Thanks,” said Johnny flashing his charming Irish grin and putting his gun back in his pocket. Come down to the Bon Ton and have a drink on me.” When they got to the saloon he repeated, “Drink hearty, boys, the drinks are on me.” All the men in the saloon took him at his word and drank up, embellishing the tale with more details with each round of drinks. Johnny was toasted as a “gallant rider” and loved every minute of his greatest hour. That nothing in his later life could equal this triumph is proven by the epitaph on his tombstone in Hillside Cemetery — “Johnny O’Neil Red Buck’s Rider” The following was found by an office boy who swept out Red Buck’s stable the morning after the race, which was run in Sa-guache, Colorado on Christmas Day, 1877. 

Come all ye jolly sportsmen
Listen to my song,
I hope you pay attention
I’ll not detain you long.

It’s all about a race horse
Red Buck by name
Who came from afar
To beat the Dolly Slane.

The race was finally matched
By Uncle Danny Slane
And another old Turf Man
Pumphrey by name.

Red Buck was trained by Harvil
And ridden by Johnny O’Neil,
Who is a gallant rider
And uses whip and steel.

Red Buck’s (rider) went out 
To consert a little plan, one night
To gain one hundred dollars
And beat the old Turf Man.

But he was on the watch
Backed by an Irish peer
Who lay close to the door
So he could plainly hear.

Said H. to Johnny O’Neil
“I’ve money in the town
If you’ll consent to pull Red Buck
You’ll have your money down.”

Christmas Day soon rolled around
The horses took their tracks;
The riders in their favorite suits
Were mounted on their backs.

The start was made, so roll the ball
Everything is dead
Red Buck will be pulled
And Dolly shoved ahead.

But the old Turf Man drew his gun
And down on Johnny came
Who stuck the spurs in Red Buck’s side
And slackened on the rein.

Red Buck sixteen feet ahead.
GOODBYE DOLLY SLANE.

But the day after the race was something else. Some people, bewildered at their loss were in despair, others still were speculating on the WHY of it all, and many leaving town for their ranches or jobs feeling bitterness at the result of this trick of Fortune. Dolly’s backers, who had planned on big winnings, were in desperate financial situations, as many had bet everything they owned and found themselves broke.

Johnny’s winnings were great, an exotic gold watch and chain inlaid with gold quartz, guns of all kinds, gold, silver and greenbacks, and best of all a half interest in Red Buck. O’Neil invested all the cash in the Bon Ton, the saloon which had the largest business of the five saloons in town.

After the exciting Red Buck and Dolly Slane race, horseracing and betting on it, grew in Saguache and its surroundings like a fever in the blood. Every family owned horses and some of these were fast. Every Sunday or holiday saw a race of some kind between horses owned by local families and ridden by members of those families. Betting on the races was accepted as part of the sport, and what was lost on one race could be won back on the next one — maybe?