view raw text
AMERICAN DERBY OF 1894 Death of Rey el Santa Anita Re ¬ calls that Sensational Race How Lucky Baldwins Colt Won vith the Mighty Domino a Hopeless Last The announcement of the death of Rey el Santa Anita serves to rorall to mind his victory in the American Derby of 1894 one of the most sensational in the history of that noted race raceIt It had only nine starters Many more eliglbles were in the Washington Park barns but because the mighty horse Domino was to be a starter their owners deemed it the part of wisdom to keep them in their stalls and save the 250 starting fee Up to that time Domino was an undefeated race horse and in his only previous race as a threeyearold had defeated Henry of Navarre Dobbins Nahma and Rubicon in the Withers Stakes at Morris Park So great was his fame in the land that men of good judgment in turf affairs held him to be simply an invincible and in his record had substantial ground for this opinion The Derby was run Satur ¬ day June 23 in the presence of a vast concourse numbering between 00000 and 70000 spectators It was a hot day with a clear sky and the famous track racingBesides in perfect condition for racing Besides Domino the eastern turf had three other representatives in the race Marcus Daly sending Senator Grady on from New York with Snapper Garrison to ride him while J W Rogers brought out his good Sir Modred colt Dorian and the Oneck SUildo sent Despot along The racing of that day had a beginning that is a matter of reminiscent discussion to this day Peytonia against which some lucky people secured as much as 500 to 1 defeating Senator Irby Flora Thornton Sister Mary and Maid Marian in the first race of the day The starters in the big race were Domino 125 pounds Senator Grady Despot Prince Carl Dorian Re ¬ splendent and Itel el Santa Anita 122 pounds each Alcenor 118 and the filly Oriuda 117 At post time Domino was at 7 to 5 in the betting Senator Grady 2 to 1 Dorian 4 to 1 Despot 15 to 1 Prince Carl 30 to 1 Ry el Santu Anita 40 to 1 and the others at 100 tti 1 Fred Taral rode Domino Before the horses had gone a mile all suspense for Dominos backers was over for the colt was then toiling along in the rear and evidently a badly beaten race horse In fact he was at no period In the race anywhere near the front Resplendent cut out the pace for the first threequarters with Alcenor sec ¬ ond and Senator Grady third On the backstretch Senator Grady became second and on the far turn was briefly in front Here Rey el Santu Anita which had unobtrusively edged up into third place cut loose with one of the most amazing flights of speed ever witnessed on a race track passed Sena ¬ tor Grady as if the latter was standing still and turning into the homestretch by himself came on steadily and won for Lucky Baldwin his fourth American Derby by six open lengths in a canter Senator Grady defeated Despot by two lengths for second place and Chris Smiths Prince Carl was lapped on the latter The race was run in 230 exactly the time in which Boundless had won the Worlds Fair Derby in 1893 Its net value was 19500 Poor Doiuino was a hopeless last and there never was any satisfactory explanation of his sorry showing He won his next five races in a row rowHIS HIS TWOYEAROLD RACING RACINGWhen When a twoyearold Rey el Santa Anita startec in sixteen races of which he won six so his record bore no comparison with that of Domino Moreover except in one instance his victories were in purse races one at Washington Park three at Saratoga and one at the old Bay District track in San Fran ¬ cisco The exception was when lie won the Lake view Handicap for twoyearolds at Washingtor Park in which with 105 pounds up he defeated Clara Bauer 110 pounds Vassal 118 and ten more at threequarters of a mile In 115 Considering his advantage in weight this while useful was not imposing and it can be truly said that the future Derby winner made no great impression in his racingPrior initial year of racing Prior to the running of the Derby he had been given a tuninglip campaign at Latonia where he wen two out of five races was once second once third and once unplaced One of his victories was iu a purse race and the other was in the Latouia Spring Prize then u handicap of some importance for threeyearolds but long since abolished In this on a heavy track and