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JOHN J McCAFFERTYS SWEET REVENGE An OldTimcr Tells of One of the Coups Pulled Off by That Noted Texas Horseman Notable events on the turf always live in the minds of the oldtimers especially and they never hesitate to repeat any incident which to them was out of the ordinary says a Kentucky turf writer Not long since an oldtimer was tolling of some of the coups pulled off by John J McCafferty the Texas horseman horsemanEarly Early in life McCafferty started out as a jockey and developed into a horse trader This did not appeal to him for ha was ambitious and eager to do greater things in life so McCafferty packed up and went to New York and went to college collegeAfter After leaving college McCafferty did not know what to put his hand to so he drifted back to the horses and started racing a stable of his own He raced on the eastern tracks with indifferent success until he got hold of a little brown gelding named Burch McCafferty cleaned up everything in sight with Bnrch and finally landed in Chicago during the summer of 1890 He then had am ¬ bitions to take a whirl at the eastern racing again and shipped Burch to Brighton Beach BeachMcCafferty McCafferty was well fixed at this time and did not hesitate to bet his money He finally picked out a race which he thought would be easy for Burch and dropped him in McCafferty had it in his mind that Burtli could win this race and despite some pretty stiff opposition he sent in his checks checksAfter After saddling his horse he went into the betting ring to take a peep at the odds He finally landed in front of the book of a man named Burton Some called him Crazy Burton and others dubbed him Ilunger Burton for he was noted for his eccen ¬ tricities on and off the block Burton had 50 to 1 chalked up against Burch and McCafferty slipped him 100 Burton threw the 100 into the box and slipped MeCafferty a ticket calling for 5000 to 100 nibbed out the price and chalked up 75 to 1 Mac handed Burton another century and got a ticket calling for 7500 to 100 100COUP COUP WITH QUEENIE TROWBRIDGE TROWBRIDGEBurton Burton then made it 100 to 1 MeCafferty was dunifonnded at this and immediately bet Burch 200 more at these odds Bnrch failed to even show and McCafferty vowed vengeance on the eastern bookies A few years later McCafferty got together a real good stable among them being Helen Nichols winner of the Queen Isabella Stakes at Chicago and a filly named Queenie Trowbridge which he kept well under cover and this was the one with which he intended to get even evenHe He had worked her with Helen Nichols and knew the filly was good so accompanied by the good western jockey Frankie Jordan McCafferty started for the cast He also took along a couple of betting commissioners He selected the race and dropped Queenie Trowbridge in it One hundred to one was laid against her and McCaffertys bet ¬ ting commissioners slipped around their fives and tens to all of them Jordan made no mistakes and Queenie Trowbridge galloped home in front Mc ¬ Cafferty had had his revenge for not a book ¬ maker on the line had been spared and the westerner was credited with cleaning up 125000 125000Speaking Speaking of Burton reminds another of one of his characteristics stunts When Burton would have a l ad day on the block he would hie himself to his hotel in the evening and order a sumptuous meal for himself After the waiter had brought in the meal Burton would say to himself Burton you are no account a big blockhead and dont deserve to eat such a meal Then suiting himself to his words he would pay the waiter and walk out without touch ¬ ing a mouthful of the tempting viands Oldtimers declare they have seen Burton pull off this stunt time and time again
