Handle wayyyyyyy up at Hawthorne versus maywood and balmoral.

[swoodall]

SWOODY

I BETCHA YOU COULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT ALL THE SKULLDUGGERY THAT HAS HAPPENED AT THE CHICAGO AREA TRACKS. YOU MUST HAVE SOME GREAT STORIES. AND THEN SOME OF THESE OLE COCK KNOCKERS WONDER WHY HARNESS RACING, CHICAGO IN PARTICULAR, HAS SUNK AS LOW AS IT HAS.

Stan Stucker an old trainer back in the 70's used to be the best at spinning track stories.  

None funnier then when Don Brooks was so drunk he fell out of the race bike onto the track.

He had tons of old Bob Farrington stories from Washington Park.

Supposedly good ole Bob was the master at using hidden ownership and beards.

But those days are gone and so are most of the horsemen.

When I was 14 I knew who Racetrack Phil was but he didn't know me. I was told to never talk to anyone in his entourage.

When I was 16 I helped Jim Curran hide his Eldorado from Farrington's daughter whom he was fooling around on at the time.

I drove it from the horsemen's lot to his apartment west of Sportsman's Park and hid the keys behind a plant in the building's garage. Jim used to give us some pretty good winners. It's Under Current in front at the wire.

Ahh...the good old days.

 

[SPERMIN HERMAN]

C'MON SWOODY, PUT PEN TO PAPER. SCOTT N. WROTE A BOOK, WHY CAN'T YOU?

YOU COULD GET SOME HELP FROM THAT GUY THAT USED TO POST ON BARN TO WIRE. CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME BUT I GUESS HE WAS A HARNESS RACING REPORTER IN CHICAGO. HE USED TO GO TO ALL THE
RACING COMMISSION MEETINGS AND WOULD REQUEST TIME TO SPEAK. AND ONE TIME HE WAS IN THE NEWS FOR HIS PROTEST. CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT HE WAS PROTESTING, BUT HE ROPED OFF THIS LITTLE AREA I THINK IN THE INFIELD AND SAID HE WOULD NOT LEAVE.

DO YOU KNOW WHO I MEAN? I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME REMEMBER THE GUY'S NAME. BUT I GUESS HE WAS A BIG TIME REPORTER. MAYBE HE WOULD TEAM UP WITH YOU AND YOU GUYS WOULD CRANK OUT A BEST-SELLER. 

[swoodall]

C'MON SWOODY, PUT PEN TO PAPER. SCOTT N. WROTE A BOOK, WHY CAN'T YOU?

YOU COULD GET SOME HELP FROM THAT GUY THAT USED TO POST ON BARN TO WIRE. CAN'T REMEMBER HIS NAME BUT I GUESS HE WAS A HARNESS RACING REPORTER IN CHICAGO. HE USED TO GO TO ALL THE
RACING COMMISSION MEETINGS AND WOULD REQUEST TIME TO SPEAK. AND ONE TIME HE WAS IN THE NEWS FOR HIS PROTEST. CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT HE WAS PROTESTING, BUT HE ROPED OFF THIS LITTLE AREA I THINK IN THE INFIELD AND SAID HE WOULD NOT LEAVE.

DO YOU KNOW WHO I MEAN? I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME REMEMBER THE GUY'S NAME. BUT I GUESS HE WAS A BIG TIME REPORTER. MAYBE HE WOULD TEAM UP WITH YOU AND YOU GUYS WOULD CRANK OUT A BEST-SELLER. 

Some of these older guys including Dan N and even Cigar (45) don't know how I used to know so many older horsemen and know so much about what happened in harness racing during it's heyday in the 70's and early 80's.

I might be able to dust off some cob webs for them because I was young back them and some don't remember me.

A friend of my father's owned a Phillips 66 gas station close to old Washington Park where he did repair work for a shit load of horsemen during that time. Walt, the owner, did a lot of work for Bob Farrington and started running bets for Farrington along with Shorty Farrington's main runner. Walt moved over to a Phillips 66 in Hazel Crest when Washington Park burnt down and his horsemen buddies followed.

During the summer I would come up north to Illinois and stay with my dad and pump gas for Walt during the day. I met all the horsemen there at Walt's where I pumped their gas, checked their oil and listen to them talk when they would hang out while Walt did work for them. Jim Dolbee was by far my favorite.

When I got my license I helped transport trailers or trucks that Walt worked on back to these horsemen. These old horsemen use to tell racing stories non stop and they clearly they didn't win every time. John Curran (Jim's dad) told about how he was planning a trip to go buy Rambling Willie but Farrington left the weekend before he was schedule to leave and beat him to it. Jim was married to Farrington's daughter.

I went to the track every night with Walt and when a horsemen sent a bet with Walt, Walt would give it to me to bet because touts would follow him to the windows. So Walt would sit on the bench below the driver's room by the outdoor paddock with Shorty while I went to a special teller who knew who I was and why I was betting.

I was always referred to as "the kid". I was always respectful to these horsemen saying yes sir and no sir, so a lot of times they tried to help me handicap the daily double (wink wink) because Walt was paying me slave wages. Dolbee would say to me "I hope you aren't gambling your money away on Walt's tips" I told him absolutely not, I was saving my money to buy a car.

