New-York tribune., 1919-09-10
Ties
Mile RecOrdin
Winning Stake
Hildreth's Star Beats Nat
uralist and Star Master in
the Manhattan Handicap
By w. ]. Macbeth

Sam Hildreth's Lucullite, the brown
four-year-old son of Trap Rock-Lucky
Lass, won the Manhattan Handicap. at
a mile, the feature Of yesterdays pro-
gramme at Belmont Park, and in win
hlng proved himself one of the very
greatest thoroughbreds in training.
Lucullite beat J. Z. Widener's five
year-old imported acknowledgements
~ conceded about the best handicap
morse OF the older division-as we'll as
"A. r.. Macomber's Star Master. and
beat them both so handily the race was
never IN doubt. Eased somewhat at the
very end, Fator still took Lucullite the
mile in the wonderfully fast time of
:36 80, which tied the track record
Tor the distance, set by August Bel
mont,s Stromboli on September 7, 1914.
Lucullite's time by quarters was
o:2a Is, o:4s 3-5, 1: III As, 1856 s-5 |''
All things considered, Lucullite's
performance of yesterday was far more
creditable than that of Strombol.
Luculllte picked up 1870 pounds, while
the -year-old Stromboli carried
only III pounds in his record breaking
effort
Ideal track and weather conditions pre-
vailed tor Stromboh. The weather was
'>''' ing Dut 1iSIL lOT Lucullllo. HOT
weather is a great adjunct to sensa-
tional speed. Yesterday it was cool,
even chilly to the point of coldness.
Had the weather been such as it was
the day before, there is little doubt
Lucullte would have set q mark that
would have stood the assault of
number of years. Indeed, had the Trap
Rock colt been crowded more closely
through the last sixteenth he might
have run fraction faster.
Shakes Off Sprinters
Lucullite fairly flew for the first
half-mile. He stepped the first quarter
in 23 Is. shaking off the sprinter.
Naturalist, by three lengths up to that
stage of the journey. He continued
this terrific pace for the half. which he
turned in 46 3-5, or 90 2-5 for the sec
ond quarter. Around the hometurn in
the third quarter Lucullite was step
ping so fast that he swung a triho
in hand to straighten him. This was
his slowcst quarter. but still pretty
fair one, % Is. to be exact He raced
the last quarter in 81 4-5, in face of a
quartering breeze, to tic Stromboli's
record for the mile
Star Master closed with a wonderful
burst Of speed and took the place from
Naturalist. He was crowding Lucullite
at the very end but only because Of
the fact that Fator had eased up the
last fifty yards, when he saw he had a
coprer-rvcted cinch. Enfilade. which
trailcd away back most Of the distance,
was the only other starter. Sam Hill
drcth's great three year-old, Purchase; =;
w. R. Coos Over There and Harry
Payne Whitney's VeXatious were
scratched.
Mars Cassidy got The field off to a
to nose tho rst sixteenth. Then Lu-
cu'lite rapidly drew clear from the
others. Naturalist next shook the
hunch Then Enflade drew off to a
lengths lead over Star Master. After
a furlong Lucullite was leading Nat
uralist by three lengths; Naturalist
WAS two lengths in front Of Entilade,
which in turn was a good length before
Star Master.
They held these relative positions
around the bead. On the stretch turn
Tairbrother attempted to hug the rail,
but Lucullitc was travelling at such
speed he couldn't make the turn and
went wide. Fairbrother goingout also
with Naturalist to avoid trouble. This
enabled Star Master to skim through
on the rail, saving much ground.
Race for Second Money
From there it was race for second
money of a stake worth $4,000 Wi
dener's gelding, which did not warm
up so pert as usual and which did not
display his customary early speed, be-
gan either to sulk or to tire from the
heavy impost OF 1871 pounds 1t was
seen at the furlong pole Star Master
he'd Naturalist's number
Lucullite maintained his advantage to
the sixteenth, where Fator eascd him
up bit, but Star Master came with
such rush the jockey, to guard against
accident. shook up the favorite again
fifty yards from the wire He won with
more than length to spare
Though he raced very little this sea-