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How long have you been interested actively or as a hobby, in the grand sport of horse racing? Can you remember back to that eventful January 1, 1915, at New Orleans? That day that the winter racing boys welcomed with open arms and wide open pocketbooks. There was little in the latter that caused their owners the slightest concern. Theyd had a month or so of Charleston, South Carolina. And a month of Charleston after three winters of it was more than any human except a racing enthusiast could endure. No hundred to one shot ever looked as good to those lads at Charleston in December, 1914, as the news dispatches from New Orleans announcing that racing would be resumed at the Crescent City on New Years Day. Temperate men were decidedly intemperate the " night they read that exciting news. Trainers who hadnt spoken since one of them claimed the others bread-winner twenty years before, embraced fervently. Prosperous men who had sworn theyd never loan another dime not even to their own brothers, unbended and listened to "the story." Nobody was "left on the lot," as the circus folk say. And who won the first race at the New Orleans revival? Lady Moonet, with Frankie Murphy in the saddle, and an odds-on choice she was. Do you recall that Jake Marklein saddled two winners that day? Were you on hand when H. D. Brown opened Havana? The same year, on January 14. "Wonder if you can recall who won the first race ever contested over the beautiful Oriental Park course? Frill, is the answer. A well-bred miss by Burgomaster, from the good race mare Flip Flap. But, in raising the curtain at Havana, Frill was just breaking out of the maiden class. Guy Bedwell saddled two winners that opening day, Eddie Taplin boocing both of them. The same January 1915 saw the death knell of Charleston. Billy Burtschell tightened the "girths on the last winner Idel-weiss. Freddie Hopkins, who now saddles winners for Harry Payne "Whitney, , rode tha second horse "Will Sheedys Tay Pay. Then the boys got away for New Orleans and Havana. Do you recall who won the last at Emeryville the day before the great San Francisco fire of 1906? Charley McCaffertys Red Light, with Monte Preston aboard. Willie Travers, who has recently opened a public training stable and will show his colors at Miami this winter, was riding then, for "Doc" Rowell. Some of the lads were certain there would never again be racing in San Francisco. Whod come there? theyd ask one another. But by the following November theyd lost their fear of temblors and were back on the coast "when Frisco was Frisco," theyll tell you today. Nearly every old timer can tell you who won the last race run at San Franciscos Bay District track Senator Bland. But how-many of them can tell you the final winner on the day the curtain was rung down at Emeryville, in 1911? It was Massa, belonging to Frank Mc-Mahon. Johnny Callahan was on the second horse, beaten a head. And John was a veteran of the saddle even then. Andy Blakely, the man who developed fleet Master Charlie for William Daniel, was racing on the coast in 1911. Do you recall the first horse ever to win over what was probably the fastest track in the world Juarez? Faster than a pasteboard, was the track across the river from El Paso. Sarazen could have turned ten furlongs over that course quickly enough to wipe out even Whisk Broom II. s disputed 2:00. James Blute saddled the first winner at Juarez Enfield. And Joe McCahey rode him. The late Ted Rice rode Ed Alveys Pinkola home first in the Chihuahua Handicap the same afternoon. Max Hirsch and Sam Hol-man and Guy Bedwell raced horses at Juarez that season. Most everybody and his brother remembers that Sysonby and Race King ran a dead heat in the first Metropolitan Handicap to be run over Belmont Park. But who can recall, offhand, the winner of the first race that day? Mr. Belmont and Jack Joyner can. For tlus North Carolinian saddled Blandy for the chairman of the Jockey Club at Belmont. Parks opening, and saw him breeze home in front of Louis V. Bells Oliver Cromwell, a 100 to 1 shot, with Lady Amelia then running in the colors of Dick Watkins and Harry Payne Whitneys Prince Hamburg in the ruck. Few there are who would fail to tell you instanter that Novelty won the last Futurity run before the temporary cessation of New York racing in 1910. But how many recall the winner of the last race at Saratoga the same afternoon that Novelty beat home Bashti and Love Not in the great juvenile classic? J. Simon Healy and Tommy Davics remember, for they were trainer and jockey, respectively, of Hcrmie Duryeas Belfast, which just nosed out Thomas Hitchcocks Huetamo, with Buddy Glass in the saddle. Then the lads hied themselves up to Montreal and at Blue Bonnets joined those who had been following the Canadian circuit. Later that same autumn, at Fort Erie, they saw good old Jack Atkin stick the mile and two furlongs of the Dominion Handicap, with Barney Schreiber and Ben Couchy running the last hundred yards with him, en-couaging Jack and jockey George Archibald to "hang on." They did, and the genial Dutchman then knew his greatest joy Jack Atkin was winner at a mile and a quarter. The boys didnt return to Long Island for other than United Hunts racing till Decoration Day, 1913. And Dick Carmans Ella Bryson carried Johnny Hanover home first in a race in which Will Adrians Perthshire was the public choice. And the lads stood for a tip that day on Whisk Broom II., just in from Merrie England and Newmarket. The big fellow took up Mr. Vosburghs 126 pounds in the Metropolitan and, after getting away last, ran over the big field opposed to him and Avon with Joe Notter looking backward. But there are hundreds of the racing fraternity who can tell you who finished first, second and third in races run decades ago who cant for the very life of them, tell you who won the Suburban of 1921. But they already know wholl win the Kentucky Derby of 1925. Of course, nobody agrees with them. And it may cost them money trying to prove theyre right.
