Newspaper Page Text
10
Opening of the Pacific Coast
Jockey Club
There was no keeping them away.
The weather, misty, rainy and generally
disagreeable; the football enthusiasts,
with their rah! rah! rah! contingent;
big fat turkeys done brown all over and
full of tasty stuffing, and — lets of other
thing supposed to keep people in the City,
didn't stop them from getting out to
Ingleside Track yesterday.
It was the opening day of the Pacific
Coast Jockey Club meeting — the inaugura
tion of a new era in racing on this coast,
ushered in with the most attractive first
day card ever presented here. The best
Eastern and "Western horses were to com
pete on the new and model trac.k, under
the most favorable auspices and for tempt
ing purses. These inducements were sufh-
cient to wipe out all drawbacks, and thou
sands of men and women crowded the
grand stand, quarter-stretch, paddock and
betting ring.
Ihe olhcers of the Jockey C hib~looked
eloomy during the early part of the day.
The outlook was bad and* their hopes for a
fair attendance small. It was amusing as
the day progressed to watch their long
faces close up and gradually spread out
into broad grins as carload after carload of
human freight poured in from the differ
ent lines of cars. At night the managers
gave 12,000 as a conservative estimate of
the attendance, and it certainly looked
to be half that number more.
THE WINNER OF THE FIRST RACE, SEMPER LEX.
[From a photograph.]
The reason for this is that the crowd
] pressed itself into the grand stand, which
• o nly holds 5000. during the even ts, and be
tween times they poured down the half
dozen broad stairways to the betting ring,
where nearly a score of bookies were lib
; eral in their odds and coaxed "'the talent' 1
wit.: seductive figures into taking a chance.
j For the first time in a long while in this
State "show money was offered, and the
( timid ones who did not care to play horses
to come in first or second were given an
opportunity to try their judgment on third. j
There was no wheel of fortune. That !
time-honored institution was greatly
missed as it had become a fixture— almost !
a necessity — to track frequenters.
On the outside of the grand stand be- I
THE FIRST START.
[From an instantaneous photograph taken by a " Call" artist]
tween it and the gates were hundreds of
carriages, buggies, drags, barouches, tally
ho coaches other conveyances hitched
to the trees and posts. They had all come
by way of the old Alms House road, which
was much the worse for mud and slush, or
by way of the Ocean Beach, the far better
road although the longer.
Among the turn-outs were those of Thos.
EL Williams, a trrand tally-ho and four,
and E. J. Baldwin. Both had parties of
gentlemen who failed to present nearly so
appetizing a spectacle as was wont in the
old days of bright sunshine when brightly
garbed ladies graced the coaches and
spread their gaily colored parasols.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1895.
"Williams acted handsomely toward the
new track. With him were nearly all the
! representatives of the old Bay District, as
I enthusiastic and well-wishing as any one
j else. Williams and his men are all true
! lovers of good horse racing, and they
; showed their appreciation of yesterday's
I events by sticking closely to them and bet
i tins their money cheerfully, although with
; little return as it so happened. .In the
■ party were ex- Judge Burke, Norman
[ Brough, Starter J. B. Ferguson, R. B. Mil
j roy, William Godfrey, Louis Lissak and
Monroe Johnson. Of course "Tom" Wil
; liams held the lines.
The attendance was by no means lira
! ited to the people inside the track grounds.
I Way off to the south, on the hills and
prominent points hundreds of people had
congregated, taking advantage of the emi
j nences to get a view of the races. They
; reached there in wagons of all descriptions
and walked as well as climbed, but they
were there surely, in mist and ruin, and
must have enjoyed it for they remained
until the last race.
It was a noticeable fact that aside from
the habitues of race courses there were
j scores of men who are seldom seen in such
places. Their presence was accepted as a
bright omen. It showed that already the
heightened tone of racing on this coast as
buoyed by the Pacific Coast Jockey (Jlub
was felt. This would certainly have been
more perceptible had the weather per-
I mitted the attendance of the gentler sex.
Everything moved charmingly and
astonishingly well ror a new venture.
There were were no hitches inside the
grounds, if there were some slight contre
temps on the road there. But there were
some amusing incidents. One of them oc
curred in connection with the old-time
custom of having the winning jockey ride
up to the wire and pull down his bag of
gold, the premium for his victory.
