Lucky Rooney

Hero of the most gigantic U. S. betting stories is the late John W. ("Bet a Million") Gates, who is reputed to have wagered that sum on the outcome of a race between two raindrops down a Pullman window. By last week it appeared that such stories may soon have a new hero in the person of Owner Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh (pro football) Pirates.

Ever since he turned up one day at New York's Empire City race track with $1,000 which he shortly ran up to $25,000, Mr. Rooney, who looks a great deal like a football himself, has been turning his every horse hunch to gold. The first day he appeared at Saratoga he won the astounding sum of $108,000. On another day he won $50,000 and on the closing day $15,000. Admiring Bookmaker Tim Mara told how Bettor Rooney had been talking football to a friend at the Saratoga rail when the news was brought to him that the horse on whom he had bet $12,000, had won but had been disqualified. Rooney went on talking football. On another occasion he nipped a coin to decide where he would place a $20,000 bet.

Last fortnight, when Placid Art Rooney appeared at the opening of the Aqueduct track on Long Island, bookmakers shuddered to hear that in one day he had won $100,000. So far no one has computed how much Rooney has lost, but he is reputed to have $100,000 of his winnings salted safely away in annuities. His smallest, typically lucky wager was $400 he won last fortnight by betting that Tommy Farr would stay 15 rounds against Joe Louis.

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