New-York tribune., 1921-09-16
final Belmont
Feature Draws
Only 2 Horses
Expect Exterminator 10 Have
Walk-Over Against Bellso-
lar; Houdini lst i'm Chase
By w. !. Macbeth

Gy w. j. NidAoCUl
The annual fall meeting Of the West.
chester Racing Association, which has
been conducted at Belmont Park the
last two weeks, will terminate this aft.
ernoon. Tomorrow the thorough breds
will be seen at Aqueduct in the openinp
of meeting which is to continue fol
two weeks.
1t was expected that the Belmont
meeting would close in a blaze Of glory
as what should have been one Of the
very strongest features of the entire
meeting had been retained for closing
day. This, the Autumn Gold Cup, at
two miles, was calculated to bring out
horses fitted to prove their stamina and
endurance, which was the main idea of
thoroughbred racing some twenty wears
ago.
Evidently conditions have changed
and trainers and owners now regard
sprlnting ability as the only test for
thoroughbred greatness. The Autumn
Gold Cup this afternoon is bound to be
a joke. There have been only two nom
nations. Willis Sharpe Kilmer's old
Pelding Exterminator and w. A. Mar
tins mare Bellsolar are the only ones
named. Exterminator is q stake horse.
Bellsolar platter, though n good one.
Such field does not strike one as a
race. 1t appeals as next to a walk
over
Best Three-Year-OIds Out
1t was expected that Mad Halter. not
to mention some of the very best tn rec
year-olds, including Smoke Screen, Grew
Lag, Touch Me Not, Sporting Blood and
others, would go to the post for this
rich event. For show money is we'll
worth striving for.
As to yesterdays racing at beautiful
Belmont, it was somewhat disappoint-
ing. The feature was the Brook Steeple-
chase Handicap at about two ana a
half miles. perhaps the finest cross
country event of The entire metrcpcli-
tan season. Nine of the best timber
toppers in training, shot for the rich
purse. Joe Widener sent out Houdini
end SAobereen; the Lumsden- Malvern
hlll Farm had Flying Scout and Roherl
Oliver, while the WinmiIl-Keene entry
embraced Surf and Masterful.
1t was one of the finest steeplechaees
imaginable the way it was run. Mrs.
George w Lofts Sweepment, fayorite
though crushed under the heavy impost
OF 1875 pounds, made the gamest effort
from start to finish. This champion OF
the fencers, which was admirably rid
den by Jockey Mcrgler, went out to
the lead from the start and set the
pace all the way
Rounding the last turn for home it
looked cinch that the favorite would
- -: )
DIM with might and main. The latter
closed fast after clearing the final
fence and caught Sweepment, which
was tiring fast under the cruel impost,
in the very last strides. Sweepme ent
was beaten, but in no wise disgraced
Weight can bring all thoroughbreds to
= common level.
Victory Is Worth $4,000
This was the thirteenth running Of
the richest steeplechase handicap
known to the East and fitting testi-
monial'to the sport when properly con-
Quoted. Houdini barely nosed out
Sweepment, but gathered $4,000 into
the Golfers of j. Z. Widener as a re-
suit. Skibbereen, the stable mate OF
Houdini, had little difficulty in taking
third money, which swelled the Wide
ner earnings for the race considerably
over S1l ,C0C.
This race. which furnished one Of
the really great thrills of the season,
was almost perfectly run. Robert
Oliver made the only bobble when he
ran out at the very first fence. Barring
that every timber topper was in the
contest from start to finish and from
the start each had at least an outside
chance fer victory
Az to the other rnras thew fr1ruished
plenty Of sport. In the opening dash
OF five and a half furlongs Matches
Mary simply buckjumped all the woy.
Dunboyne took the Southampton High
weight Handicap a. six furongs from
Dry Moon, the favorite. Dunboyne
closed fast to the outside under Sande
and outgamed the favorite in the clos
ing strides. 1t was blanket finish
Dunboyne, Dry Moon and Mercury be-
ing separated by inches only in the
order named at the finish.