The New York herald., 1921-05-28
MAD HALTER wins
THE METROPOLITAN
Races Opponents Dizzy in Turf
Classic at Belmont Parks
Opening.
AUDACIOUS is SECOND
More Than 10000 Racegoers
Look Like Handful in Spa
cious Plant.
by HENRY ". KING.

BY HENRY ". KING.
Carrying top weight Of 127 pounds
and running faster and stronger than
he ever did before, Harry Sinclair's
Mad Halter, the five-year-old son of
Fair Play, won the twenty-eighth run
ming Of the metropolitan Handicap at
Belmont Park yesterday afternoon. He
was the favorite for the classic and a
majority Of the 10000 persons who
saw the contest had a wager on him.
But the tremendous cheers that
greeted him as he sped past the judges
three lengths in front OF Mrs. Wilfrid
Viau's Audacous was not because OF
the wagers placed on him. They came
because he ran like a great horse.
Mad Halter isn't Man o War. but
no horse in training could have beaten
him yesterday. He fairly flew over
the mile course, and although the
track was. dull. not having fully dried
out from the recent rain. he sped over
the one mile route In :27 2-5, the fast
est Metropolitan ever run.
Charles A. Stoneham's Yellow Hand
earned the third end of the purse and
Lawrence Waterbury's Senning's Park
saved his entrance fee by finishing
fourth Farther back and beaten off
finished J. S. Cosden's Blazes. Harry
Payne Whitneys DR.. Clark. George w.
Lofts On Watch and the Xa'apa Farms
Bon Homme in the order named.
In winning the rich purse Mad Halter
was compelled to extend himself over
every foot of the journey. He wasn't
being sashed and whipped during the
final run to the judges. but Earl Sande
was giving him one Of his best hand
rides and despite the fact that he was
three lengths in front he kept him going
at his utmost to the end.
Mad Halter Has world of Speed.
And the noted jockey did exactly the
right thing. Audacious was grand
horse yesterday and only Mad Halter
at his best could beat him. He chased
the Sinclair color bearer all the way
and although staggering from the ef-
fects Of the dizzy pace fought on cour-
ageously to the very end. II Mad Hat
ter had made any mistakes or showed
any signs of weakening Mrs. Viau's
horse undoubtedly would have beaten
him. That he was able TO nnish as
strong as he did seemed remarkable
considering the early pace he followed
and the fact that he ran next the rail.
where the track was dullest all the wav.
Mad Halter had a world OF earlv
speed and stepped the first quarter of a
mile in 023 3-5, three-eighths In 0:35.
the half in 0:46. five furlongs in o $50
and three-quarters In IL 3-5.
Such n pace usually stops all opposi-
tion. but Audacious would not quit.
neither would Yellow Hand. They
struggled on and were running as strong
as the victor at the finish. In fact. Yel-
low Hand, which was shouldering the
light impost of 108 pounds. was step
ping along faster than any horse in tho
race at the end. While all of his op-
ponents showed signs of fatigue in the
homestretch he was racing along like a
quarter horse.
Badly outrun in the early stages. yell
low Hand entered the homestretch 81
distant last. Then he began to run.
He fairly bounded over the ground and
made many of his opponents look as If
they were standing still. On he sped
after the leaders, but Mad Halter and
Audacious were too far in front of him
and his only hope was in gaining third
place. At the final sixteenth pole he
took this position and then tore after
the leaders, but the best he could do
was finish length behind Audacous.