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FAMILIAR FIGURE REMOVED Death Claims Owner and Trainer Clopton While Traveling Home from Saratoga. SAHATOGA. N. Y., August 22. Death removed a familiar figure from the American turf when S. A. Clopton, who has raced horses over practically every track in this country, Canada, Mexico and Cuba was stricken with rheumatism of the heart in the railroad station at Albany, N. Y., Saturday night and expired immediately. Clopton w.-ci on route from Saratoga Springs to Jamaica, Ij. I., when the fatal attack came. He had spent the afternoon at the race track, apparently in the best of health. He saddled Early Hird, one of the Harry Payne Whitney two-year-olds, for the sixth race, and immediately after this was over, he. Dr. AY. It. MeCully, Albert Simons and jockey Frank Coltiletti boarded the train for Albany. Arriving there his three companions became separated from him as they changed trains, but they thought little of it until they boarded the Empire State limited and mised him. In the meanwhile it is thought that Clopton, in rushing up the incline in the railroad station to catch the same train, exerted himself too much, and this was responsible for the stroke; which ended his life. He had been a sufferer from rheumatism for a long while and two years ago was forced to abandon his racing nterests for several months while undergoing treatment at several health resorts. Following an autopsy by the coroner at Albany, Cloptons body was sent on to Jamaica, L. I., where he made his home. He recently purchased a house where his wife remained while he was at Saratoga. He had a number of horses quartered at the Jamaica track in addition to those here. The news of the sudden death of the well-known horseman caused profound regret in Saratoga. It came late Saturday night when telephone inquiries from Albany were made here to establish the identity of the stricken turfman. Placide Frigerio, business associate and close friend, hurriedly made the trip to Albany, when advised that it might possibly be Clopton and made the identification positive. - Clopton began his turf career in the far West on the California tracks, subsequently raced horses on nearly . every American and Canadian track, nil in late years he has confined his activiries chiefly to the New York and New Orleans courses. He was for a long time associated with J. O. Talbott of Denver, Colo., and only two years ago all of his horses ran in the hitters name and colors. Failure to obtain a horse in a claiming race, because of an irregularity growing out of his uing the Talbott name and colors, caused him to change to his own and he has raced in them ever since. In the past few years he has served as an assistant trainer for the IPirry Payne Whitney stable, and saddled numbers of winners for that establishment. Last summer he won the Latonia Derby with Lpset rnd in the autumn took Tryster to Churchill Downs. Louisville, and won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. He was successful with several other Whitney horses in the blue grass state at various times and also raced some of them in Canada. , At the time of his deatii his stable housed quite a few of the Whitney racers, chiefly two-year-olds, i It was Clopton who developed jockey Frank Coltiletti anil, within a short period of time, had him up among the leaders of his profession in North America. He was particularly devoted to the rider, and the affection was mutual, as the little fellow spent practically all of his time in the company of his employer and tutor. Funeral arrangements were perfected and the burial will be from the turfmans home in Jamaica, L. I., next Wednesday.
