The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-26
THE FINN WINS
METROPOLITAN IN
A DRIVING FINISH
n. q. HaIlenbeck's Black Won.
der Earns Decision by Three
Parts Of q Length.
FINISHES
SECOND AND SPUR THIRD

with the cheers Of $4,000 persons 90
s~slsrs4ins his hnai strides X q Hal
isnoecks great f~our-year-old colt Tho
y1nn struggled homo 10 . gallant NO
cory IN the Metropolitan Handicap o
Dsimont Park yesterday. putting August
Dsimonrs stromboli. last years winner.
IN second place BY the narrow margin OF
~fhree-uuarters Of q length. James But
isrs Spur was third. three lengths back
Victor and vanquished a. well a.
nearly all Of the field Of a dozen that
started for the big race deserved a meas
ure Of praise, but the main subJect TOT
c%ongratulation was the positive proof
that racing has been reestablished as a
treat sport with power TO attract . multi
tude whenever important events are TO
be decided.
There were fears among some Of the
turf governors that the opening OF the
Jockey Club season at Jamaica last week
might affect the attendance at Belmont
Park. where the Wcstchester Racing As
ISOLATION has run of the first OF the big
handicaps since the association was
forced to vpcate tho Morris Park course.
where the first Metropolitan was run In
1891. All such fears proved groundless,
n the crowd that watched the twenty
third running Of the classic yesterday
compared we'll with any that has been
seen at this fixture and exceeded In num-
bers any gathering at the Belmont track
since the Decoration Day crowd which
greeted tho resumption Of the sport after
hostile legislation put n momentary
check 20 the sport Of kings.
A doubtful. serious. almost sombre air
Illuminated thu a0rlv arriynlg htff this
changed quickly as the thousands assem-
bled and occupied every seat IN the
spacious grand stand and formed a com
pact mass on the lawn where spectators
were busy trying to anticipate the finish
Of the races. Spirited finishes and the
success OF we'll supported horses had
their effect, and long before the chief
event was scheduled the occupants OF the
stand were ready to shout n cheer
whenever occasion offered.
Victory for the Sport.
Stalwart supporters of the turf through
many trying periods could be met at
every turn and each smiled broadly at
the overwhelming evidence supplied by
the vast crowd that racing had won a
victory on It's merits as a sport and not
because OF the gambling incentive which
was alleged by reforintrs to he the life
OF the contests among thorouchbrcds.
There WAS betting Of course, as there al
ways will be when men OF red blood meet
with pr. ferences for one or the other OF
the contestants In a big race. but no open
gambling or bookmaking as construed by
the courts. This. on the authority Of
Sheriff Petit Of Queens county. who had
forty deputies engaged In a vain attempt
TO discover violations OF the law.
Tha narltast tnli.atinrS that ~o,snu
had been revived were to be found in the
paddock long before the first saddling
bell. There the main body which had
assisted in the p~erfunctory opening AT
Jamaica greeted the arrivals from Ken
lucky and Canada who waited until this
m TO take their place
among the supporters of the Eastern
turf. There were many foreigners pres
ent to observe the qualities of the i'm
ported horses which are destined TO play
an important part In the fixtures of the
year. One OF the most enthusiastic Of
h visitors was Edward Moorhouse. pub
Usher of the British Blood Stock Revicp,
whO after a sojourn In Kentucky as the
guest of Arthur Hancock had to admit
that tho real racing of America was to
be found In Belmont Park.
There was no dollar field, owing to the
aesire of August Belmont TO cooperate
with the county officials In the prevention
OF indiscr!minate betting. therefore the
main grand stand was filled with solid
citizens. temperate In behavior until their
favorite horses were engaged in crucial
struggles. There was a change then and
the ordinarily Unconditional business man
was transformed into an animated par
eisan who with voice and limb did his
utmost to bring his chosen candidate
Asme in fropt OF has field.
Crush In Clubhouse.
N the clubhouse, where the exclusive
supporters OF racing exchange conn
dences and watch the contests, the scene
was inspiring, In fact. even surpassed
the palmy days OF racing which old
timers gloat over. There Is seldom a
crush In the clubhouse and on the re-
served lawn fronting 1t. but yesterday
elbow room was at a premium and heads
of favOrites in society bumped together
IS they sought to obtain vantage ground
from which to get a glimpse OF the fly
Ing racers. Jammed together on lawn
balcony, the only satisfaction the oc-
cupants of the clubhouse had was that
they were being pushed around by mem
Ders of their own set. Caterer Stevens
played to a capacity house for luncheon
parties In the exclusive section. Every
table was taken at ] o'clock and late
Corners had to take their turn and do
their best to snatch a meal between eX-
citing races.
There was ar anxious few minutes
between the first and second races when
threatening clouds dulled the brilliancy
of the scene. A few drops OF rain fell
and women with expensive gowns made
a quick dash for shelter only to crowd
back to the front of the lawn again when
the storm passed over without any seri-
GUS results. 1t was only in the club
house enclosure that anxiety was felt,
for the rank and file on the lawn facing
the grand stand kept on picking winners
and trying to induce some Venturesome
Spectator to lay odds against their Sc
lectionS.
Old timers on the way TO the track
told. among other incidents. how August
Belmont had captured the first race or
the opening day OF Belmont Park In 1905
Many must have remembered that, for
Tea Caddy, the bearer OF the Beimoni
silks IN the initial event, was made th'
favorite ANA justified predictions blscc
on tradition by wlnning the race. Tn
chairman OF the Jockey club ended "a
he began with "A victory when his SmarI
two-year-old Sercnest won the CLOSING
race. These successes atoned In Il mca
aure for the defeat OF Stromboli an'
Friar Rock, the belmont entry, in IN,
Metropolitan Handicap.
interest In First Race.
A. usual on an opening day, grea'