Added Mystery in Aknahton-Gailmont Case, Daily Racing Form, 1932-02-29

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ADDED MYSTERY IN AK-NAHTON-GAILMONT CASE BALTIMORE, Md., Feb. 27 The alleged ringer case, which occurred in the third race Tuesday at Miami, Fla., where the four-year-old Aknahton is said to have run as the three-year-old Gailmont, was echoed here today when Leroy N. Blackwell, a breeder at Churchill, in Harford County, stated that December 14, 1931, he sold Gailmont to two men, who said they were from New York and who gave the names of Joe Crawford and Bob Williams. The records of a local railroad company show that the last shipment of horses from Maryland to Agua Caliente, Mexico, was made December 13, 1931, the day before the sale of Gailmont. These records show that a man giving the name of Crawford sent a carload of thoroughbreds December 13, 1931, from Mt. Washington, Md., to the Mexican track, whereas Blackwell did not sell or turn Gailmont over to his New York purchasers until the following day. The men, according to Blackwell, paid part of the colts purchase price and loaded him in a van the same day, promising to come back later and take up their note. This man, giving the name of Crawford, died about three weeks ago. Blackwell further -stated that Gailmont was entirely sound, and denied that he had ever sold the colt to J. H. "Bud" Stotler, who trains Mrs. Charles Minot Amorys Sagamore Stable. Judge Nelson, presiding steward at Agua Caliente, is quoted as saying that Gailmont, a double winner in January at Agua Caliente, was allowed to race there only when his owner, said to be Willis Kane, showed papers which contained the information that Stotler once bought Gailmont from Blackwell, but returned the colt owing to unsoundness. Judge Nelson set forth that Dr. Henry J. McCarthy, veterinarian on all Maryland tracks, had examined Gailmont for Willis Kane and given a report, which the Agua Caliente stewards saw. When informed of judge Nelsons statement today, Dr. McCarthy said, "I never saw Gailmont in my life. I did look over such horses as Spanish Prince, Linley and Polish Prince for a stout man who gave the name of Crawford, and a tall thin man with a decided English accent, whose name was Williams. These men came to the Timonium, track last fall and also visited Beckers Farm, making several purchases, but Gailmont, which I have just learned, is the property of Mr. Leroy N. Blackwell, was not among the horses that I inspected. The man giving the name of Crawford did all of the buying, but I was attracted to his companion, due to his decided accent. Id know the pair anywhere." MIAMI, Fla., Feb. 27. At a meeting of the Florida Racing Commission held this forenoon, the license of W. Smith was revoked and Willis Kane, A. F. Tavenner and John P. Crawford were ruled off the turf. Smiths punishment came for his connection with the Buoyant Days case and his ride on that gelding. The ruling against Kane, Tavenner and Crawford came out of the ringing case when Aknahton was run as Gailmont. Kane posed as the owner of the horse, while Crawford was said to have been the purchaser of Gailmont and one of the engineers of the attempted fraud, while Tavenner was trainer of the horse. In addition to the ruling off of those convicted of ringing, the horses Dunrock, Polish Prince, Lindby and Gailmont were also ruled off the turf. These were the horses in the same ownership. AGUA CALIENTE, Mexico, Feb. 27. Judge Nelson is in receipt of a letter from L. N. Blackwell, breeder of Gailmont, which states that the horse he sold as Gailmont was a gelding, whereas the Gailmont that performed at Agua Caliente was a colt. F. Metzler, who had charge of the training of the horse while here, was interrogated by the stewards this morning. He stated that the animal had received a gash on its left rump by rubbing against wire fence while quartered here and the mark shows in a photograph which has been sent Hialeah Park officials. The horse was also injured on the inside of one of its legs by straddling the stall gates while here, and Metzler is of the opinion that the injury will leave another scar. He further stated that the horse which ran as Gailmont at Agua Caliente had never been fired.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1932022901/drf1932022901_11_2
Local Identifier: drf1932022901_11_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800