The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-05
NATURALIST SHOWS
SPEED OF A ROSEBEN
Carries 40 Pounds and Runs
Six Furlongs on Heavy Track
at Belmont in iii 3-5.
by HENRY ". KING.

Joseph e. Widener's imported gelding
Naturalist probably is the best Splinter
the American turf has had since the
days of the immortal Roseben. Carry
ing the crushing impost of 14o pounds
he defeated the best sprinters In train
ing in the Autumn lightweight Handi-
cap at Belmont Park yesterday, after
noon and over track that was several
seconds slow to the mile ran six furlongs
in the exceptionally fast time Of / IL 3-5.
Among the great sprinters he led home
were Commander ]. X. L. Ross Billy
Kelly, A K. Macomber's HOLSTER, Nor
ton L.. Schwartz's Enfilade and Mrs.
Payne Whitney's Peter Piper. To beat
Billy Kelly, which was shouldering 1874
pounds, Naturalist was compelled to do
his level best The juvenile champion
of last season ran his best race of the
year and held command until the very
last stride. where Naturalist under a
vigorous ride by "Butts' Fairbrother got
up in time to beat him by a nod. Stag
gering from fatigue four lengths back
Enhiade finished in third place.
When Naturalist polSed his nose home
In front the crowd proclaimed him the
most useful and consistent thoroughbred
as well as the greatest Splinter on the
turf. While the race was on all knew
Naturalist and Billy Kelly were run
ming exceptionally fast, but few believed
1t was possible for any thoroughbred to
run six furlongs over such heavy track
in III 3-5. This IL only one second
behind the record established fast week
by S. c. Hildreth's Lucullite over a
lightning fast track while carrying 1870
/ pounds, Under the conditions Natu-
ralists performance was a record break
ing one.
BnIy Kelly Sets Pace.
1t was Naturalists eighth victory in
his last ten starts and 1t was his most
| Impressive. He got away from the bar
rier fifth and before he got into his
stride Billy Kelly was two lengths in
front of him. But Fairbrother lost no
time in getting him going at his best
| and before the first furlong had been
covered he was at Billy Kelly's saddle
girtns. There he remained. Billy Kelly
was running straight and true and held
half lengths advantage on Mr.. Wild
eners son of Rabelais until seventy
yards from the finish.
There Billy Kelly began to hang. Inch
by inch Naturalist gained on him and
in the very last jump Fairbrother fairly
lifted the aged gelding past the judges
the victor.
So close was the finish that II looked
| like a dead heat and no one in the
| throng knew thu winner until the judgey
| announced their decision. Mr. Widener.
who saw the contest from the roof of the
| clubhouse, believed his pet had been
beaten. The angle had deceived him.
He had rooted" hard for Naturalist
| during the run through the homestretch
and when the pair passed the judges he
| turned away a disappointed man. He
didn't wait for the posting of the official
numbers and was on his way to the
stairs leading to the paddock when he
was informed that his horse had won.
When he saw Naturalist's number on
| top of the board he gave a whoop of
| jay that could be heard at the furthest
| end of the huge grand stand.
Ivry Wins Handicap.
The Ronkonkoma Handicap. the Sec
ondary feature, went to the little chest
| nut geiding Ivry. He carried only nine
ty-nine pounds and followed the pace ia
| the homestretch. There he sped after
the leaders, and. catching Recount, the
pacemaker, faltering at the final six
| teenth pole. went to the front and won
| easily by a length. In his last race at
| Saratoga Ivry was disgracefully beaten.
Consistency. the imported flly. which
| won the Spnaway at Saratoga, scored
the easiest kind of a victory in the first
race. She took command at the start
and made her opponents look as If they
were ponies. At the end she was eased
up to a walk four lengths in front of
Harry Payne Whitney's Arethusa, n
daughter of Broomstick. which was MAX
ing her first initial appearance under
silks. Consistency was bred by A, p.
Hancock and was sold to Commander
] X. L. Ross on the eve of the Spin
away.
After a long absence from the track
War Marvel came out and won the last
event from a high class field of three
year-olds.