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] * 4 * ■ J; he I I ; m v , , " • j I, 1 J ■ ■ J • - f 1 s I I ~ . 1 I , 1 » . • I I I 3 _ 9 I I 1 I n I 1 1 j + "I FEATURES IN THE CAREER OF AN AMERICAN DERBY WINNER . ! = , * « The unexpected victory of Raincoat in the St. I.e?er Handicap served to recall to recollection the tri-mnphs of his sire in great races over Chicago tracks. Raincoat only carried !mi pounds in his notable performance and. on what he has done, can, by no stretch of imagination, be deemed a great race horse, but did show himself to be a worthy son of Pink Ooat in respect to hardihood and stamina, qualities higlily S tu-veloped in his sire. Pink Coat made his initial bow to the racing public in commendable style at Churchill Downs, May IS. MM, by winning at his first essay. This was in a purse race for maiden two-year-olds, at four and a half furlongs, for which he was the favorite and an easy winner oy two lengths, with Sound Money second. First Call third and six others unplaced. Time ML Pink Coat was not raced much when a two-year-old, starting in but five races, of which he won two. Ills other success was In the Harold Stakes, at Latonia. May 2i . This he won by two lengths, with Mclvor second and Swing third, and ran its five-eighths in l:02Vi. Eight more ran unplaced. In the Cadet Stakes at Louisville he ran third to Gallivant and Benares . and was unplaced in his other two races. He was a big, growing, blaze-faced bay. and it was manifest wisdom to give him a light racing campaign. lie richly repaid this consideration in subsequent years. He was an excellent three-year-old and throve under Pat Dunnes skillful training to such an extent hat he soon became a double Derby winner, being the only horse that ever won both the St. Louis and American Derbys. His tiiuing-up race in 1M»S was for a purse at Harlem. June 1, in which, at three- *; quarters of a mile, h- won from Dave Waldo. Donna Rita and three more in 1:14%, Tony Licalzos Donna , Kit:! iK-ing an odds-011 favorite, with Pink Coat second choice. Following this he was taken over to St. [ Ixuis and there, on Saturday. June IS. was started in the St. Louis Derby, at a mile and a half. In this h,. was called on to meet formidable opponents in Plaudit and Rannockburn. both high-class race horses. Plaudit had won the BHckeye Stakes, Oakley Derby, Clark Stakes and Kentucky Derby and in consequence s ciM-rled 127 MM to Kt7 each on Pink Coat and Bannockhurn. notwithstanding which lie was an even-nMiicy favorite. The other two starters. Jackanapes and Equitome. were outclassed here and had nothing j to do" with the decision of the race. Bannockburn soon took the lead and mane the running for the first , mile and a quarter. Then Pink Coat, ridden by W. Martin, was released from restraint and. rushing into j the lead, drew away in the stretch and won by two lengths, while Plaudit made a noble final effort and defeated Bannockburn for sei-ond money by four lengths. Weights considered, he was probably the best , horse in the line that day. but found the task of giving twenty pounds to such a good colt as PSnk Coat , .oo much for him. The race was run in 2:S7 and was of the net value of .37." . MM was a revival of racing at Washington Park that year following a cessation from 1804. The J American Derby excited the usual furore of interest and. when the d.iy of decision arrived, was contested over a heavy track. The starters and weights were, Pink Coat. 127 pounds; Warrenton, Isabey. Mirthful, j 1ingree. Midian and Bannockburn. 122 pounds each, ami the filly. Eva Rice, 117. A. II. and I. H. Morris J had sent their English-bred -olt. Mirthful, out to run for it and be was the jnist favorite at 11 to 10, but t had nothing to do with the finish. Billy Oliver came on from New York with his sturdy colt, Warrenton, . aiid but for Pink Coat lieing in the way would have won the big race. Pingree represented Canada and ran , lielty well, being third into tin* stretch at the end of the first mile and a quarter. As far as he could go 1 ■ the mud Mirthful was at the head of affairs, but afer leading around to the homestretch for the second tine began M flag. In the last eighth