The 30 Greatest Sports Conspiracy Theories of All-Time - Elliott Kalb [75]
The Hall of Fame has to change its election process. In a league where several of the top officials have been suspended for having grudges against particular players, the voters have to be made public. This would make them accountable. Until that happens, voters can lurk in the shadows and conspire to keep worthy candidates out of the Hall of Fame.
CONCLUSION:
#17
Funny business at the Kentucky Derby
One of the biggest sporting events in the world is the annual “Run for the Roses” at Churchill Downs Racetrack, otherwise known as the Kentucky Derby. Whenever there is a sporting event of that magnitude, especially in a sport where people are encouraged to gamble, there is always a chance of someone conspiring to fix the outcome of the event.
Here’s a little background on the Kentucky Derby’s prominence in the early 1920s. According to the Thoroughbred Times Racing Almanac, the years 1913-1915 would establish the Derby’s credentials from both a romantic and qualitative standpoint. In 1915, New York owner Harry Payne Whitney shipped his unbeaten filly, Regret, to Louisville, where she became the first filly to win the Derby. While some Eastern stables still shied away from shipping their horses west for the Derby—most notably Samuel Riddle’s decision not to run Man O’ War in 1920—the Derby’s reputation was set after 1915. In 1919, Sir Barton won the Derby, although it wasn’t yet referred to as “The Triple Crown.”
It’s safe to say that by 1921, only baseball and boxing held the same grip on the American sporting public as the Kentucky Derby. In 1921, the betting favorite for the Kentucky Derby was a Harry Payne Whitney filly named Prudery. Prudery actually went off at odds of 1.1-1. But Colonel Edward Riley Bradley had other ideas, and other horses with which to defeat Prudery. He owned a fine three-year-old horse named Black Servant—a horrible name for a horse, considering it was in the South just fifty years after the Civil War—that was one of the favorites to win the Derby. Bradley planned to enter a second horse, Behave Yourself, and with proper instructions to the jockeys, Black Servant would win. A week earlier in the Blue Grass Stakes, Black Servant beat Behave Yourself and three other horses that would race in the Derby.
Bradley wagered $250,000 on Black Servant to win. The first place purse that year was only $38,000, and a quarter-million dollars was a huge amount of money in those days. The grooms and stable hands were in on the plan, and wagered their own money as well. Bradley didn’t make the bet all at once, which would cause suspicion, instead, he spread his $250,000 out all over the winter books.
Bradley hired Charlie Thompson to ride Behave Yourself. Before the race started, Thompson was given strict instructions by the owner and trainer H.J. “Dick” Thompson (no relation). The riding orders to the jockey were relatively simple. He was ordered to come out fast, grab the lead, and set an early pace for Black Servant. He was told that he could win only if it looked like Black Servant couldn’t. Otherwise, if Black Servant were out in front, or coming up from behind, he was told to let Black Servant get out on top.
At the mile mark, Black Servant took the lead and was out in front of the pack hitting the stretch. At that point, in sixth place, Charlie Thompson proceeded to gain ground, and with only 150 yards to go, he had Behave Yourself in second place. The owners and co-conspirators had to be dancing, with the biggest race and even bigger bets about to be won in a matter of seconds. After all, it was assumed that Thompson would stay back with Behave Yourself and let Black Servant win.
Here’s a little clue about fixing races: It’s easier when everyone in on the fix is a human being. It was widely reported at the time that Thompson tried to reign his horse in, but the horse didn’t cooperate. If Strangler Lewis, the