New-York tribune., 1918-08-02

heat the most sluggish sporting blood
every instant, from the time when he
pranced to the post until he returned
sedately to be unsaddled after his rec
ordbreaking performance. Record
breaking this performance was, one of
the very most astoundingly sensational
performances Of the astoundinglv brill
liant career of the son of Knight Err
rant
Roamer not only won, and won cas-
lily this Saratoga Handicap; he not only
beat the redoubtable Cudgel, which
many considered the best horse in
training, and as we'll the feet War
Cloud, which had been credited with
the mile and quarter almost two Sec
onds faster than a Saratoga race crowd
had ever before seen the distance run.
Carries 129 Pounds
Roamer covered the distance in 2:02
1-5. The old mark was 2:O4 fat, which
Roamer himself set as three-year-old
almost four years ago, when he shoul-
dered 1913 pounds. Roamer carried the
heavy impost of 129 pounds in his
record breaking effort this afternoon
He conceded many pounds to everything
of his field except the four-year-old
Cudgel, which packed top weight of 1873.
We will come in detail little later
to the soul-stirring effort of this game
thoroughbred, which for five seasons
has been an idol with Metropolitan race
goers. In passing over briefly to that
world of color which lends an indie
scribable charm to the very thought of
this mecca of the American turf, it
must be confessed that the Western
contingent, as usual, did not fare ig-
nobly in the days stirring activities.
The Flash, with a guaranteed val
lie of $4,000, was won by Billy Kelly,
a two-year-old bay gelding from w. F.
Polson's barn. Billy Kelly, in spite of
four recent victories in five starts out
West, was so little known or little
regarded as to be classed with the
outsiders. Yet he won the two-year-old
stake even more easily than Roamer
won the Saratoga, and in doing it tied
the track record for five and a half
furlongs at 1:05 3-5.
Price of Beer Is Doubled
Saratoga, always popular, promises to
be riot, and no less this season-the
the same, and the townsfoIk also. The
citizens were camping oht on their
doorsteps, ready to trap the unschooled
and unwary tranSients when the first
trains rolled into the depot last night
The hastily re-arranged menu cards
called for fountain pen revisions as the
crowds came earlier than expected, and,
needless to. say, the revisions were all
upward.
The thirst emporiums all issued plac-
ard warnings that on and after August
1 (Which was to-day) beer would be
ten cents instead of nickel, and the
hard stuff correspondingly hard to get
for the man without means.
1t might even be suspected in the
victory of Roamer that the townsfolk
were going just bit too far. Andrew
Miller, who owns the gallant gelding.
Is not only one of the leading citizens
racetrack as we'll. Mr.. Miller, how
ever, furnished fitting alibi, which
struck every eye the minute it strayed
inside the iron-fenced walls of the
forest-fringed race course.
Track Wonderfully Fast
All of the nice things that had been
said in commendation Of the lavish ex-
pense of the directors in making Sara
toga the garden spot of racing COM
Tort and charm were more than sub
stantiated. President R. T. Wilson,
Jr., as result of the changes has not
only the prettiest setting to be found
,
track in America as we'll
The wonderful time of Roamer. the
sensational time of Billy Kelly, and
several other performances of the day
stand out to prove the fact. This, too,
despite the hard rain earlier in the
week. 1t was not expected the course
would be lightning fast.
To-day's auspicious opening proved
beyond the least shadow of suspicion
<if such proof were needed-that rae
ing is as popular as ever in this water
Ing place, which as rule best reflects
the raring attitude of the continent.
The crowd was quite as pleasing as the
surrounding landscape.
The very best people of the East,
West, North and South were on hand
to pay homage to the thoroughbreds.
be expected from Saturday on. But
the class of the patronage of the club
house shows that Saratoga will lack
rome of the color of it's heyday once
the meeting has been really estab-
lished.
Roamer Has Outside Position
Now as to Roamer's race He was a
sight to stir the heart of painter as
he impatiently awaited the barriers
rise, from the extreme outside posi-
ton. AS the webbing was sprung
AsVoAnCi w0S away ol HIS Toes, HgnClnS
for his head. Robinson showed ex-
cellent judgment in restraining the old
gelding, for from his position it would
have been almost impossible to work
clear to win the rail. Roamer loves
best to run in front. Had Robinson
pushed him up, with all the weight he
carried, Roamer might not have had
his record breaking speed left for the
pinch.
This boy evidently realized before
the horses got half way to the first
bend that an unusually killing speed
was being set by Fairy Wand, the light
weighted entry of the Cochran stable.
This four-year-old Star Shoot filly was
in at SO pounds. Robinson, therefore,
rated Roamcr behind the pace.
Fairy Wand quickly drew away until
daylight showed between her and Pris-
ella Mullens. These two light weighted
fliies simply burned it up for the first
half mile. They reeled off the quar-
ter in 0:24 fiat and the half in 0:48M
The highly regarded Cudgel, always
slow TO begin, was trailing the field
this first half-milc, but the field on
the whole was we'll punched for race
OF the distance.
Koamer Moves Up
Shortly after he hit the backstrctch
Robinson began TO work up gradually
with Roamer. The old gclding had the
fpeed for every requirement. He shot
up like bullet when Robinson gave
him his head. Realizing what he had
,.n1ne bf., <rtpanr r.ut m xL1 ,or.r.