Martin brought Pink Coat up and Warrenton. coming with a rush , a* the same lime, the pair passed over the winning line so closely locked that it was only by a few inches j Martin and Pink Coat prevailed over Caywood and Warieiiton. It was a small margin, hut sufficient. -Two bngths away the unlucky colt, lsabey. was third. It was his ill fortune that year to ru:i to a place in the Aineiv-an Derby. Tennessee Derby at Memphis and the Kentucky Derby at Louisville, but in each , case found antagonists superior to him. The American Derby then had 0,000 added ami Pink Coafs • scare was .22."i. The mile ami a half of the race was covered in 2:42:l4. Pink Coat did not win any more races that year, starting but three times subsequently. Bannockburn defeated hiin in the Sheridan Slakes, at a mile and a quarter in 2:00,. with Goodrich third. Then, in the V. heeler Handicap he finished third to Algol ami Goodrich, carrying BIO pounds to their 107 each andthe , iii-le and a quarter of the race being run in the fast time of 2:04. He was taken east and only started once, lieing unplaced to Algol. The Huguenot ami Bangle in the Omnium Handicap at Sheepshead Bay. Bitween Ihe St. Imis Derby and the American Derby l.e had finished third to John Bright ami Hand Or ii- the llimyar Stakes al Latonia. lie ilevclopcd lameness and had civile so well for his owners thai h was given a long rest ajid was not raced at al! as a four-year-old. Fsnally such a long retirement from racing brings loss of form to a horse, but Iink Coat was not affected unfavorably find ran many a good race before retiring from the track for 1 gixwl. His reappearance in racing took place at Louisville. May 19. 100O. in a purse race at seven-eighths ; cf a mile. He had been away so long that folks had forgotten him in a way. So in a field of four starters lie went to the post at the outsiders price of in to 1 and had his revenge for such lack of consideration when he won by a nose in 1 :2C , with the I to ."1 favorite. Ills Excellency, second. Following this he ran tiiird to John Bright and Frlesland in the Turf Congress Handicap, at Latonia. May SO. and third to Pinochle and Found in the Club Members Handicap at St. Louis, carrying 120 pounds to 00 on Pinochle and 101 on Found. Then he was brought to Chicago and a Washington Park again vainly essayed the capture al the Wheeler Handicap. This race was ruu July 21. the starters and weights being The Roman. 104 pounds: Pink Coat. ll7: Advance Guard. Ill: Joliy Roger. US; Sidney Lucas. 12S; Found. 10t : Croesus. Ma, and Mac J. ltf. Sidney Lucas, as the American Derby winner of that year, was the favorite at 2 to 1. bu*- was overweighted ami ran unplaced, a tremendous finish resulting in the success of The Roman by a t.oi-e. with Pink Coat second, two lengths lief ore that other hold-hcartcd warrior of the track. Advance Guard. The mile and a quarter of the race was covered in 2:04:!,. ami it was a grand contest In every particular. Subsequently his adventures of 10€0 were mainly in purse races, of which he won four In a row over the Harlem and Hawthorne tracks, after which he was taken east and did not fare any too well there, although he won the Occidental Handicap at ;ravescnd and in it defeated Jack Point, Charentus, Imp. The Roman and four more, at a mile and an eighth in l:."iS%. Pink Coat was a better race horse in 1001 than in the preceding year and. for one item of importance, w:;s at least successful in his assaults on the Wheeler Handicap. Previously his record in connection with this chief handicap of the western turf was one third when a three-year-old and one second when a five-| car-old. The westt ru handicap division of this year was of exceedingly high class and right worthily did tin handsome old sou of Alice Brand comport himself in competition with the liest of them. In the Wheeler the starters and weights were. Pink Coat. IIS toui-ds; Advance Guard. 128: The Conqueror II., 107: Terminus. Ill: RoImii Waddell. Ill: Mar Chamber. 1114: Vesuvian. 110: The Lady. 107: John Bright, !I2: Lato Elite. !»0: The Iliknown. 104. and George Arnold. 