As usual, after the Palace Hotel stakes,
the $1500 was hung up in a bag tied to the
wire. Marty Bergen, upon Junius, the
winner, trotted up to the judges' stand,
raised his whip for the fignal to dismount,
got permission and at the same time was
told to pluck the golden plum waiting for
him on the wire. It was something new
to the jockey and he grew confused. He
pulled at the bag as if it had be°n tied with
a hawser and down went the shining $20
pieces into tne mud. Bergen was off his
horse in a jiffy and groveling in the slush.
He got all that was coming to him.
The immense crowd was full of fun and
appreciative. It seemed to be only ready
to shout and appkud. It was given a
splendid opportunity for this in the first
event. There was no very heavy favorite,
all the entries being estimated as pretty
nearly on a par. A 4to 1 shot won the
race, Semper Lex, and as he came in he
wa? cheered to the echo, as a 50 to 1 shot
might be on any other occasion. Perhaps,
and no doubt, it was because he was the
hrst winner pn the new track, and he was
entitled to additional recognition. If that
horse never again wins a race, and, like
many of his predecessors, be relegated to
dragging vegetables around the streets of
this City, he will always be read of in turf
history as the winner of the first race on
the opening of the Pacific Coast Jockey
Club at Ingleside Park.
Charles P. Kapp, an enthusiastic sports
man and lover of horses, had sent a mag
nificent floral horseshoe for presentation to
the lirst winner on the new track. The
beautiful piece was on exhibition for an
hour under the timers' stand. When Sem
per Lex came in a winner twenty men
made frantic efforts to place the fragrant
trophy around his neck and he made as
frantic and more successful efforts to save
himself from beinjr decorated. This by
play amused the public and in shouts
and jibes they managed to pleas-
antly pass the time until the next race.
There is another record that may be
mentioned. It will not add anything to
the filly's value, excepting that it pegs her
attendants up a bit for promptness.
Moderocio, the property of G. B. Morris,
one of the greatest and best-liked men in
turfdom, was the first to make his appear
ance ready for parade on the Pacific Coast
Jockey Club track. This seems very im
material, but to the jockey, the tout and
the general hanger-on about the track this
will be handed down to posterity.
That brings to mind that old Pete Bran
dow graced the track yesterday. He is
the oldest trotting-horse driver on the
American turf. He knows the ins and outs
of the profession as well if not better than
any one else, and has been ruled off and
reinstated more times than anybody else.
But that is not exactly what brings the
old fellow out so prominently just now.
Pete wore a plug hat!
By the shades of all the old-timers who
have gone before him, Pete Brandow could
not have dared do such a thing at a trot
ting race without taking his life in his
hands, to say nothing of saving the tile.
Pete refused all sorts of bribes on the part
of the Spreckels boy, Joseph Cairn Simp
son, Colonel Dickey and other old friends,
to tell ivhere he got that hat.
There were no very great winnings made
against the books. Riley Grannan, the
plunger, who stands first on the list when
Pittsburg Phil i s not in town, did no good
for himself. In the second race, the six
furlongs for three-year-olds and up, he
went down the line and reduced the odds
on Potentate. Oregon Eclipse, a 15 to 1,
came in first, and Grannan's promenade
cost him a few thousands.
W. OB. McDonough dumped a snug
amount on Bright Phoebus at even money.
Hobart's colt was generally regarded as a
good one in muddy running, but he
proved a rank outsider this time. The
trouble is that he, like most of the others
that were expected to do good work, has
not yet got in shape. They all need more
work of the kind they got yesterday.
Semper Lex is the only one who, coming
in fresh and unworked, did well, but he
was in splendid form and will do better
even as time progresses.
Dick Leggett was a good winner on the
first race. He called it one, two and
INSLESIDE. TRACK.
placed a few dollars or. his judgment. He
has not ceased cheering yet. He thinks
the Jonah that was on him at the old
track is off now. "I'm going to win now;
this is my kind of track," he informed
Edward Corrigan, who congratulated him
on his success.
