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CHRIS SMITH AND GREAT YO TAMBIEN. How Ha Acquired Her and What She Did for Him , Her Racing Career. The Washington Park meeting of 1891 introduced a new turfman to the west. Generally speaking no one in the west had any previous knowledge of him. Within a couple of years no owner was more widely known on western tracks and, to his credit, few more popular. The man was Chris Smith. He had been a track hnstler at Guttenherg and Brighton Reach, a perfectly reckless bettor when he had the means of betting and, a streak of luck coming his way. invaded the west with Van Buren. subset ciuently saddled with the nickname of "The Jack Rabbit" and the well-bred mare Hypatica. Van Rurcn was beaten several times at Washington Park before winning. When he did win finally, the betting ring received a merciless drubbing and Smith, Frank Shaw and some other plungers landed huge winnings. It was a selling l-ace and Van Buren was promptly bid up to the tune of ,500 above his entered price. He was backed down from a long price of 7 to 1 and Tod Sloan rode him. He then won two more races right off the reel in both of which the odds against him wore good and in both of which he was ridden by "Soup" Perkins. Hypatica also won a good race at the same meeting. The net result to such an insatiate plunger as Smith was that he literally had more money than he knew what to do with. That year Theodore Winters, of Nevada, was campaigning a stable of horses of his own breeding. They raced at AVashington Park and from there were taken north to race at Hamline Park, equidistant between St. Paul and Minneapolis. Mr. Winters was tired of racing. Harry White, official of the Cresent City Jockey Club, became aware of this and brought about the sale of the entire Winters string to Chris Smith. The price asked was 0,000. but that finally paid was 17,000. In the band transferred was a two-year-old chestnut filly of flighty disposition, but great speed, by Joe Hooker Marion. Her name was Yo Tambien and she was a half sister to the mighty racers Emperor of Norfolk and El Itio Key. Smith was not especially anxious to buy the horses, but White diplomatically bulldozed him into the purchase and thereby couferred on him . the distinction that attends ownership of a truly great racehorse. Yo Tambien was one of the best mures gracing the pages of American turf history and had Smith saved but a part of what she won for him, he would be a rich man today. HIGHLY NERVOUS AS A THREE - YEAS. - OLD . As a two-year-old she ran in thirteen races and won eight. She was then highly nervous and excitable at the post and most of her defeats were ilue to exhausting herself before being sent away by the starter. Her first start was for five-eighths purse at the Bay District track, San Francisco, April 10, which she won in lilGi, beating her st.-iblemate, Dolly MeCone, Bon Voyage and three other youngsters. April US, she won the Youthful Stakes at three-quarters of a mile in l:15Vi, defeating Hcrold, Mulatto and Linita and was then brought cast to St. Louis. June 13, she ran unplaced in t ho Great Western Stakes, won by Ed Gardners Adnlia, with Corrigans pair. Lew Weir and Phil Dwyer, second and third. She was practically left at tli post and had no chance. Her next start was in the Lakeview Handicap at Washington Park July 17. With 105 pounds up, she won by u half lengtli from Lake Breeze, 107, Chief Justice, carrying 111, was third, and the three-quarters was run in 1:14. At St. Faul, July 23. she ran second to the subsequent Derby winner. Carlsbad, in the Minneapolis Stakes, beating Lillian Beatrice, Newton, Chief Justice and Dan Kurtz. At the same meeting the fast filly Minnie L. defeated her in the Ladies Stakes. Nellie Pearl being third and Lillian Beatrice, Lake Itreeze and Alice D., unplaced. Coming back to Chicago she won a purse at Garfield Park, three-quarters in 1:1311 1 with 117 pounds up, defeating Goldstonc, 10S, Umatilla, 107 and two more. Then, with 120 pounds up she ran third to Addle, 118, and Tom Elliott, 110, for a purse and was unplaced in the Washington Handicap at seven-eighths won by Adalia, with Farine second and Jim Murphy third. Then she changed her fashion and won four straight races before retiring to winter quarters. These were a ,000 handicap September 10, three-quarters in 1:154. with 118 pounds up; another of the same value September 13, three-quarters in 1:1J, carrying 123; a 1917.sh00 purse at seven and a half furlongs in 1:38, September 25, with 120 up and a ,000 handicap at a mile, in which she carried 125 pounds and won in 1:44. with Galindo, 112, second, and Bob Forester, 00, third. Such good ones as Nellie Pearl, Jim Murphy, Ceverton and Umatilla ran unplaced. All of these successive victories were won at Garfield Park. WON FOURTEEN OUT OF SIXTEEN STARTS. As a three-year-old in 1892, Yo Tambien ran in sixteen races and won fourteen. She had wintered exceedingly well and made her first appearance at Latonia, June 2, in a purse at a mile, which she won easily. Two days later she won the Tobacco Stakes with 109 pounds up. easily defeating Harry Weldon. OS, and Borka, 108. June 9, she won a purse from Greenwich, Julia May and two more. Then departing from Latonia she came to Chicago to try her fortune in the 0,000 Garfield Park Derby. This was a race that had excited much prior speculation and the best three-year-olds of the west were engaged. The starters were Yo Tambien. 127; Wadsworth. 122; Azra, 127; Cicero, 115; Galindo. 122; Lew Weir, 129; Huron. 