CHAPTER XXI 



THE BIG PLUNGER 



loo-Dollar Bills for the "Girls" — Riley Grannan's End— Romano 



Hospitality 



In the Autumn of 1909 I was again to ride the winner 

 of the Middle Park Plate, being up on Democrat, who 

 beat Diamond Jubilee and Goblet, these placings being 

 repeated in the Dewhurst Plate two weeks later. 

 Diamond Jubilee hadn't shown much at the time but 

 turned out altogether better than Democrat, who was 

 really not a good horse, although of better class than 

 Caiman. In the Middle Park they took evens about 

 the winner, with Diamond Jubilee at 100 to 7, and in 

 the Dewhurst they laid 5 to 2 on mine with 4 to 1 about 

 Diamond Jubilee. 



The stable always thought a great deal more of 

 Democrat than they were justified in doing. Another 

 in the stable, Blacksmith, was in my opinion a much 

 better horse and I won five races off the reel on him. 

 He was a very hard puller and ran away with me the 

 first time I was on him and he would give trouble all 

 the time. 



Betting on my mounts in 1899 was Charles Riley 

 Grannan, one of the heaviest plungers when he had the 

 money or credit that racing in modern years has seen. 

 He might not in his day have bet so much in one sum 

 as John W. Gates, but he would have wagered and 

 gambled much more than Gates if he had possessed 

 them. He had a very big win on Democrat when I won 

 the Middle Park. On another occasion Riley Grannan 



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