New-York tribune., 1921-06-12

day afternoon. Gray Lag won as
himself, with ridiculous ease. Like
whitfield many seconds off the track
Man O Wars record.
Grey Lag, admirably ridden thr
by Earl Sande. and under restraint
down across the finish line in ZIG 4
The race was run on the main track.
and the best previous performance for
that distance on the main track was
2:20 l5 hung out by T. A. Clark's
three-year-old Polka Dot under eleven
pounds on June Z, 1919.
Grey Lag's record was sensational
enough under any circum stances; any
performance is that pares 2-5 seconds
off turf mark. But there is no direct
means for line of comparison be-
tween Grey Lag's time and the times
of the many illustrious predecessors
which carried off the iaureis of this
great test for three-yeaS- -olds.
Man o War Still Reigns
But there is wide gap between the
Grey Lag of yesterday and the Man O.
War of the year previous. Man O. War
raced over the old Belmont course, a
tortuous, IS" shaped course that was
second and half or two seconds more
difficult than the course of the two
sweeping curves Grey Lag was asked
to negotiate yesterday afternoon. Man
o. War. under pull from start to fin
ish, buck-jumped that mile and three
eighths through the rs" in 2:141-5.
1t was this race that stamped him the
horse of the century beyond peradven-
ture of quibble
The $4,000 racemad enthusiasts who
stormed the sequestered, rustic pre-
cincts of beautiful Belmont came out
to see horse race. They were doubly
reraid. They saw two horse races that
will flourish green in memory's posy
beds until life itself dissolves.
The Belmont, which corresponds
most closely in sentiment, tradition
and distance to the famed EPSON
Derby, was undoubtedly the feature of
yesterdays fine racing program. The
winner of this classic year after year
gains an added prestige for the final
summing up in the three-year-
championship awards.
But there was another rich prize
which bore directly on championship
points, though of different class--the
Kecne Memorial, with $4,000 added at
five and half furlongs straight for
two-year- And this priced event
fell to William A.. stable mate of the
sensational Grey Lag.
A wonderful day it was for the
Rancocas Stable; doubly wonderful for
Sam Hildreth, the wizard trainer who
a~noriancaA c,1ch tn1ruh Incl, throuCh
1920, and for Earl Sande, the premier
jockey, whose horsemanship was large
ly responsible for this sensational
stake double" of the Rancocas Stable.
Sande Rides CleverIy
In each of the stake events Sande
had good horse under him, possibly
cason he was called upon to bring into
play that keen cunning of skill and ex-
perienca which marks the master apart
from the common lot. To win the
Keene Memorial with William A.,
Sande had to overcome more difficulties
than are usually encountered in
dozen races. He won the race after
being hopeiessly beaten; perhaps no
other jockey now under silks would
tough luck. But the story must come
in it's turn. =,
The field Of the Belmont was small
but select. Only four of the very best
three-year- -olds in training in the East
raraded to the post. Of these, three
appeared SO evenly matched that the
closest students of form could scarce
split them out. They were Leonardo
II, of the Xalapa Farm, which beat
Sporting Blood and Grey Lag with
ridiculous ease in fast time in The
Withers, at mile, recently; the two
Leonardo II beat on that former oc-
casion, of course, and J. B. Davis's
Kuecreek. Leonardo, Gray Lag and
Sporting Blood were practically tied
for favor at post time: Grey Lag COM
manded odds Of to /; each of the
others was quoted at 8 to 5. 1t was
"write your own ticket" for Quecreek,
the despised outsider.
Star Among Three-Year-Olds
IN this running of the Belmont Grey
Lag proved himself colt that will
command due respect in all the pro-
spective three-year-old classics to
come. He got even both with Leon
ardo II and Sporting Blood for what
they did to him in The Withers, when
he was penned in against the rail for
three-quarters of the journey and until
Leonardo Ii had stolen winning lead.
There was great regret expressed that
PlayfelloW, the latest sensation of the
three-year- division, was not eligi-
BILE for this blue ribbon of the turf
There should be some fun when Man
o Wars younger brother first hooks
up with Grey Lag over d distance of
ground.
Yesterdays Belmont was worth $3.50
to the winner, and, needless to say,
each of the four was shooting for the
glory and cash. Cassidy got the field
off in almost perfect alignment at the
furlong pole in front of the Turf and
Field Club. As was to be expected. the
feet Leonardo II moved quickly to the
front and took the rail- Andy Schuttin
ger gave rein to his mount in order to
steal winning lead if possible, as he
had stolen it in the Withers. But the
other smart riders were not to be
caught mapping this time. Quecreek for
three furlongs held most closely to the
pace, but the pace killed him and he
dropped back out of it.
Leonardo Lacks Pep
AS usual, Sporting Blood was slow to
begin and did not find his racing legs
until Strengthened for the long run up
the 6ackstretch. When Quccreek fall
tered Sande stepped UP with Grey Lag
into the contending position. The sleek
black Leonardo ii lacked his customary
pep, 1T could be seen thus early as the
field raced opposite the stand. He
wasn't toting his weight as he should
Grey Lag was well in hand, fighting foY
hts baaJ -