New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17
Paddock Most
Popular Place
Racetrack
Three.Year.Old Fillies Are
Centre of Attraction; An
E.nvious Pony
nv HARRIETTE UNpERHILL

The most popular place at Belmont
Park Yesterday was the paddock, and
unless you happened to be filly, three
years old. you hadn't a chance in the
world of having the least bit OF at
,eutior paid TO you. Wistful. Julialeon.
Battle. The Banshee and August Bel
mont's Serenest were the centres OF
attraction.
No one whom VIC encountered yes
terday had encountered James Butler,
so it did look as though he missed the
pleasure of seeing Wistful win. She is
the sweetest, daintiest thing. and when
you put your hands on her she reels
like satin over steel springs.
We interviewed Battle, too. but she
seems TO lack the personality Of the
Star Shoot flly.
4 Pathetic Sight
We noticed a pathetic sight IN the
paddock Just before this race. ne
little piebald pony, whose duty 1t IS 10
run errands for the equine stars, STOOD
all alone. regarding the FLIES so visit
fully. We christened the piebald one
Fohippus. in commemoration OF the
immortal lines, THE little Eohippus
who wished he was horse"
When Wistful won the Coaching CLUB
Handicap she won for her owner the
first leg on the Singleton Cup. This
trophy was offered in 1920 at Charles
ton, s. C.. and was won by many famous
horses before il went into retirement.
II never has been seen since the war
until il was purchased by the Coaching
Club to he competed for by FLIES three
years old
The Singleton Cup is an enormous
gold trophy, rather ornate. with funny
curlicue handles that look like cork
screws. Il must be won three times,
though not necessarily consecutively,
by the same owner before 1t becomes
his property. A silver cup of about the
same size as the gold one will be given
10 the winner each year. To improve
the stamina of the FLIES, the distance
will be increased a furlong in the next
competition.
The fastest time for the Belmont
was made in that race yesterday by
Hourless. This Belmont was about as
exciting as seeing toy balloon burst,
and over as soon. Only those with field
glasses could follow the tiny specks on
the horizon as the horses raced over
the peculiar S-shaped track which is a
part of the Belmont requirements.
An Arduous Race
After the entries had raced over
three or four counties they came IN
sight. and Hourless was away out ma
front alone. Wonderful was taking It
leisurely about a furlong behind
Skeptic, secure in the knowledge that
no one could take his 5000 away from
him. He evidently thought he might as
well take his time and 90 it well.
Having the horses race q mile away
from the grandstand is, no doubt, ex-
ceedingly English, but is it enjoyable
If you state susch radical views 20 any
of the horsemen they look aghast and
say: "Why, the Omnibus Stakes at
Monmouth Park was run a mile and
three furlongs straight" To which one
must not reply in the words of a IA
nous critic: "Well, what OF it?"
We wondered why no one cheered on
the winner in the first race by calling
his name. Even our lovely lady was
silent. so we stepped into the breach,
and every one laughed His name is
Xylon The imp. after the name prob
ably stands for impossible. In self-de-
fence one was bound to root for Kill
dee. who finished second.
The horses are going TO the nice,
cosev Jamaica track tomorrow and per
haps before they return TO Belmont the
river will have stopped seeking an out
let via the underground passage which
leads from the train to the racetrack.
They do not call it an aqueduct, but
that is what il really is. The mad wag
who visits the races said that one
needed a Ford TO get from the platform
TO the paddock