New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-07
IIERMIS BEATS BELDAME.
EQUALS TRACK RECORD.
First IN Test Handicap-Tongorder
Takes NOntGul.

Takes NOntGuk.
! The victory OF HerTois Beldame IN the Test
! Handicap at Brighton Beach yesterday not
only the most popular this chestnut cham
pion has won. but it served place him indis
putably the head of the list OF great American
! sprinters. With 1873 pounds his back Hermis
! the mile over the circular course at Brighton IN
13S which equals the track record. made by James
! R. Keene's Voter four years ago. AS the latter
horse carried I'D pounds to Hermis's 1873. it must
J be counted less OF achievement than was seen
| yesterday
Rermis gaze the supposedly nvinclble Beldame
eighteen pounds actual weight and one found by
! the scale and beat her by a scant length w. b.
Jennings's Dainty receiving twenty five pounds from
! Herlnis. Indifferent third Andrew Millers
! Wild Thyme, with IS pounds. and L. E. Smatherss
Dick Bernard. 20 pounds. the only other starters.
were run or their feet. and finished lengths behind
! The Test Handicap, which for the last three
years has been at six furlongs. was increased
to one mile, and was substituted for tho Brighton
/ Handicap the attraction for the opening OF the
Brighton Beach Racing Associations midsummer
meeting.
As II brought together Beldame, Newton Ben
nington's wonderful three-year-old FLY, that has
been gaoping over everything in her class she has
met this year. and h. r. Thomas's brilliant her
mis- the handicap Served its purpose admirably and
proved quite potent in bringing the public to me
little track by the race over longer dis
tance would have done.
The ons thing the race did not do to settle
{
the question of the mile sprinting supremacy be-
tween Beldame and Hernis. The champions OF tho
FLY quite that were the two TO meet Asaih
under the weight conditions. she would peat
her older contemporary much as they eApecleo
she would beat him yesterday. They attribute her
defeat In fact wholly the start but are dlVideo
IN their opinion TO whether Mars Cassiuy' 'Ae
starter or O'Neil the fllys jockey, was to blame
Tho field for The Test originally contained eleven
horses, but the withdrawal OF Highoall Dalesman
High Chancellor Damon. Dolly Spanker and GoId
Saint reduced 1t at post time TO only hve.
AS IL was conceded TO be a two horse race pc
/ tween Her1nis and BeIdame. the wtthdrawais-wlth
the exception of Highball-were rather welcomed
Il was the associations belief that one OF the TWO
horses could reduce the worlds record on crcu-
lar track of 1:37 % made last year at Harlem ana
as an incentive 1t offered cup. valued at N@o. 10
the performer THAI should accomplish the iea'
Either the other owners agreed with the associa~
ton and withdrew their horses that there might be
no chance OF interference. or else they conceos1
that they were outcassed. and kept their per
formers at home that account.
Throughout the period OF speculation the huctua-
lions showed plainly enough that the public found
It difficult TO choose between Hermis and Beldame'
and also did not for the other three at
any price For time TO could be had against
either OF the favorites. but as the pubAos
money continued pour IN on Mr.. Thomass horse
tho price was shortened, until Is 10 10 was the best
TO be found. Beldame's price remained stationary
IN spite OF the commission which her owner Mr..
Bennington. sent into the ring
As usual Beldame led TO the post. ana tho
boy. in fact. had hold OF the lead rein. had
scarcely let go before Mr.. Cassidy released tho
barrier. Hermis, walking up to II. ana
consequently had his fee: under him. was away Hke
a flash, and had two lengths the best OF II before
. O'Neill realized what had happened. The My was
standing her hind legs then. and 1t looked Tor
fraction Of second though she had been left at
the post When he got her going Redfern had
IIerIns in his stride, and the stables scheme OF
beating Hermis blocked before the contest had
begun. Both Beldame's owner and trainer DC
liered that if she could go out with Hermis ana
race with him stride for stride. she could make
him let go but with decidedly the worst or tho
start, she could never get nearer TO him than his
saddle girhs. and her challenge was never agrees
sve meuacing enough to make him lose heart
Dick Bernard in the mean time had essayed TO
do that which the illy had failed 10 do. and had
tTashened himSec ogt length behind Hers4iS
Oven found S5i Himself in pocket from which it
would be Impossible TO extricate himself Unless
eddy would have cost him the race There was
nothing for him to DO tnel9re h e' t@n ut az
the backstretch his FLY beaten. All through
t result aS USED e h e Game from It
but her rival eSogb of his ead to
reach the judges a length to the good: -, ,o,r..
a trite lame. and veterinary surgeon was imme.
dae for He Looked 90 tae horse foen gn
and as he soon walked out of it II was decided
iih on Ne Mr. Thomss SAID that he had no doubt
horse would lie all right by this morning and that
If he he would certainly start MIN III the
Brighton. to be Saturday.
Outside OF the Test Handicap the 0ffeTing was
an Indifferent one. the fields being light and OF
generally poor quality. The Montauk Stakes .r for
two-vear Odds was won by Sydney Pagets Ton
gorder the odds-on favorfte. by neck from Water
side which. after getting of last ran around his
/ field and closed with more speed ana courage thlh
I has thus far shown
Mr. Cotton's illuminate brilliantly ridden by
Raw cutfenced and outran Large field of chasers,
and won one o best contested races through
the field seen in a month Black Death and Conover
were the runners up Swamplands fell and BeT-
rnuda King ran out. The other winners were Re
liable Glisten and Dandelion