New-York tribune., 1919-06-12
Track Records
Topple in Race
For Rich Purse
Ross's Great Colt Adds
$4,000 to Winnings;
Covers Mills i'm 1:36 3-5
By w. ]. Macbeth

Commander j. K. l.. Ross's hand
some chestnut three-year-old colt, Sir
Barton, won the Belmont Stakes of
$4,000 at Belmont Park yesterday af-
ternoon. This accomplishment was but
an incident in the young life Of the
son of Star Shoot Lady Sterling. 1t
was only an exercise gallop for him.
though he covered the tortuous IS"
shaped belmont" course of one mile
and three furlongs with Johnny Lotus
faster than man and beast had ever
negotiated it before.
After the race all were convinced Sir
Barton was a champion of champions.
Not since the days of the mighty Colin
had an American three -ycar-old shown
such courage and ability, not to men
ton speed, in every condition to which
he was put to test. The winner of
the revered Kentucky Derby, the rich
Preakness, the famed Withers and the
priced Belmont has shown up with
ridiculous ease the very best Of his
class through the mud and over the
fast going.
The field which Sir Barton took into
camp yesterday was not SO pretentous
as those he had conquered in the other
rich stake engagements. But that was
not Sir Barton's fault. He was ready
to beat them one and all again. He
proved this by galloping the mile and
three-eighths in 2:17 2-5, new record
for this particular course, designed
especially to bring out all the high
qualities of thoroughbred class. The
best previous time was Hourless's per-
formance in 1917, when he finished in
2:17 As.
Only Two Accept Issue
". r. Goes Sweep On and Natural
Bridge were the only two that ac-
cepted the issue with Sir Barton. Goes
Over There, as we'll as the Beach
stables Pastoral Swain, were scratch
ed at the last minute. Natural Bridge
was sent to the post for the purpose
of making the early pace and killing
off Sir Barton, if possible
For the first six furlongs Natural
Bridge was winging out in front, on
sutferance alone. Sweep On trailed
Sir Barton by several lengths. But
pleasure. Not until after a mile had
been covered did LOTUS let Sir Barton
down. Then the big chestnut fairly
flew away from the others. He ran the
eighth around the turn coming into
the home stretch in the remarkable
time of 12 2-5 seconds.
The fractional time tells the story
better than words Natural Bridge
stepped the first quarter in % fiat;
the half in 0:45 2-5 and the six fur
longs in 1910 3-5-record breaking
time, all of it. Sir Barton then took
command, so it is his personal foot
that is represented in the later frac-
tional times appended; 0:22, 0:33 2-5,
o:45 2-5, o:57 3-5, 1910 3-5, 1928 Is,
1886 Is (the mile record of the main
course Is 1886 3-5, made by Stromboli,
with III pounds in 1910, 1:4S 3-5,
2:01 1-5, 2:17 2-5.
Has Won S64o50 to Date
LOTUS let down Sir Barton, as said,
for only an eighth at the top of the
stretch. What the colt showed when
he was given an opportunity to run
was more than convincing. He just
cantered through the final eighth and
pulled almost to a walk, beat Sweep
On by half dozen lengths at the end
If no i'll luck befalls Sir Barton he
is likely to seriously threaten Collins
great record for earnings, this one the
last of the 100000 three-year- olds.
Yesterdays victory netted Commander
Ross $11,950 Victories in the Derby,
Preakness and Withers had already
accounted for 53,0OO-making e. grand
total for the year of $64,950 for Sir
Barton.
The Harlem Selling Stakes of $4,000,
at mile, was also won by Commander
Ross, or rather by LOTUS, who rode
the six-year-old horse. Damrosch, to