122; Wightman. 122; Notus, 122; Loudoun, 122; Blitzen, 122, and Falero, 122. It had rained nearly all of the month prior to the race and the track was a quagmire. Ed Corrigan started Huron, Lew Weir and Cicero and expected to win the race. Many other people thought so also and his entry went to the post at even money. Wadsworth had just won the Club Members Handicap at St. Louis, was a very fine colt and was second choice at 5 to 1. Yo Tambien was at 7 to 1, and the Kentucky Derby winner, Azra, at S to 1. Britton rode Yo Tambien and sent her to the front at once and there she stayed with Galindo, Notus, Cicero and Wadsworth alternating in pursuit. At the head of the stretch Cicero appeared to have her in difficulty, but tired and the grand filly came on resolutely and finally won by a little better tliann half length in front of Wadsworth, with Azra a length and a half farther back. The race was run June 18 and to show the desperate character of the going it took the best three-year-olds of a year of exceedingly good three-year-olds 2:40?i to run the mile and a quarter of the race. In many respects it was one of the most remarkable races ever run in the west. The filly was taken back to Latonia and ran second to Bashford in the Merchants Stakes, at one and one-eighth miles, run in 1:534 over a fast track. She was beaten a. half length and conceded ten pounds and her sex allowance to Bashford. Then she was brought back to Chicago and. without an intervening defeat, won in succession the Boulevard Stakes, Drexel Stakes, Great Western Handicap and a purse, beating among others such horses as Santiago, Faraday, Newton, Galindo, Carlsbad. Joe Blackburn, Wadsworth, Come to Taw, Verge dOr, Zaldivar and Jugurtha. From Washington Park she journeyed to St. Paul and won the Twin City Derby, Hamline Stakes, Twin City Oaks, Exposition Stakes and a purse. TAKEN EAST WITH DISASTROUS RESULTS. Yo Tambien was now deservedly a celebrity and Smith took her east witli disastrous results. She was started in the Bridge Handicap, for three-year-olds, at a mile and a half, with 124 pounds and "Dare Devil" Fitznatrick in the saddle, but was knocked into the fence early and otherwise so bumped and injured she had to be cased up and finished last. This was at Sheepshead Bay, September 8. Her injuries prevented her from starting again in the east and her only other start was for a purse at Nashville, October 20, for which she easily defeated Vallera and India Rubber. Then she was retired. She came out a magnificent young mare at Latonia the next year. This was in the Merchants Stakes, for which Bashford had beaten her in 1892, and she again ran second, but it was to her stable mate, Maid Marion. Only Miss Dixie started against the formidable pair and Maid Marian won by a length in 1:53. Then, at 1 to 15, she ran second to Readina at three-quarters in 1:154, plenty of wild talk resulting. She was brought to Washington Park without racing further at Latonia and started by winning a purse at a mile and an eighth from Cicely, Springaway and three others and another in which only Union opposed her. Then she went down to honorable defeat in two big handicaps the Great Western and the Columbus, at a mile and a half and a mile and three-sixteenths respectively. In the Great Western, with 118 pounds up, she ran third to Rudolph, 10S, and Ray S., 107, both capital racers, and behind her were Poet Scout, 120; Falero, 103; Riley, 124; Lake Breeze, 97; Bessie Bisland, 94, and Joe Blackburn, 112. The mile and a half was run in 2:34. In the Columbus Handicap she again had 118 pounds and Rudolph, with 10, beat her by a neck in 1:59; Ray S. was third. Loudoun, Illume, Diablo, Lamplighter, Morello, Michael. Poet Scout, Highland, Huron, Ida Pickwick. Wlldwood, Maid Marian and Santa Anna ran unplaced. It was. a grand field. In, a race for a ,000 purse at a mile and a sixteenth, she .then defeated Racine, Bimbo. G"do and two more in 1:47. and followed this by running third in "the sensational Wheeler Handicap, won by Morello, which her stable mate, Maid Marian, nearly stole. Then she won eight races in succession. A purse at Hnw.thorne, in which Louise was second, another with Patrick second, a stake race in which Ingomar was second and another for which she walked over und took ,050. Then, having done the best she could at Hawthorne, she was taken to Latonia on September 2, Avon the Merchants Stakes from another great mare, Ida Pickwick. She carried 124 pounds to Idas 112, and won by four lengths. Faraday was third and four good ones ran unplaced. At the same track she won the Cincinnati Hotel Handicap with 124 pounds up, defeating Faraday, 110; Ida Pickwick, ilS, and tour others. . From Latonia she came back to Hawthorne and defeated Lamplighter in a match for ,000 a side at a mile and an eighth. The track was heavy; time 2:014, and each carried 119 pounds. In a similar match with Clifford at a mile and a quarter, she was beaten and was then retired for the year. In 1894 Yo Tambien won the Inaugural and Club Members Handicaps at St. Louis. St. Louis Brewers Stakes at the same place; Boulevard Stakes and Wheeler Handicap at Washington Park; Foster Memorial and Spencer Handicap at Saratoga, besides minor races and fully rah up to her magnificent form of 1893, but showed indications of staling near the close of her eastern campaign. In 1893 her sun had set and she won but one race, a purse at Latonia. . In all she started in seventy-one races, of which she- won forty-two, was second eleven times and nine times third.
