Record Attendance in This Country: Gathering That Witnessed American Derby in Worlds Fair Year Considered the Largest, Daily Racing Form, 1917-12-29

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RECORD ATTENDANCE IN THIS COUNTRY Gathering That Witnessed American Derby in Worlds Fair Year Considered the Xargcst. New York, December 2S. Speaking Of large crowds attending the races, "Snapper" Garrison, famous rider of a quarter of a century ago, called attention to the fact that the largest authenticated attendance at a race course in this country was at the Washington Park track in Chicago in 1S93, Worlds Fair year, when about 72,000 people crowded that popular course to witness the decision of the American Derby. Garrison wont on to tell about how Boundless, on which he had the mount, won the Derby. "It was a fluke race," explained "Snapper," "because Boundless was far from being the best horse in the big field. 1 was engaged to ride Boundless and had drawn the rail position. C. H. Pettin-gill, now one of the judges on the New York tracks, was the starter. There were so many false starts that no one could keep count of them and every time the field made a false start the greater number of the horses would run anywhere from a hundred yards to an eighth of a mile before being pulled up and brought back. It was blistering hot and every one of them was losing weight by the pound and sweating like rolling mill hands. KEPT HIS FOOT ON THE RAIL. "As a matter of fact, I did keep my foot on the rail, easing the weight off Boundless for the greater part of the time, for he was a gentle horse and stood quietly all the while. However, every time there was a false start, I would be down on the ground, pretending to fix my saddle girth, such dismounts being permissable at that time and each time I got down I stayed down for five minutes, while the others were being bt-ought back and kept sweating and stewing. I must have been down on the ground at least fifteen minutes and finally Iettingill got wise and fined me 00, when I protested he told me that would be another 00. "Anyway, when the field finally got away to more or less of a bad start. Boundless was a fresh horse, while the others looked as if they had been running four-mile heats. I had a fresh horse under me, and it was easy to win. Boundless came home in front, and never had turned a hair, while the others were all in. "After the race the owner of Boundless handed me ,000, which had been the fee agreed upon. He didnt increase it when I told him that it would just pay the fine Iettingill had plastered on me, and 1 even had to foot my own expenses from New York and return after the race. The first mounts I had after I returned were on two horses belonging to Mr. Keene. I was engaged to ride Hornpipe in the Double Event and Domino in the Great Trial Stakes. I was to get ,000 if I won both, and I collected the ,000, but before I was allowed to ride I had to pay the ,000 Pettingill had fined me in Chicago."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1917122901/drf1917122901_2_4
Local Identifier: drf1917122901_2_4
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800