Old Budweiser is a Ringer: He is Probably Ginger Snap, a Much Younger Horse, Daily Racing Form, 1917-07-24

article


view raw text

OLD BUDWEISER IS A RINGER. HE IS PROBABLY GINGER SNAP, A MUCH YOUNGER HORSE. Operation of the Big Gelding Wido and Valuable Foster Bros. Named in Connection with His Kacing Many Things Condemn Him. Dunns the serine meeting at Havre do Grace in 1010, the bay gelding known as Budweiser, ran in the name of George Moore. The horse had raced ;it Hot Springs, where lie gained considerable notoriety through the announcement that he wis sixteen years old. The horse had not appeared on a regular cour.se for many years and lie -was permitted to start through the identification o Lou aim, "Who had owned him at one time twelve years before, to bo exact. The stewards of Havre do Grace Messrs. Vos-burgh and Fitz Gerald, thought the gelding remarkably -well preserved and an unusual performer for that ago and they called their veterinarian. Dr. McCarthy, of Laurel, Md., to examine the horses mou tli. The report opinlonative, of course was that the horse was not more than eight years of :ige. Dr. Lockwood, an expert worker on horses mouths, was then asked to make an examination. He confirmed Dr. McCarthys findings. With this information on hand, the authorities got into communication with parties in Texas who had owned and raced Budweiser for many years. A description of the animal known as the Budweiser by Buck-master, and foaled in 1001, was asked for and the Jockey Club registrar, W. H. Rowe, was also consulted. The Jockey Clubs report said: "Bud-wciser, bay, no markings, foaled 1000." The Texas report, which came from Capt. B. C. Bunbury who had trained the horse for Mr. O. G. Parke, the well-known banker of Kyle. Texas, said that Bud-weiscr was a solid bay, With the exception of a few white hairs in the- forehead not enough to make a star; that he had one front foot smaller than the other, was a trifle low in the back, had a tear on the left forearm, where he had injured himself while being schooled at the gate at Memphis, and also that he had a speedy cut behind. The horse known and trained by him, the captain said, was absolutely a non-stayer. JHow tho Trail Was Taken Up. Fitz Gerald and James Milton, the starter, examined the horse at Havre de Grace to check up the Texas report., They found no scar and the horses feet were normal. Tho gelding they looked over had a largo star and broken strip and a diamond-shaped bottom of white on the nose. Moore, the ostensible, owner of the gelding, was then questioned by the stewards. He said that his father had bought the gelding on the quarter stretch of the Waco track at the conclusion of a meeting at that point for .1917.sh7.50. He Moore was awav from Waco at the time, racing in the bushes. He was told by his father, on Ids return, that he had bought a horse that could win races. According to young Moore, they made a coup in the bushes with tho gelding and, while working him alongside a mile, discovering that he had speed, they trained and- shipped him to Hot Springs, where he won. When questioned about being able to buy an absolutely sound horse that could run as fast and stay as well as the alleged Budweiser could for 1917.sh7.50, Moore was compelled to acknowledge that it was unusual. At this time the horse was in the hands of Matt Foster. Fred Foster, his brother, was also around tho barn. They both said that they had never seen the horse before. Jeff Heard was also a companion of the Fosters at this time. No attempt was made to run Budweiser again at Havre de Grace. Tho Pinkerton authorities were asked to keep an eye on the animal and when he was nhipped to the Gentlemens Driving Park near the Pimlico course, a photograph of the horse was taken by them. On the Sunday that the picture was made, Jeff Heard came to Fitz Gerald at the Uennert Hotel and said that he could buy the gelding cheap, as Moore was not feeling well and wanted to return to Texas. He was anxious to know if the geldings entry would be taken at Pimlico, which opened the following day. Heard was advised to consult the Pimlico authorities, as Fitz Gerald wasnt going to serve there. The gelding subsequently ran at Pimlico and other meetings in various parts of the country in the name of Mrs. Abbott and George Phillips, who claimed him out