carrying 110 pounds he won from Pocahoiitas 115 pounds J P 15 107 am three more at a mile and an eighth in 159 The race was worth 2240 net so it was worth picking up But on the whole there was little in his La ¬ tonia racing suggestive of any great probability that he was destined to win Chicagos big race Juf e did and when the smoke of conflict blew uway it was found that the future books had been well hit Lucky Baldwins luck in connection with the American Derby was such an article of faith with many that had he been permitted to start a mule it would have had hopeful backers backersHowever However much Rel el Santa Anitas real prowess as u race horse had been obscured previously it was now recognized that he was a highclass threeyear old an impression that deepened when shortly after ¬ ward with 127 pounds up lie won the Sheridan Stakes from Prince Carl 122 Peytonia 122 Selika 120 and Despot 122 at a mile and a quarter in 20834 This was a feat which several of the American Derby winners failed to accomplish Then he was hurriedly taken eust to Sheepshead Bay to run in the Realization Stakes July 7 The Sheridan had been run July 4 so there was scant time between the two big races and it is probable he was not at Ills best in the Realization At any rate third to Dobbins and Hornpipe was the best he could do but it was no disgrace to succumb to two such cracks Senator Grady again finished behind him From Sheepshead Bay he was taken to Saratoga where he won two purses and the Merchants Stakes defeating thc Jstly famous little mare Ida Pick ¬ wick among others in the latter event Then he was brought west to Latonia where carrying 110 pounds he defeated Faraday 117 Pocahontas 106 Lehman 110 Orinda 106 J P B 102 and Plntus 108 in the Cincinnati Hotel Autumn Handi ¬ cap at a mile and a quarter taking the race with great east by four lengths in 2071 His last suc ¬ cess of the year was in the Bohemian Stakes of a mile at the Bay District track in San Francisco where carrying 127 pounds he gave much weight and a beating to Thelma Arapahoe Lovdal Senator Irby Artist aad Artlcua at a mile iu IrtOtf which 1 would be fully equivalent to a mile In 138 or faster as tracks are in these days daysPROVED PROVED HIMSELF A GRAND HORSE HORSEIn In 1895 as a fouryearold he made his first start in a purse at Memphis April 16 which lie won but on April 27 he was beaten by Sister Mary in the Montgomery Stakes Only the two started He was a 1 to 7 favorite and there was much scandalous talk following this unexpected re ¬ sult He woh a purse at Louisville and then was taken east In the Brooklyn Handicap with 118 pounds up he ran unplaced to Hornpipe 105 Laz zarone 114 and Sir Walter 124 but ran well and finished fifth with seven good ones behind him one of which was Dr Rice the winner of the event iu 1894 However he won a purse at Granvesend and going up to Saratoga won the Saratoga prize and for the second time the Merchants Handicap which had been the Merchants Stakes the year be ¬ fore In tliis he was only opposed by Clifford which carried 126 pounds to his 120 and was the favorite at 2 to 5 but Rey el Santa Anita bent him by a half length in a well contested finish Next he went to Sheepshead Bay and there in the Twin City Handicap at a mile and u quarter won easily from the great horse Henry of Navarre Sir Excess and Sir Francis The lesson of his victory over Clifford was overlooked on this occasion as he was at 5y to 1 in the betting while it was 2 to 5 against Henry of Navarre and 2 to 1 against Sir Excess Nevertheless he won in a canter by four lengths in 207 He was not so lucky in one of those special sweepstakes so fre ¬ quently arranged then for at a mile and an eighth a few days later 122 pounds on all and 1000 ino both beat him in 153 His subsequent win ¬ ning that year was confined to three purse races one at Gravesend and two at Morris Park In a year of grand race horses he had proved himself some ¬ thing in the way of a grand race horse himself He was not raced in 189C and was given a moder ¬ ate campaign in 1S97 but was infirm and could do nothing effective in racing His racing record was as follows Year Age Sts 1st 2d 3d Unp Won 1893 2 16 6 1 1 8 7795 1894 3 26 10 4 5 7 41210 1895 4 21 9 4 5 3 10355 1896 5 Did not race 1897 0 0 02 0 4 100 Total 68 25 11 11 22 59510
