The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
BY reason of its great popularity, the
Suburban Handicap. the great annual ra-
cling carnival at the June meeting OF the
Concy Island Jockey Club. has reached the
distinction of a turf classic. The twentieth
contest for this renowned race will take
place Ga Thursday. June IS. Judging from
the immense crowds which have been in
daily attendance at the Metropolitan course
since the commencement of the Morris Park
meeting. the thTong expected on that day
wiil surnass all records.
Wherever racing is popular. and nowadays
uo community has escaped It's fhran. there
tho rams OF the great Suburban is deep and
lasting. II IS ut time Of year which
corresponds 10 the far famed aristocratic
function AT Ascot. and by virtue of its beau
ttFgi surroundings, the character of the per-
sons vino compose the Coney Island Jockey
CiUb. and the high-class sport which always
prevails there. 1t easily takes rank as one
Il the most popular race courses in the VI
entity Of the metropolis. That it may con-
time TO he the favorite rendezvous for low
ers Of racing IS the fervent aspiration Of
every person who has ever basked in the
pleasant precincts Of the Sheepshead Bay
course. over which not alone the Suburban.
hut many other great races are annually
run, such rs the Futurity. the Realization,
the Annual Champion. the Great Filly. the
Great Trial. the Great. Eastern. the Double
Event ami score OF other valuable events.
tho gross money value of which far exceeds
that competed for at any other American
course.
PLANNING THE SUBURBAN.
II IS due to the genius of the late James
g. X. Lawrence. himself a noted turfman.
partner at one time with George L. Loril-
ard that the present generation of devotees
of the turf owe all their pleasure derived
from the Suburban Handicap. In the winter
# 1889 Mr.. Lawrence submitted to the di-
rectors of the Coney Island Jockey Club
series of stakes. including the Suburban
Handicap. modelled on the lines of the
older English classic known as the City and
Suburban, run at EPSON. and which was
then fresh in the minds of turfmen from
having been won by American horses in 1879
and in 1872. The late Pierre Lorfllard's
Parole. who died about six months ago
won the rich English prize in 1879 carrying
lia pounds. defeating an excellent field and
waking the English up to the fact that
American racers were of much better class
Than they had supposed.
Again. Ia 1872. Passaic. another American
horse. owned by an Englishman, but pur-
chased at one of Mr.. Lorillard's wedding out
sales. won the City and Suburban. The
year before. 1881. saw James r. Keene's
l'oXhall beaten head by Ben dor in the
great race In fact. Americans had been
very prominent in the race for several
wears, so that the time was ripe when Mr.
Lawrence devised for his club a similar
event which would attract entries from all
The great stables of the country
The race has another feature which is al
ways much appreciated. 1t affords cap
iial medium for what is called ante-post
betting, and almost from its inception, eX-
cept at intervals due to financial crises in
the country at large, the Suburban has al
lays been a race upon which owners could
wager moderate amount and land large
sums. because the odds were usually liberal
In fact. it is history that in very few years