R A C E A L N G 309 



ton, Vt., who loaned him a portion of the money to 

 purchase the two horses, were the only people who 

 were aware of the substitution, except himself. His 

 wife let the cat out of the bag. Her husband, like 

 all who seek money by the easy route, died broke. 



Joe Bailey 



The primrose path looks attractive but very few of 

 those who pluck flowers on it bring home the coin. 

 Hal Oatman fluttered towards it in 1912. That season 

 he shipped from Oklahoma to Ottawa, 111., intending 

 to race Joe Bailey, 2:lll^, in the Valley Circuit. A 

 spell of wet weather left him short of funds. One 

 afternoon while in a billiard room, a tempter sug- 

 gested a trip to Maryland to make a dollar. Oatman 

 swallowed the bait. In a few days he was whirling 

 around the half-mile track at Salisbury, Md., behind 

 a horse called Franklin E. His name appeared on 

 the hotel register as Frank Foster. 



Franklin E. won the 2:25 pace at the meeting in 

 2:161/4. The purse netted the outfit $110, while they 

 managed to get $40 from a bookmaker on a heat 

 bet. This did not cover the expenses of the party. 



The following week plans were laid for a sweep 

 on one of the Baltimore half-mile tracks. When the 

 race was over, Franklin E. stood fourth in the 

 summary. Oatman's backer was disgusted when the 

 horse was beaten in 2:21l^. He went home. Oatman 

 sold the horse and his equipment to get out of 

 town. 



Later Oatman and the horse were identified and 