Captain Callundan of Harry Morse's
patrol had thirty uniformed men in his
command to care for and protect the
people on the track. Even with that force
he at times found it a most difficult matter
to keep the crowd from blockading the
wide stairways leading from the grand
stand to the quarterstretch. The captain
stated last night that for the first time in
years that he has had charge of the polic
ing of racetracks he had not been obliged
to place an obstreperous person under
arrest. "This was the most gentlemanly
and best-behaved gathering I have ever
had to deal with," he stated. This state
ment goes far toward showing the in
fluence the Pacific Coast Jockey Club is
having in elevuting the tone of the race
track.
Itejrarding the means of transportation
to and from the track it should be said that
the steam cars and the electric line made
a record. Both hauled their cars ov«>p new
roadbeds for the first time, and both came
as near beiner a success as could be hoped.
The steam cars from Third and Townsend
streets carried 1200 people each trip and
reached the track in twenty-four minutes.
The electric cars carried 140 people at one
load and took fifty minutes from Third and
Mission streets. There was but one mis
hap. An old car from the Metropolitan
line was put in service and was the only
one in fifty-seven to jump the track, caus
ing a delay of nearly a half hour. Super
intendent Lynch was at the track looking
out for that end of the service.
Harry Griffin, the premier lightweight
jockey of America, reac bed here yesterday
morning at 11 o'clock and was at the track.
At one time he and Mayor Sutro stood side
by side, and it was hard telling which at
tracted most attention.
All in all, the opening day of the Pacific
Coast Jockey Club's meeting was a great
success, and President A. B. Spreckels has
no reason to regret he lost the wager he
made with Frank Burke Wednesday night
that the receipts of Thursday would not
amount to more than $5000. They were
nearly double that sum.
Among the many thousand people at
the track the following well-known per
sons were observed:
Judge Joacbimson, J. Ross Jackson,
Coroner Hawkins, Chief Crowley, Captain
Lees, Warren Payne, Senator Dennison.
Tom Willi ims, Charles McDonald, James
Flynn, Adjutant-General Barrett of Los
Angeles, William B. Horn, J. H. Harris,
J. D. Spreekels, Adolph Spreckels, Alexan
der Hamilton, W. O'Brien Macdonough,
Porter Aslie, Will Ashe, Colonel
Farley, Bob Elder, T. C. Snider,
Harry W. Walker, D. E. Hackett, Tom
Sullivan, M. M. O'Shaughnessy, Mayor
Sutro, Dr. Livingstone, Judge G. Garber,
John Watkins, F. A. Murphy, Fred Bur
gin, Tom Walkington, Charles Paxton,
Edgar Mizner, Harry Creswell. Colonel
Meagher. Ed Corrigan, W. W. Wood, D.
M. Delmas, Charles Wood. Alex Vogel
sang. Rudolph Herold, Walter Turnbull,
W. F. Herrin, Clint Reilly, X. A. Judd,
Jose Castro, Frank McMullen, Ed Steel,
Harry McCarthy, Colonel Hanlon, Henry
Crocker, Bob Woodward, Ross Wieland,
J. F. Burke, Charles Friend, Colonel Jack
Follansbee, W. W. Naughton, Colonel Kow
alsky, James McNab, M. A. Gunst,
Commodore Con O'Connor, J. H. Bush
nell, Ferris Hartman, Charles W.
Dixon, Henry Clay Barnabee, Dr. D. J.
Smith, W. B. Bradbury, Joseph Harvey,
Adolph Hirschman, Colonel James Dickey,
Frank Dickey, Supervisor Taylor, Frank
Sherman, Captain Henry White, Peter
Donohoe, John McCord, Richard Harvey,
R. Van Brunt, Simeon Seymour, Jack
Puwy, H. Mangles, Oscar Kron, Thomas
Watson, H. Lynch, William Brackett,
Grove Avers, Captain Alexander Swanson,
J. Naglce Burke, Charles M. Chase, F. H.
Chase, J. E. Terry, Wilber George, Harry
BrooKe, Harry Williams, Reel B. Terry,
and innumerable others.
TOLD BY THE TOUT.
The Man With the Memory Gives
Up a Little Track
Gossip.
After the crowded trains had dumped
thousands of visitors on the grounds and
things began to liven up with the excite
A FEW INDIVIDUALS KNOWN TO THE MAN WITH THE MEMORY.