So Jim Dolbee tried to help me out by giving me hints (wink wink) on which horses to play. He told me one summer night that Daryl Busse had a big shot of winning both ends of the daily double on a couple of long shots but not to bet too much because the horses might not be fully ready yet. So I got brave for a 16 year old and bet a $10 Busse-Busse daily double.

Busse won both ends by a nose and the daily double paid $450.00 for $2!

By that Friday I had a low miles 1970 Nova SS 350 with Rally Sport rims owned by an old greek guy who wanted to buy a Buick instead, that I changed and bought wider tires. Man that V8 would fly.

I went from dud to stud with my friends in high school with that car.

Thanks Mr. Dolbee may you rest in peace. 

[STEVE LEITA]

WAS IRA SMOLIN SNITCHING ON PEOPLE BACK IN THE OLD DAYS???  BACK THEN THEY DIDNT TAKE TO KINDLY TO SNITCHES. HOW DID IRA SURVIVE?


SL

[R Kurtzworth]

This,is a funny topic.

Dick Kurtzworth

[swoodall]

WAS IRA SMOLIN SNITCHING ON PEOPLE BACK IN THE OLD DAYS???  BACK THEN THEY DIDNT TAKE TO KINDLY TO SNITCHES. HOW DID IRA SURVIVE?


SL

I have said this many times in the past here on Plop and at other sites...

Ira always fought the good fight for the horsemen when he was on the IHHA Board.

Ira, Dan, Bruce and a few others tried to help the small stables and level the playing field.

But money talks and cheaters ruled the racetracks in Illinois so they did the best they could.  

[ira smolin]

SWOOEY....anyone who  was around back  then  knows that. My articles  were  so anti.management. .that LANGLEY. threatened  to deny  me  stalls......my friends  were. JEFF NORTHROP..AND  DAN POPROSKI.......5 races and night  were fixed....I never  ratted  anyone  out. ...it's bullshit

[swoodall]

SWOOEY....anyone who  was around back  then  knows that. My articles  were  so anti.management. .that LANGLEY. threatened  to deny  me  stalls......my friends  were. JEFF NORTHROP..AND  DAN POPROSKI.......5 races and night  were fixed....I never  ratted  anyone  out. ...it's bullshit

I know that is true.

Guys who tried to rat Banks and his mob out either ended up dead/missing or after their lives were threatened they were so afraid they got out of town as fast as their dually could carry them.

And when an outside chemist thief like Pelling tried to commingle with the local thieves Langley would protect the local gang by sending Pelling and his like packing.

[STEVE LEITA]

I know that is true.

Guys who tried to rat Banks and his mob out either ended up dead/missing or after their lives were threatened they were so afraid they got out of town as fast as their dually could carry them.

And when an outside chemist thief like Pelling tried to commingle with the local thieves Langley would protect the local gang by sending Pelling and his like packing.

EXACTLY TRUE. LANGLEY PROTECTED BUSSEE AND BANKS. HE THREW OUT ANYONE WHO OUTDROVE OR OUTJUICED THEM. NOW LANGLEY IS OLD AND GRAY AND BUSSEE AND BANKS ARE IN HELL GETTING ASS FUCKED BY LUCIFER. THATS LIFE.



SL

[slivercharm]

In the grand tradition of a famous Jim Dolbee quote, Tim Curtin "Taught the betting public a lesson".

And what you think about it doesn't matter one bit.

Is it really slander when I was standing right there next to him holding my breath while he reeked of sour alcohol?

Again, another definition you need to look up.

1st person accounts are not hearsay nor slander, they are commonly referred to as an eye witness account!

Ask Tim if he ever conspired with Scott Robbins, Dave Maxwell, Art Gregory etc... at Balmoral to "have his turn"?

When Flapper first started racing I was told by Earl not to bet until Maxwell said it was our turn to win.

Flapper paid $22 to win and keyed a $5,000 tri when Del Chupp got up for 2nd with the longest shot on the board.

Tim didn't drive in my race but was part of that click.

You can't silence the truth nor will you be able to contain it.

Plop will survive any attempts by whatever lawyer you can afford trying to shut it down.

I will tell you something that I sometimes have to remind my kids.

Just because YOU didn't witness it doesn't mean it didn't happen. 

More fables 

[AGUA CALIENTE]

Roger and Ralph Davino were the best for knowing which horses were ready, usually with Butch driving.

[Fatboy]

More fables

TALES OF FIXING FARRINGTONS CAR AND GETTING LIVE TIPS AT HIS FATHERS GAS STATION HAVE WALT DISNEY CRYING

[slivercharm]

TALES OF FIXING FARRINGTONS CAR AND GETTING LIVE TIPS AT HIS FATHERS GAS STATION HAVE WALT DISNEY CRYING

Had so many jobs as a kid retired by the time high school was over

Sucking off govt teet ever since

[Fatboy]

Had so many jobs as a kid retired by the time high school was over

Sucking off govt teet ever since

AND HAD SO MANY GUYS TELL HIM WHEN TO BET...HEZ BROKE

[Bernie Madoff]

Roger and Ralph Davino were the best for knowing which horses were ready, usually with Butch driving.

Usually Joe Marsh Jr. driving.