New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-05
BELMONT PARK OPENED.
DEAD HEAT IN FE1TURE.
,Spsonby and Race King Tie IN
Metropolitan Handicap.

When the performances of other and possibly
hefter thoroughbreds on the American turf have
been long forgotten the names Of Sysonhy- and
Pace King will be recalled-and the memory
will always awaken a thril-as the two that
-an 3 dead heat in the first Metropolitan Handi-
CAP ever run at Belmont Park" Neither Sy-
Honbv the three-year-old son Of Melton-Optime,
nor Race King, a diminutive son Of Tenny. the
swaybacI IS ever likely to occupy a luminous
niche in the hall OF turf heroes, but their names
viii endure, and the present generation of turf
folk viii cherish the picture they made as they
Fought 81 out side by side in that desperate
struggle as one Of the most valuable reminis-
cences in their entire sporting Teperto-y. That
dead heat VIII be sufficient for their fame
A DAY WITHOUT PARALLEL.
L was a fitting climax to a day that has no
parallel in the annals of American racing. All
The prophecies-Iooked arrogant and
bcastful two months ago-concerning the open
4ng Of Belmont Park fell far short Of the reality.
Only IN the 1hrougs which attend the running
Of the Derby At Epson and the Melbourne Cup
3n Australia can there be had adequate COM
PARSONS for The outpouring Yesterday. The
Pinkertons estimated at noon that thirty thou
aand persons had gone through the alleys where
The turnsties ought 10 have been-they had
been removed. incidentally. to prevent posi-
be congestion and by o'clock they had
sEelled this estimate 10 forty thousand. BY
9 it had reached fifty thousand and there it re
NAMED. all previous records wiped out by at
least fifteen thousand
The Long Island Railroad had made elaborate
efforts for Transporting the crowd to and from
The track but It was simply overwhelmed by the
rush. and AT $50 O'Clock. when the first race
was scheduled 10 be run, the track manage
ment received word that there were still a half
dozen traiusful on the way, and in order not TO
disappoint their passengers the hands of the
Official clock were showed ahead 10 O'Clock, and
The horses did not go to the post until nearly
ten minutes after this. hour
a VARIEGATED ASSEMBLAGE
The attendance. moreover, was NOT restricted
70 any one locality nor TO any one class. They
came. men and women. old and young. from the
classic confines Of Boston and Cambridge from
Philadelphia and from the sporting environs Of
Chicago and the coast cities. The Bowery and
the Avenue mingled in the surging democracy
Of The betting ring. And both the Bowery and
the Avenue wore its best clothes-and went
home with them tattersd and torn. In the more
exclusive precincts Of the clubhouse and the
paddock there was a tendency 10 affect the raj
rnent of Goodwood and Ascot, and tall hats and
frock coats stood out conspicuousy in the pict-
ure
But whatever the crowd wore it regretted that
it had not worn more The day, which began
with almost oppressive heat in town, gave way
under the influence Of a raw nor'easter that
came IN from the Sound, and before the middle
Of the afternoon furs and winter ulsters would
have been at all uncomfortable. on the
wind came clouds Of dust from the surrounding
hatlands and filled the stands until the gorgeous
millinery bouquet which bloomed there drooped
i1 Despair.
PARK NOT YET COMPLETED
The crowd came in a receptive mood to praise
or to condemn its new playground. and it did
both with huency ana some profanity although
for truths sake It must he said that the con-
oemnation was more loudly voiced than the
praise. That probably, was inevitable There
is still q tremendous amount OF work 10 be done
IN the way Of finishing touches, and it no doubt
vii be weeks get before the park is entirely
completed The bed Of cinders inTo which pas
sergers sank nearly knee oeep on alighting from
the train was not pleasant and played the mis-
chief with thousands of highly polished boots
The cement walk in front Of the grandstand had
been laid so recently that in places it was still
soft and it was necessary TO rope off entire sec
lions. An army Of carpenters was busy all day
putting benches in place and building walks
and it knocked off only for moment when the
'hig race was on.
After the comparatively restricted spaces OF
Aqueduct and Jamaica. the crowd-and the regu-
lars in particular found it difficult to adapt
itself 10 the huge scale which Belmont is
Continued eleventh page.