Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23

Island, bound for the Jersey tracks, quite
as many days as on the eastern side, bound
for the tracks of Long Island. But that
time has long since passed away. No more
do the North river ferry boats, connecting
with race-rack trains, pull out of their
slips packed to the gates with racegoers.
The very name of Monmouth Park, I'M
doubtedly the finest institution of its sort
in the United States in it's day. is almost
forgotten, as practically the last vestige
of the parks grandstands have disappeared
forever.
This year. for the first time, there will
be no vast racing crowds going out of the
city to the northward, either, for the Sara
toga contingent is comparatively small.
Westchester Park for more than a genera
ton the home of the best new world rae
ing events, has echoed for the last time
to the tumultuous hoof beats of madly
striving thoroughbreds as they thunder
over the track; for the last time the cries
of the jockeys and the boollies have been
heard within its classic precincts; the last
of all its celebrated crowds, made up of the
high and the low. the rich and the poor,
society stars and tenement house jewellers,
has gathered and dispersed.
Its place will be taken this year by Bel
mont Park, newest finest and most up-to-
date racing track in America, If not in the
world.
This track will not open till a week from
next Thursday - May i and while one
meeting has already been held in this vi
. entity, that of Queens County Jockey Club,
/ at jamaica neither real racing nor the
real thing in racing crowds will be seen
till Belmont Park opens. All the old stand
bys, the Metropolitan handicap that made
Westchester track famous for so many
years. along with the rest, will be con-
tested this year at Belmont Park. which
Will accommodate crowd of nearly half
hundred thousand. there being seats for
10000.
Large Crowds Expected.
The gentlemen Of the Jockey Club are
looking for bigger racing crowds this year
than have ever before been seen here.
Practically all the big summer racing in
this country is now carried on in New
York state, all the meetings except those
held at Saratoga being held on Long ISL
and and some of them within the boun-
daries of the greater city. The discontin-
uance Of racing in Chicago, though sin
cerely regretted by racing men here as a
genuine blow to the racing and breeding
interests OF the whole country, will I'M
doubtedly add to this years interest In
the local races, and its influence has al
ready been felt in increased entries, with
correspondingly larger purses.
1t viii add somewhat to the attendance,
too for there is a contingent of betting
men who formerly devoted their time and
attention to the Chicago tracks who now
make their headquarters here 1t must be
confessed however, that they will not be
numerous enough to make any visible i'm
preston upon the thronging thousands
who go from Manhattan to the tracks by
train. by trolley and by boat on the days
of the big events.
Although New York's racing crowds are
really impressive in size, there is no doubt
that they have been topped on some occa-
sions by those of Chicago. These, now
ever have generally been confined 10 the
American Derby day. 1t has been stated
more than once by the New York papers
that the attendance al some big races here
has run up TO 5000 or 10000 or perhaps
more but the Jockey Club officials smile
when such figures are mentioned and re-
mind you that newspapers sometimes ex-
aggerate.
Il cannot speak with exactness without
going over my records" said one of these
officials the other day, but my memory is
that the record race attendance figures are
40 600 paid admissions and about 5000 free
admissions. the race drawing this biggest
crowd being the rich Suburban handicap.
Chicago's American Derby.
These figures have been repeatedly ex-
celled in Chicago by the American Derby
crowds. At first blush this seems sur
prising. for while Chicago is a big city,
New York is bigger and, besides. is sur
rounded by a suburban district more thick
~ populated by millions. The Jockey Club
official already quoted explains the dis
crepancy about follows:
When the American Derby was estab-
lished," he said, lit struck Chicago that
here was a new institution, a great race,
the winner OF which was to win enormous