111. race horses of high grade without exception, and th - race was one befitting such competitor*. John Bright was the favorrite at 5 to 1. but finished nntli. The Lady made the pace for a mile and made it a wordier. The Conqueror II. then forged to the front briefly, but could not stand the pressure when Pink Oat and Advance Guard came at him in the homestretch. In a gloriously contested finish Pink Coat won by a half length, with Advance Guard second •1 neck txfore The Conqueror II.. while lapped on the latter were the two star three-year-olds. Terminus and Robert Waddell. The race was run in the exceedingly fast time for that date of 2:04/-, and Pink Coat was at • to 1 in the betting. This was deservedly doomed a brilliant feat on his part, but, weights con-seered. it was obvious that Advance Guard was Cue real hero of that remarkable race. In his first two races that year Pink Coat ran unplaced, being the Club Members Handicap at St. lonis and a purse at Washington Park. His third attempt brought success, a purse at Washington Park at a mile and a sixteenth falling to him in l:477r,, with Mr. Brown second and Gonfalon third. Purses at Washington Park were well worth winning, this one being of ,400. Next he won the Midway Siakes. at a mill- and an eighth, in 1:-"i2.. with ll." iwunds up. defeating Rolling Boer, OS: Specific, 107: Cambrian, !0S: Wild Pirate. OS: W. J. Deboe. 03: Operator, OS. and Sam Fullen. 108. Cambrian was the favorite. Then, with 120 pounds up. he was unplaced in the Young Handicap, at a mile and three-sixteenths, which fell to the Tennessee colt. Terminus. In a great finish, with Vesuvian second and John Bright third in 1 ."lOMi. Twelve horses started in this race and wrought a big crowd Into a frenzy of excitement by rim-. ning so closely bunched until in the last hundred yards that each and every one appeared to possess an equal chance of winning. The Wheeler Handicap was his next race. Then beaten in the Superior Handi-1 tap at Hawthorne- and by Advance Guard In a purse race at Harlem, he In his turn took a purse from Hernando and Argrcgor at Harlem. August IS. In his succeeding races he won a purse at Hawthorne and another at Harlem, winding up his account for the year when he ran second to Denuian Thompson at the latter track October .* . it was a good race, its mile and a sixteenth being run in l:4."i2f,. Denman Thompson carried 00 pounds to 116 mi Pink Coat and won by a half length. He was onlv started in eleven races in 1002 and It was evident that he had lost some of his speed and MM but none of his bulldog gameuess. His one solitary victory came in a purse race at Harlem Sopteni-Ml 4. in which he defeated Jlmlnez and Major Dixon at a mile in 1:38. In two of his other races of that rear he was second and in two others ran third. He was sent into the stud in 1003 and in time sent some excellent sons into racing. So much of Pink Coats racing was done over Chicago tracks that patrons of Washington Park. Harlem and Hawthorne grow into the habit of regarding him as a Chicago institution aid. as such, his popularity was unlxninded. His record and pedigree are as follows: e:.r. Age. Sts. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Pup. Won IS07 ■ Tl 2 0 1 2 ,470 PW S73121 1.J.U75 1S00 J •• •• •• .. .. 1!KMI [ -S ■ 2 ■ 10 ijaj j 1001 • W ■ 4 2 .-. 14;7:-o 1002 7 11 J J _r • "75 Totals 6 .,_, • 63 18 9 12 24 9080 j -"Leamington jFaugh-a Ballagh. . . jsir Hercules Guiccioli j r- 1 ! Daughter of Pantaloon Longfellow.... j Daphne Lvininri waaaaaa 1 Bra wners Eclipse. . American Eclipse Daughter of Henrv r*«* tns 1 Qniz 12-ITmmm k S jHarkaway ■..— Kl"KTom ■ I Ilis-elon 1 «° f 1 Pocahontas Semper "erry *™" »- Ster I Felix,. - * MM I I? ! Lexington j Boston g-2 Urucifix AliceCarneal O-o Lightsome J Glencoe Mil Iity H B S * Vandal Vandal Glencoe £ fVirgil i Alaricsdam 0 I vHjmenia Hvmcnifl i Yorkshire 1 "Hindoo -j I Little Peggy 1 ] [„, ILexington ■ J Boston •Florence 1 I I » Alice Carneal I Alice Brand... J I Wealherwitch Weatherbit B. of I. Birdcatcher , „ , Leamington raugh-a-Ballagh fHyder-Ali j Dan. of Pantaloon Lr J LadyDuke J Lexington » L. of •#«*_■ the Lake 1 -j . , MaRualell i Prolific j Sovereign LAddie ,.,. „. J Warren Kitty Hayes I Marc by j Connie Laddie I Mare by Woodpecker