New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-11
REVENGES DEFEAT IN
THE CLASSIC WlTHERS
Bac, with Johnny Tucker in the
Saddle) Captures Amateur
Cup in Easy Style.
By f. ID. BURROWS.

pasture 70 witness the forty-eighth
running Of the famous Belmont Stakes
and 10 see which OF the prominent gen
tlenan riders of the East would annex
the Amateur Cup. Friar Rock, that
sterling son Of Rock Sand and Fairy
Gold which captured the Suburban
Handicap on Memorial Day, again
proved his worth by tearing home
ahead OF Spur Churchill snd Chicle IN
the stake race. while Johnny Tucker,
mounted on Andrew Miller's chestnut
gelding. Bac. took down the silver tro-
ply and cash prize offered for the gen.
tlemen's contest
Il was a day Of vengeance. as well as
triumph, for Friar Rock. On Tuesday
afternoon last the symmetrical Bel
mont colt, running against exactly the
same horses-with John Madden's
speeder. Gillies, an added attraction i'm
The Withers. was hung up on the rail
by James Buffers three-yesr-old Spur
with Jockey LOTUS up. Spur, because
of the rough riding tactics of his rider,
finally manged 20 win the race, but
LOTUS was set down for the balance OF
the meeting on account of the manner
in which he had bumped and bufeted
the other horses.
This Race Truly Run.
Yesterday, however, all was different
There were no foul tactics and no
handicaps. Friar Rock and Spur met
on terms Of absolute equality-save
possibly a slight difference in the abil-
ity Of the respective jockeys and the
son Of Rock Sand wreaked royal re-
venge on the son Of King James for the
latter's part in last Tuesdays affair
The Belmont Stake of 1916 will prob
ably 20 down in turf history as one OF
the most evenly contested races between
thoroughbreds ever witnessed at the
Long Island hippOdrome. Not a one of
the four speed kings which essayed 20
negotiate the trail from wire 10 wire
but had the strength, speed and cour-
age to perform his task in creditable
fashion. Not a single member of that
sterling quartet that was not striving
every inch Of the way.
1t was merely question of class,
and in that struggle for supremacy the
courageous and determined colt which
bore the colors of August Belmont
proved himself inches greater than the
lioa-hearted youngster above whose
withers fiuttere6 the white-and -cherry
silks of James Butler.
I is barely possible that Spur would
have pushed Friar Rock a bit harder
had Jockey LOTUS been in the saddle.
McDermott, while a good, steady lad,
docs not possess either the initiative
or the daring Of the youngster who
rode the son of King James in The
Withers. Haynes. who rode Frisr
Rock, is a strategist of no mean cali
bre; and, all else being even, figures
slightly better than McDermott IN rat
ing 8 horse in a long race.
But il is not believed that Spur
could have beaten Friar Rock yester-
gay. even had the great Snapper"
Garrison himself had the leg up on
the Butler colt. The son Of Rock Sand
had a vendetta to put through, and he
would have brooked no interference
from the mere man astride the victim.
The Start Was Perfect.
The four horses, carrying the colors
Of Belmont, Butler, Keene and Whit
ney, were away from the barrier to-
Cether, flashing across the straight
away and into the first semi-circle Of
the as" course with scarcely foot
separating them. Spur and Chicle,
Harry Payne Whitney's imported en-
try, were making the pace, with Friar
Rock and Churchill grimly hanging on.
Up through the trees they flashed,
first one and then another OF the quar-
tet making a vain attempt 10 break
away. laundering down into the
stretch. heads up and nostrils dilat-
ing, each Of the four picked his path
to the wire and opened up that final
speed burst which he hoped would
bring him home a winner.
There, and only there, was the place
chosen by Jockey Haynes TO give Friar
Rock the word for which the latter
had been waiting for two full minutes.
"Gol" said Haynes, and the chestnut
responded with a rush that carried him
clear.
Despite McDermott's urging Spur was
not equal TO the last dash of the Bel
mont three year-old. Friar Rock flashed
past his rival Chicle and Churchill
had by this time been hopelessly beaten
of-and rushed across the line a win
ner. Spur had plenty left TO beat of a
final challenge from Churchill, which
took third place without effort from
the weary Chicle.
Friar Rock, by winning the 1916 Bel
mont STAKE, took his place among the
great thTee-year-o OF the year-and
paid in full debt Of honor which he
owed Mr. Buffers slashing contender.
Mr.. John Tucker, riding Andrew Mil
ler's geldrng, Bac, had no difficulty in
winning the Amateur Cup away from a
field composed Of Top Hat, with Mr..
Raymond Belmont up; Virile, with Mr..
Cecil BrabazOn in the saddle and
Bachelor, ridden BY his owner. MIR. W.
Z. Martin. Bac beat the barrier by a
good three lengths and was never
headed
Next in Importance 70 the Belmont
and the Amateur cups was the White
stone, q steeplechase handicap over the
two and quarter mile turf and brush
course, which was won by Hbler. a
brown geldng. carrying the silks of
Mrs. +. Ambrose Clark, after spectac-
ular exhibition Of front-running.
Immediately after the start Hbler
proceeded TO open up a gap OF some
thirty lengths between himself and his
field, the other three hunters in the
race being content 20 allow the Clark
entry TO run his head Off" in the be-
lief that he would then curl up and
quit.
But in the bright lexicon Of Hibler
there Is evidently no such word as
quit" Rhomb, Hustler and Bill bud
ley. when the time came TO close up
on the leader. found that they were en-
tirely unprepared for the task. The
faster their riders urged them TO 20 the
faster young Parrette, on Hibler, set
the pace out front.
Barrier after barrier was passed, but
still the son Of knight Errant and Mar
gsret Roche held out, sprnting away
from the trailing trio whenever they
came within what his rider had set as
the danger mark.
Long shots featured the other events
~ affqrnOon although Prince