view raw text
• • r • 1 J " J 1 1 1 • 3 J r s J " 1 1 r ■- I 1 : I : ; : , ■ , , . [ DOMINOS DEFEAT IN 1894 How One of Americas Greatest Horses Met His First Reverse in Chicagos Famous Race. Domino was the greatest of all truly great horses which suffered defeat in the American Derby. He was hopelessly last in the race won by Rel El Santa Anita in 1894. Domino was considered invincible after win-: ning nine straight races without a defeat as a two-year-old and, earning 70,890, a rec-i ord which stood for thirty-eight years until Top Flight won seven straight and 19,000 in 1931. Altogether Domino won nineteen races out of twenty-five starts, being second twice, third once and unplaced three times, with total winning of 93,550. The story of Dominos defeat and the victory of Rey El Santa Anita is well worth repeating. Only nine started in the Ameri-[ can Derby of 1894, the presence of Domino keeping other prospective starters in their barns. Up to that time Domino was an un-. defeated race horse and in his only previous race as* a three-year-old had beaten Henry of Navarre, Dobbins, Nahama and Rubicon in the Withers Stakes at Morris Park. So great was his fame that men of good judgement in turf affairs held him to be an in-: vincible, and in his racing record had substantial ground for such an opinion. The Derby of 1894 was run Saturday, June 23, in the presence of a vast concourse of people, numbering between 60,000 and 70,000 spectators. The Derby field comprised Domino with Fred Taral up; Senator Grady, ridden by "Snapper" Garrison; Despot, Prince Carl, Dorian, Resplendent, Alcenor, Orinda and Rey El Santa Anita. Domino was favorite at 7 to 5- Senator Grady, second choice at 2 to 1; Dorian, 4 to 1; Despot 15 to 1; Prince Carl, 30 to 1, and Rey El Santa Anita, 40 to 1, and the others 100 to 1. Now for the race. Domino never figured prominently and after the horses had gone a mile his backers gave up hope, for the colt was then toiling along in the rear and badly beaten. First Resplendent cut out the pace for the first three-quarters, with Alcenor second and Senator Grady third. On the back stretch Senator Grady was second and on the far turn was briefly in front. Here Rey El Santa Anita, which had been moved up to third place, cut loose with one of the most amazing displays of speed ever wit-J nessed on a race track, passed Senator Grady as if the latter was standing still and turning into the home stretch by himself came on steadily and won by six lengths. Poor Domino was a hopeless last and there never was an explanation of his sorry show-1 ing. He won his next five races in a row. Rey El Santa Anita proved his victory in the Derby was no fluke by going on to es-1 tablish a wonderful reputation in a year graced by a number of great horses. He i won ten out of twenty-six stars as a three-" year old.
