New-York tribune., 1905-06-16
BELDAME QUEEN OF ALL.
WINS CLASSIC SUBURBAN.
Delhi Surregaders and Proper Forces
the Great Mare Ont.

August BeImont's four-year- old Bel
dame the twenty-second renewal of the
Suburban Handicap at Sheepshead Bay yester
day, and in winning 1t she fulfilled all the quail
fcations the thoroughbred must have before the
stereotyped but final adjective of superiority
may be applied to 1t. Hereafter. through the
years of turf struggles that are to come, this
royal daughter Of Octagon-Bella Donna may be
referred to the mighty Beldame." The un-
deniable fact that all save two three of the
ten opponents that met her yesterday were de-
ffcient in class detracts not an 1ota from the
greatness of her deed, robs the victory sho
obtained over them of a particle Of its splendor.
From these few horses of class she demon
strated to the satisfaction OF the most critical
observer that she possessed the quality that was
previously denied her-the one flaw In her per
formances that has kept her from being ranked
among the mighty heroes Of the American turf.
She had speed in marvellous degree the critics
admitted and courage and stamina. but she
could not be rated-could not come from be-
hind and win"-and no thoroughbred can be ac-
counted truly great unless IT possesses the aoll-
ity to do this 1t is the supreme test and the
one most often lacking. Beldarne achieved 1T in
the Suburban yesterday against the most for
midable opposition that the turf OF to-day could
confront her with She did not loiter behind
horse of any ordinary speed performer that
was making the pace merely on sufferance, to
be overhauled whenever jockey saw MT TO
make his bid On the contrary, she was placed
behind one of the fastest flyers Of the day-a
colt that with his marvellous flight, can run
any ordinary thoroughbred off his feet carry
him so fast q pace that at the end of a mile the
horse trying to follow him is reeling and stag
gering and beaten
THE PACE SHE HAD TO FOLLOW
That colt yesterday was James r. Keene's
Delhi the four-year-old son of Ben Brush-V1va,
and because of his ability sprfnter and his
reputation front runner. he closed in the
last market slight favorite over the mare.
Those who supported him used as their ar
gument for doing that he would run her Off
her feet and when the real tussle came she
would not have the speed the disposition
left to overhaul him: and even If she did get
TO him" and make him quit--as they admitted
he might-she would kill herself doing it, and
some outsider would along and beat them
both.
These theorists had difficulty in hitting
upon the precise Of the other nine starters
most likely to do 1t. but a majority of them
finally selected Proper, and the Prestonpans
horse closed third choice to Delhi and Beldame.
backed from 6 to 1 to to 2 Others preferred
AdbeI and Joaquin the latter upon his good
little support at prices ranging around to 1
Adbell and IL to 1 Joaquin. First Mason at u.s.
Alan-a-Dale at 20s, Ostrich at 2Os and Bad
News at 4Os also had a following. mostly Of
holiday punters in whose eager ears some
earnest tout had whispered earlier in the day;
'HThera's nothin' to 1t; it's in now. DIDN'T
see 'em work him half in O:4S the hve-eighths
in / 90 fiat and the mile and a quarter in 2:0I,
wild his mouth open7 Honest. now, how you
goin to beat that? Billy Hurley seed me after
wards and told me to keep it to neself. Youse
is the only one I've spoke to. and know you
amt goin' to give none the worst of it.
All the others-even including Miss Craw-
ford. the extreme outsider-receved the same
eloquent eulogies and not until the numbers OF
the official placing had been run up could they
understand how it had been brought about or
how that sucker horse" Delhi had stayed out
ahead so long that the good thing tnat had
worked in 2O7 on the bitsky' was SO far be-
hind that ne could not be through the same
pair of glasses Incidentally 1t may be men
toned that they were more OF these dispensers
of get-rich-quick information than has been
seen on local track in long time. and they
all seemed TO be doing prosperous business.
EXCLUSIVE INFORMATION FOR ALL.
The possession of this priceless knowledge
gave each exclusive possessor of it a proprietary
interas. in the horse that was the unwilling VIC
tim cause of it. Gaudy young men, with great
near-diamond horseshoes blazing from their in
noted chests spoke of Delhi my horse"
Stout ladies with powder puffs hidden in remote
niaces referred TO Reldame "our horse" Old
men with one foot in the grave referred to First
Mason as the horse Charlie Rowe had given EN-
Continued fourth page.
TILE cEcOND EMpIRE