[Sketched for th* "Call" bu NtmkJuV.l
ment that reigns around the poolboxes, a
tall, nervous individual with a peculiar
hankering for new acquaintances came
out of hiding, as it seemed, ana took pos
session of a total stranger. First he asked
him for a match, then a cigarette and
finally struck up an association that,
while rather sudden, was full of informa
tion.
"This is a great track. Say, IJteJl y"u
I've attended all the openings of race
courses ever held in this State and I'm
giving it to you straignt when I say this
beats them all."
"There are a great many strangers here,
I see/
"Well, I should say yes. You see, here
in California the racing business is begin
ning to look up a little. The men at the
FLORAL HORSESHOE PRESENTED TO THE WINNER OP THE
FIRST RACE BY CHARLES F. KAPP OF KAPP & STREET.
head of it are getting up better purses and
things are more on the square. Do you
j see that purse hanging up there on the
wire? Well, when the jockey has finished
his run he slides up ana yanks the dough
right in front of the assembled multitude.
Live here in San Francisco?"
"No. Boston."
"Say, put her there. I'm from Boston
myself. Anything I can do for you just
say the word. Take the tip from me,
friend; there isn't a man on the track
that I ain't intimate with. Do you see
that old man over there with white curly
hair and a rather happy expression? Well,
that's Captain Lees, chief of the detectives
here. Now there's a character. That man
never bets. No, sir; not a cent— have you
got another match? Thanks— and I'll tell
you the reason. Once in the early days he
was playing poker with an old and re
spected friend for 10 cents a chip, but be
fore he had played three hands his friend
stole one ol the chips. Sure. Well, the
captain just got right up from the table
and said: 'I'm through with poker and
cards forever. I just saw you steal 10 cents,
and any game that makes a man rob his
friend is a good proposition to avoid. I
know you couldn't help it, and that is an
other reason why I don't care to get in
the habit of betting.' Why, you couldn't
get Captain Lees to make a bet now if you
would throw a brick into the air and offer
to wager that it wouldn't come down.
That's right. Well, I'll be hanged if there
isn't Warren Payne. Right over there.
Short man with light overcoat. Used to
own Lady Maud, one of the old timers of
the turf. Payne s a superstitious bettor.
He always puts his money up on the book
maker's counter with his left hand and
then puts the ticket in his hip pocket. He
generally keeps it there, but that makes
no difference.
"Over there by the judges' stand is
Henry Crocker, vice-president of the Pa
cific Coast Jockey Club. That's this club.
He has cot a perpetual smile with him. I
suppose it's because he is happy at the suc
cess of the venture. On the dead square,
I never saw that man worried. That is to
say, he never looks that way. Of course I
suppose he picks the wrong horse occa
sionally. We all do that. Do you ever
play the races?"
I ♦'•Who is that going up in the judge's
stand?"
"Sutro. Mayor Sutro. There's a genu
ine appreciator of bis: enterprises. This
sort of thing tickle 3 him to death. See
the glad eye on him. You can always win
Sutro by doing something a little bigger
and a little better than anybody else. Any
time you would Jike to meet the Mayor I
will introduce you. Come with me now
and I'll put you right in touch with the
best citizens in California."
"No, I thank you. I am just a mere
spectator. Nothing more."
''I thought you might want to mix up a
little with the bon ton-" answered the
tout, fumbling his chin a little; "but if
you don't care to, why, it's just the same.
See that smootb-shaved man over there
with the race glasses to his eyes. Well,
that's Ross Jackson, the retired newspaper
man. People who are not acquainted
with him invariably get it into their heads
that he is a doctor, and whenever an acci
dent happens they rush for Ross the first
thing. If a tramp, loaded up to the guards
with a beer jag, runs foul of the curbstone
and Ross is in the neighborhood there is
an immediate demand for mtdical aid.
Only ten minutes ago a jockey rushed up
to him and wanted to know what was
good for ringworms, and this morning he
was asked for a medical opinion on what
kind of diet was best for a conductor to
live on. If that man ever gets in a railroad
wreck and refuses to prescribe for the in
jured he will be lynched by the train
hands in five minutes. Yes, you bet,
Jackson looks more like a doctor than any
man on the track to-day, but he isn't. All
Ross is a sure thing on is a drunkard's
