned out, Luc:,en Appleby came within one of winning Chicagos big • •; finishing second to John A. Drakes Wyeth. McChl Busys first start in RUdrethS colors was in a ■ to purse raee of one and a sixteenth miles, at Harlem. June 11. I.Mi-J. ami in thi- he was beaten a nose by n Aladdin. Mis next race was his undoing so far as Hildrcth was concerned. If was the custom then to run s a race at Harlem ill the week immediately prior to the opening at Washington Park called the Derby Pre ■ liniinary. McChesney fell ill this race and. besides dislocating several of jockey Winktields bones, injured J himself so badly that he could not be started in the American Derby. This preyed on Hildreths mind to " to such an extent that, becoming deeply imbued with a superstitious belief that McChesney was an imluckv I • oil. he sold blm to P. J. Ryan, who later on sold hii;i Io Darnell ft Hera. The race in which he fell was i[ won by Belles Commoner, with Wyeth second and Lucien Appleby third. He did nol recover in tint ■ to . start at Washington lark and his first start alter the accident was at Harlem. August 5, in a purse race. s in which he was unplaced at three-quarters and probably needed the race to fit him. At any rate, on August V he won for Ryan af six and a half furlongs from .lie Prey, Hargis and six more in 1:19%, hut only beat ; is .be Trey by a head. August Hi he ran third to John Bright and Aladdin in the valuable Harlem Handicap. J ; i a mile and an eighth in 1:57, over a heavy track, llaviland. Nitrate. Six Shooter, Hunter Raine Flora Iutnona. Flying Torpedo and Henneiiciii being good horses which ran unplaced. He carried 10S pounds to :l 111 on the winner and 10" on Aladdin. Then, after v. inning a purse at Hawthorne, be ran second to John I Bright in the Northern Handicap, at a mile and a quarter in 2: it;:;,. with Joe Prey third and nine excelent ■ i icer- unplaced. John Bright was | tine race horse and had up 117 pounds to It! on McChesney. After 1! warning ■ parse at a mile in 1:39% be ran naplaced to Sciutillaul IT., Jiminez and Scarlet Lily iti the rich ■ Twentieth Century Handicap at Harlem. SeinfiLunt II running it- mile and three-sixteenths in 1:57% and ■ making a record ihat stood until 1911. By tHlstime he was about ripe and won his lirst i.iee for Durnel! * Hers. This was the Dak Bark Handicap, al a nils and an eighth. September J. in which, wilh 122 s P und- on hi- buck, be ran the distance iii I :." 1 --.. with Boa Mot. Km; pounds, -eeond. and Corrigan, 105. third, a great race indeed. Of his next eleven races h" won eight— the Chicago sti.ke- at Harlem, Phoenix Handicap at Worth, a purse, a match with Sombrero am! the Columbia Handicap, all al Worth. In the s latter he earreil I2."i pounds ami ran a mile sad a quarter in 2:95%. In a purse race ;ii Worth. November ■ I, the two-year old Jilfain. with SO [annuls up to ids 125, caused a vast surprise in winning from him by a nose al a mile in 1:40%. Then he was taken to New Drleans and won two purses and the Christinas Handi- cap before the close of the year. 1 Early in l!»Ou McChesney was sold to K. E. Smailier- for a big price, reported to have been 990.090, : ml Bar him lau his grandest races. He -cored his lirst important victory for his new owner at Harlem, J June 0. when, with VSl pounds, he won Hie Harlem National Handicap, at a mile ami three sixteenths. over a heavy Hack in 2:10%, with the noted mini runner. Gregor K.. 101 pounds, second, and Hargis. 1o:;. lillrd, and sixteen more of the best horses in the west unplaced. Filing Torpedo was the favorite and Mc- . Chc-iiiM was al 8 Io l. June 18 lie carried the same weight and wen the Austin Slake-, at a mile and a -ix I -in h in 1:45%, with Sam Poller. 102. and llernu n ia. 100, second and third. June 27 he look up 129 * l und- and won the Oakwoud Handicap, al Washington Park, ran its mile sad an eighth in 1:51% and tin ■ ishe,| two lengths before Alan a Dale. 120 pounds. Little Scout. 185, was third. Waswilt and Lucien « Applebj ran also. July J. at the same track, he ran the greatest race at a mile and a half ever recorded in American racing, even though he did not win. This was in the Great Western Handicap, in which, with the crushing impost of i:;t pounds in th - s.uhlle. he tan oeeeaal to John MoGurk. carrying 109 pounds, and was beaten but a length in such remark a file time as 2:31%. Nor was he a well horse that dav. for he toughed several lime- in the race and finished with blood trickling from one of his nostrils. His suhse qiieiit racing was at New York. Hoi mi- was then at the zenith of his fame. It was expected that .McChesney would meet him at Brighton Beach and puldie intire-t was at fever heat. But he hurt a toot at exercise and could not meet the engagement. This led to a remarkabh slaaght. in which anient other mean things, it was said Both Ins was the matter with the horse and that Smothers was afraid to have him meet Her aria. But McChes- rev vindicated himself and bis owner gloriously when the two great horses did cash. This was in the Twin I Citv Handicap of a mile and a quarter, at Sleep-head Bay. September 7. The two cracks carried 129 pound* each and ten other- started, llertnis made the running to the stretch, where McChesney challenged, and. after a brief -truggle. passed him and won by two lengths in 2HM%. The Chicago lad. Fuller, rode 1 Irni HerniK was second and His Eminence. 100 pounds, third. At Gravesend be won the First Special, at ■ mile and a quarter In 2:08, and the Second Special, at a niKe and a half in L::;4. the latter being the last triumph of his splendid career. After his retirement from racing .1. B. Haggin bought him for stud service and. when racing was iped out :n New Voik. sent him to Argentina, where, along with Africander and others, he was sold and ! is now in the stud there. Hi- record and pedigree are as follows: year. Age. BtK 1st. 2nd. :;rd. Cup. Won. 1991 - -• • ,; •"• 8 * l.tisit 1902 • - I - 4 • IR.05.~i I I1N38 » «4 •* 1 2 31.535 IPO-l • 1° 0 .2 2 8 1.900 : Totals 4 Tl 28 15 !» is 890*899 I sweetmeat i Gladiator r ,. " ... f Mariioni • Lellypop rMn-ariia ., , . J IJocsaa "1 j Pantaloon Banter Chanticleer J Irish Birdcatrher I a , holigslress 1 Whim "w. Carter J Humphrev £ r „ Mlutf ,„ A Klasticsda.ii 9 r , .. King Tom j Barkaway I I Btksa r.mest ....J j Pocahontas " I l ■■ -" , , , l.rneslitii- j Touchstone . 2 -*• ■ i Lady GeraMtoe fc"! , ,, Australian j West Australian H T L Jws*-1 ■***■ „ I F.milia m i Aerolite j Lexington W g • Florine O •; Dvford J Irish Birdcatcher g I sterling , Ftaey Dear ■ lop Gallant ..J « Whisper j BUence s | Adteabrrer j NewmJaatei £ l. S,a Mark 1 I Palma z lw . ., sea Cull i Lifeboat f i Minola Maaoa. I wild Cherry Blair Athol I Stoekwell f Ghat A i hoi J Blink Bonny I ,. [Greta j Voitigeur » Ixatheriue M. . ■ , Mountain Flower Oliver j Wagner I Betsg Hunter » Flight IBhM Bell j Chori-ter Blue PUly