of a race. Several races were won and in a number of instances he was in the money; a noteworthy fact is that the gelding showed himself a good stayer unlike his namesake. Pictures Fail to Corroborate. Tho investigation was continued by the Havre de Grace stewards. A copy of the picture taken at Baltimore was sent to Texas, and Mr. Parke and his son botli made affidavits that tho photo was positively not that of the animal once owned by them. They submitted a picture of the real Budweiser taken head on and the difference in the photos of the horses was apparent. One had no white visible at all and was a much smoother and handsomer thoroughbred than the other. Later along in 1010, a rumor came to the investigators that the alleged "Budweiser" was Ginger Snap, a bay gelding foaled in 1008, by Matchless, son of Meddler Eliza Belle, bred by Ilussell E. Tucker, of Media, Pa., the father of the Tucker boys, prominent in the east, gentlemen jockeys, and army boys of high class. Photos of "Budweiser" was shown the elder Tucker, who said: "Where did you get that. Thats my Ginger Snap." He was asked if he was sure and replied: "Why, yes. Id know him anywhere." His son Harry, was lit Belmont Park. He was asked over and shown the picture. "What horse is that?" "Why, thats Ginger Snap," was the immediate reply. Ginger Snap was sold by Mr. Tucker to a Philadelphia!! named Megargee, who in turn sold him to a St. Louis dealer. Subsequently a horse known as Ginger Snap appeared in the "bushes" in Texas and elsewhere in the south. This was the status of the case until the Essex Park meeting last spring. Fitz Gerald was steward there and refused Budweisters entry. The same official was in the stand at the recent Hamilton meeting and lie took the same action. Testimony from Texas. At the Hamilton meeting Fitz Gerald found Lfe George W. Scott of Dallas, Texas, who had trained W Budweiser when he was owned by Lou Calm. Scott made an affidavit that the horse at Hamilton was not tho animal trained by him. He said the real Budweiser was a redder bay, had no white markings except the few scattering hairs as already noted, and that in addition to one small front foot, the horse lie had handled had a big ankle in front. He was a trifle low in the back, too, and was a sprinter pure and simple. He had taken the horse to train at the solicitation of Captain Bunbury who knew Calm. Cahn could do nothing with him at the Fair Grounds course, but had raced him in short races at the old "Union" half-mile course and won ,000. When they came to settle up, Culm traded Budweiser to Captain Bunbury for a filly by Gallantry. Scott testified that lie was at Hot Springs when Cahn identified the alleged Budweiser and when he told him that the horse could not be the Budweiser he had owned, that Cahn had replied with a laugh "Oil, yes, I guess thats him all right." While at Hot Springs Steward Fitz Gerald had a talk with Calm and asked him to describe Budweiser. His reply was "bay gelding," Any white? "Yes, a few hairs in the forehead, not enough to make a star," W. C. Leach Possible, but Not Probable. The Canadian Racing Associations thereupon at its next meeting issued instructions to all its connections to refuse the entries of the gelding known as Budweiser, which is now at Windsor in tho stable of Jeff Heard. Many horsemen at the Canadian tracks think the horse is W. C. Leach, by Star Shoot Dixoletta, which would lie the same age as Ginger Snap, but the Jockey Clubs registrar gives the marking of that horse as a star and white on one hind heel back and fore. The Jockey Club also issued an export certificate for W. C. Leach to Peru in 1913. It is not what he is, but what lie is not, that the authorities here found a barr to his racing. Matt Foster says the horse was as sound as a newly milled dollar when ho came into his possession. Is it logical to suppose that such a horse would be out of training for ten or twelve years? The racing record of Budweiser for 1910 and 1917, is shown in the table below: Year. Sts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp. Won. 1010 41 7 9 0 10 ,710 1017 10 1 5 1 3 1,100 Total ..... 51 8 14 10 19 ,810


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1917072401/drf1917072401_1_2
Local Identifier: drf1917072401_1_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800