view raw text
There are two things which all but one in a thousand of horse players never master when to hold to ones own opinion despite rising odds and when not to try to bsat the best horse. --RrTJD McSOTlD. "Li .ten," said IJullston JHcUoumgic i me paddock this afternoor, "I want you to get that fellows likeness," pointing to a large, jovial man of dark complexion." "Who Is he!" we asked as our pencil began to follow Big Macs orders. "Well, when you were trying to separato McCliesnej and Sombrero and Tho Picket and a let of other good horses around Chicago some twenty years ago, he was working on a newspaper evenings and mornings and pinning numbers on the jockeys arms at Harlem in the afternoon. "Right now he builds nearly all the yellow taxis in th3 world and operates the fifth Avcnno bus lines and " "Ton dent mean to say were trying to make a caricature of John I. Hertz!" wo asked in amazement. "Thats the lad; accomplished all I named In less than twenty years and a grand bird," assured McGonniglc. "Hasnt forgotten a singlo friend of those old days. Martin 2fa-thanson gave him his job in tho jockeys room; now INathanson Is manager of JohnTs racing affairs. Jack Keene used to glvo him friendly tips on Braw Lad and now Jack and his brother George Hamilton Kccne train Johns horses and buy breeding stock for him. And Kathanson and Keene arc only two of a wholo handfull of old pals now holding down responsible positions in the Hertz activities." "Are yon a member of his staff!" ".Not yet, but hes promised to buy me a horse if I ever pick him a winner. Ive made nino tries and Im still a maiden. Hamburg and Tammany were brilliant horses. But measured by the standard of good horses beaten both accomplished little to justify claims to greatness. Bowling Brook and Handball were tho" best to finish behind Hamburg, and the former beat Hamburg as a three-year-old. Tammany beat nothing at two. Lamp Lighter and Yorkville Belle were the best he mastered at three. Like Sysonby and Man o War, Tammnay and Hamburg impressed their admirers by the manner in which they beat their opponents. Edward "Snapper" Garrison rode at one time or another nearly all the greatest horses of Tammanys day. And Garrison rode hard, gruelling races against all the champions of that time. Garrison says Tammany was the fastest horse he ever rode. Speed in a race horse is the prime dequisite. Without it even "more of it," one authority has said a thoroughbred cannot become great. But speed alone will not make him great. He must have courage, stamina, endurance and gameness. Ho must be as sound as Exterminator or he may not last enough to prove his claims to greatness. Tammany had the speed ; he did not meet horses of a quality to test out his other powers. Hamburgs case was similar. His performance in the Great Eastern Handicap at two, when, under 135 pounds he was held at the post nearly forty minutes, only to come on and win easily from the best of the year, caused him to bo regarded at the time as certain to prove one of the greatest horses ever seen. Hamburgs friends have always held that lie was palpably short when Bowling Brook beat him so easily in the Belmont at three years of age. He never had opportunity to wipe out that defeat. In succeeding races there was nothing behind him. As we started out originally to learn what great horse ever beat good ones and was not in turn decisively beaten by them we are forced to eliminate Tammany and Hamburg from consideration. And there are others whoso elimination is to follow.
