american horse racing multi millionaire late nineteenth early twentieth century smith given nickname pittsburgh chicago differentiate frequented riley pool halls considered expert winning large sums money time racing publications daily racing form widely available time death tuberculosis amassed fortune worth comparable today racing published posthumously considered foundations modern strategies early life initial occupation family born pennsylvania elizabeth smith family included sisters annie elizabeth son years younger mother originally ireland emigrated united_states father carpenter germany remarried death early 1870s retail died 1880s remarried second time november real estate coal developer death sister anne married son named orphaned young age parents died unspecified epidemic subsequently raised infant sister eleanor smith smith shy individual granted interview lifetime relayed information pertaining racing matters consequently published biographical information early life rise fame reasoning methods track comes interviews nephew close years preceding death cutting early sporting exploits smith family initially lived small farm pennsylvania moved years old eventually settled neighborhood located pittsburgh present day city neighborhood father died year late created financial hardships mother sisters resulted george going work age local cutting factory possibly week smith happy occupation remarking profession later life thought little better cutting knew divide smith set aside money weekly pay giving majority mother purchase train hiding devout roman catholic mother sisters greatly disapproved gambling bet outcomes national_league baseball games pittsburgh pool halls attribute sizable pay raises factory pool halls 1870s pittsburgh broadcast horse races telegraph colorful race descriptions soon captured young smith attention wrote names times winning horses year form crude racing charts fall smith placed bet odds horse named running race island won horse won lengths outward signs emotion race run determined win horse racing smith quit job factory betting horse races years hiding proceeds home mother eventually discovering money reasoned gambling making logical predictions based past performances horses merely smith touted pittsburgh won seeing horse race run smith famous pittsburgh maintain favorable high odds placing attained earlier career virtual unknown crowd lower odds betting choices pittsburgh new horse race smith witnessed live favorite won odds bet outcome smith decided best gambling prospects time chicago way late riley civil war veteran brooklyn prematurely gray hair owned clubs chicago dedicated betting horse racing riley smith nickname pittsburgh meeting differentiate rest room riley usually named customers based appearances chose pittsburgh smith pittsburgh short philadelphia smith quickly gained reputation successful men bet large sums money races chicago years relocated new_york focused betting operations new_york tracks king smith purchased raced horses stable racing colors early 1890s royal purple yellow smith brother bill principal horse trainer 1890s early 1900s successful horses year old bay named smith purchased stable dispersal sale late august son brother popular named horse won races entire racing career smith won victories win occurred september bay race track resulted smith winning approximately largest horse race recorded time win occurred morris park smith king fast runner vicious temperament seriously injuring smith employees addition weak legs sold year old purchased smith year old initially considered poor racing prospect general public repeated losses early season smith saw potential recognized win large money horse win race high odds august entered race bay given initial odds won smith close rescinded start race horse weights causing odds drop new pool result smith won despite smith rewarded horse won consecutive races approximately retired age spinal injury professional relationship smith employed race race basis career owner including martin smith considered best jockey employ commissioned rider race colors smith met fall san_francisco suspended days trying beat barrier starting barrier recently adopted tracks smith taken unique riding style later termed monkey rider weight neck allowed horses run faster smith trust california tracks suspected trainers rampant cheating paying win certain horses consequently smith paid race won jockey trying win smith mounts returned new_york smith east coast giving smith profitable years career smith soon tired track antics included lavish parties arrogant statements questioned smith judgment track case point behavior prior running occurred sloppy mud laden track year won races gray year old felt confident horse win brooklyn handicap openly criticizing smith choice employees smith knew fast runner mud push horse win disliked mud smith instead better racing sloppy tracks year old advised martin use judgment horse don bother probably won near yards won easily winning smith finished 8th place asked smith late permission england race handicap smith accepted offer achieved great success racing england lost racing license permanently smith remained friends partnership later interest license revoked departure smith principal jockey martin left better racing prospects england ultimately hired replace raced smith suspension smith kept horses consequently allowed employ season overall percentage wins high lost races way general public thought suspicious accused trying win poor performance soon linked action smith accused paying jockey lose claim smith denied suspended presumed riding race jamaica june smith banned entering horses races overseen admitted wrongdoing suspected ban hold suspension resulted increased efforts remove tracks smith continued notably securing won suburban handicap sold stable end year personal life smith lived compared horsemen era outward display diamond ring wear track engagements smith smoke drank occasional glass wine women considered confirmed bachelor family adamant bringing women mother including reference distracting influence men man wishes successful divide horses women man accepts responsibility escorting woman race track seeing comfortably placed entertained mind work sensible woman understands feel hurt words smith court aspiring actress chorus girl chicago courtship turned sour caught jockey notorious ladies man later married fellow eventually died broke nevada according smith interest woman betrayal methods smith took notice detail horse racing kept detailed notes horses good runners muddy conditions inspected horses end race look subtle signs loose negatively impacted horse speed famous seemingly successful refuse place outright fear losing money won result smith conducted betting men commission place smith tried identity secret revealed identities commissioners movements continuously followed agents detectives employed wanted know going mad business business spies rarely able set betting commissioners length time commissioners pointed watched smith rarely wrote relied memory serve won collect money numerous commissioners placed death legacy fall smith began turf activities frequent trips rest family assumed nerves affected stress suspension racing smith developed persistent early months bet high chancellor bay summer won october smith traveled north_carolina treatment result advanced tuberculosis died february death attributed shattering nerves instead tuberculosis habit showing emotion smith interred pittsburgh short distance childhood home funeral occurred february attended people stone reportedly cost build built smith specifications seven years death mother later commissioned statue likeness placed statue depicts smith wearing suit looking pittsburgh racing form smith net worth including real estate stocks bonds estate divided equally mother brother nephew niece eleanor later moved indianapolis purchasing winner named owned dam racing interview years death considered valid modern
George E. Smith (gambler)