The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-05-04
GREATEST RACE TRACK IN The
WORLD HAS OPENED ITS
GATES TO PUBLIC
Over Fifty Thousand People Paid for
Admission-An Excellent Racing
Program Pulled Off

NEW YORK, May 4.-Representlng
the work of three years and the eX-
penditure of 100000, Belmont Park,
the greatest racing track in the world
opend it's gates today for the spring
meeting of the Westchester Racing as
sociation. Half-past two was the time
set for the commencement of the sport,
hut for hours before the Long Island
railroad trains and the trolley cars
leading to the track were packed with
people and the highways to Queens,
L. l., where the track is located, were
blocked with tallyhos and fashionable
euuipages of all descriptions, all head
ed in the same direction. At 2 o'clock
it was estimated that $4,000 people had
already passed through the gates. The
afternoon led off with the Belmont
Park inaugural, with three trophies, of
silver cups, one each for the owner,
trainer and jockey of the winner. The
event of the day is the classic Metro
politan handicap, with $4,000 added.
The other events are the Juvenile and
the New York Steeplechase.
Visitors today, although already in
formed of the beauties of the new rae
ing resort, were amazed at the beau
of its appointments. The capacious
grond and field stands, and the broad
ST. 1g lawns are amply large for
Gro of over $4,000 persons to move
abou. in comfort, and the transporta-
ton facilities are on scale in accord
ance with the magnitude of the whole
undertaking. In the grandstand alone
more than $4,000 persons can be seat
ed without crowding, and the prone
broad In building these structures
and laying out the lawns care was
taken to place them so that the view of
every one of the five tracks would be
perfect from every point, and at no
season of the year will the sun shine
in the eyes of spectators in any of the
stands.
Five main traces provide for every
type of racing. The principal track is
of the standard oval shape, one and
one-f1alf miles in length. This is adj
joined by the turf track, which is one
f1o
additional track in the oval of one
mile and a quarter.
The steeplechase course is one mile
and quarter, and may be extended
by adding the training track and in
field to a total distance Of two and
three quarter miles. The stairway
chute is an ideal course for sprinting
races. 1t is seven furlongs in length
and is the only absolutely straight
course of this length in the United
States. The training track is val
liable addition, as it can be used at
all times for exercise, and there need
be no cutting up of the main track for
this purpose. 1t can also be used to
increase the length of the main track
and steeplechase course All the tracks
have a uniform width of 100 feet. I'm
usual care has been given to the max
ing of these tracks, and while they do
not differ materially from the tracks of
standard construction, except in the
matter of drainage, they may be said
to be the most perfect specimens of the
track builders skill to be seen in this
country. The top surface is sandy
lcam, which was the original soil ex-
cavated to make way for the founda-
ton of the tracks 1t was carefully
preserved and replaced after it had
been screened.
Every care has been taken to make
the tracks dry and firm, compact and
fast, but just as much care has been
taken to avoid making them hard
enough to injure the horses. By the
entire surface of all the tracks can be
sprinkled uniformly and in very few
minutes.
The convenience of the arrangements
for communication is a feature. With
out leaving their stand the judges can
communicate with any portion of the
park by means of complete telephone
system, which is in direct communi-
cation with every starting point and
the observers placed along the tracks.
There are no permanent obstructures
Of any kind to obstruct the view, for
even the result board is so constructed
that during the progress of a race 1t
is dropped from view.
a Stable accommodations have been
provided for 1000 horses, and this
number will be materially increased as
demanded. James r. Keene, August
Belmont, E. r. Thomas, Clarence
Mackay, w. B. Leeds, and number
OF other prominent trackmen will make
the place their headquarters.