32 CANADIAN TURF RECOLLECTIONS 



In 1905 Lyddite was bred to Martimas, winner of the 

 Futurity, 1898, the champion two-year-old stake of the 

 American turf. He also won the Flatbush a few days 

 later, again defeating in decisive fashion the best young- 

 sters in training. This race, however, was taken from 

 him on the claim of a foul, although in the opinion of 

 many experienced turfmen who closely watched the race, 

 the Canadian representative was not to blame. His 

 daughter, Shimonese, by her brilliant victory in the Plate, 

 in which she hung up a new record for the race, although 

 she won in a gallop at the finish, is a worthy daughter of 

 a famous race horse. 



Having yarned about her dam and grandam and sire, 

 I may as well spin another about Lamplighter, the 

 brother of her grandam Spark. On the turf he won 

 many important races. With one of these my story is 

 connected. 



On the night preceding this race a party of New York 

 brokers had a jollification at Delmonico's at a banquet 

 given to a fellow operator, who was leaving on an ex- 

 tended European trip. One of the banqueters, a noted 

 high roller and all-round sportsman, drove home at an 

 hour in the morning not far removed from the break of 

 day. His residence was located on a short avenue run- 

 ning off another fashionable thoroughfare, and he 

 decided it would be impolitic to allow his cabbie to drive 

 to his house and thus run the risk of disturbing his 

 neighbors, two of whom were straight-laced Presbyterian 

 elders. Dismissing cabbie at the corner of the avenue he 

 footed the balance of the journey. As he reached his 

 door the lamplighter came along and turned out the gas 

 in the street lamp immediately opposite his residence. 



The wet night brought the usual dry morning and the 

 broker on his way down town, decided that a hair of the 

 dog that had bitten him would be the best prescription he 

 could take. He halted at his club and over a B. and S. 

 glanced through a morning paper. His eye rested on the 

 list of entries for that day's races. In the list his atten- 



