New-York tribune., 1920-09-07
Handicap Goes
To Lion dor
In Nose Finish
ON Watch and Naturalist
Only Inches Behind Win
ner of lightweight Sprint
BY w. I. Macbeth

j. K. L. Ross's four-year-old chestnut
colt, Lion Dor, won the Fall High
weight Handicap, with $4,000 added, at
six furlongs straight, the feature event
Of yesterdays Labor Day attraction
at Belmont Park. In one Of the most
exciting fiDishes seen all year the lion
hearted son Of Heno outgamed George
w. Lofts On Watch and J. E. Wide
ner's Naturalist. The three were only
noses apart at the end in order named.
1t was truly a blanket finish and one
that had the big crowd on it's toes buzz
ing until the official numbers were
hung out
The holiday attendance was a great
testimonial to the popularity of the
thoroughbred sport, for a more dis
couraging afternoon, from the weather
standpoint, could scarcely be imagined.
The skies were lowering and threaten
ing when the first race trains left Man
haitian, and fifteen minutes before the
continued to drizzle intermittently
throughout the afternoon, though the
light rains did not interfere with the
speed of a lightning fast track In
! deed the intermittent showers simply
laid the dust.
The stand, field stand and club house
were packed to overfowing. Thou
sands Of others found refuge from the
rain under the big grandstand and in
the old betting ring. At least twenty
five thousand journeyed to Belmont
even though the program promised
nothing exceptional in the matter Of
high class entertainment.
Lion dor, coupled with Motor Cop,
ruled odds-on favorite for the High
weight, though Motor Cop was the one
supposedly on edge to turn the trick.
1t was said Motor Cop was never bet
ter, but he never seriously figured in
the running.
Peter Piper Sets Pace
The Greentree Stables good sprint
er Peter Piper. Lion dor and Natural
list broke in alignment and raced in
close company most Of the way. They
swept through the long straight at
brcakneck speed. Motor Cop and On
Watch were not far from the pace,
though it appeared that Hummer, with
Motoh Cop, eased up bit toward the
end when it seemed certain that Lion
dor could hold the race safe.
Peter Piper was the first to crack
under the strain. He was second most
heavily weighted and the impost of
1873 pounds was too much for him.
/ The old reliable gelding, Naturalist,
hung on gamcly under a spirited ride
by McAtee, and a furlong from home
cave every indication of putting Lion
dor a-"ay hardily.
Inside the eighth pole Naturalist got
a neck in front Of the Ross colt But
sande, after satisfying himself that a
hand ride would not win, went to work
in earnest through the final sixteenth.
Just then On Watch joined in the duel,
making it 4 three-corncred affair. No
pretticr tussle could be imagined than
that through the last hundred yards.
Lion dor was able to win because of
the superiority Of Sande's horsema
ship. Then, too. Naturalist tired badly
right at the end under his las pounds.
The Greentree Stables entry ran
one-two in the Broadhollow Handicap .
Steeplechase, with $4,000 added, at
about two miles. Syosset. with which
the stable declared to win, finished
first with Square Dealer second. J..
F.. Widener's Wisest Fool, the only
other starter. was third. Syosset set a
very satisfactory time of 4:10 and in
the most impressive fashion.
1t was pretty finish, with the three
timbcr-tcppers punched so closely at
the end blanket might have covered
them. However, that was because of
the fact that toward the end Heating
was content to hold the race safe and
wait for Syosset.
All three of the field fenced superbly
from start to finish. Wiscst Fool cut
out stiff pace from the start and soon
took command. Heating kept length
or so away the first turn of the field
with Syosset trailing ten or more
lengths back
half mile from the finish Heating
went out after the pacemaker and soon