The New York herald., 1922-06-04
BELMONT STAKES
AMERICAS DERBY
w. S. Vosburgh's History of
Race Calls 1t Our Greatest
Test for 3-Year-Olds.
.yICIssITUDEs OF RACING
Field in $4,000 Contest Next
Saturday May Be Largest
in Many Years.
BY GURNEY G. CUE.

flnN III hQhI - SUAos
BY GURNEY c. CUE.
To commemorate the fifty-fourth run
ming of the Belmont Stakes on June 10
the Westchester Racing Association has
published a history of this Oldest fixed
event for -year-olds, as written by
w S. vosburgh for Daily Racing Form.
What the veteran Handicapped OF the
Jockey Club has done for the Belmont
John /. OConnor did last year for the
Kentucky Derby, and the motive that
prompted them to single out these two
races for glorification Is an encourag-
ing sign that American turfmen are at
last waking up to the importance Oh
recognizing the very few really high
class races in this country as distin-
guished and distinct from the great
mass of trifling and mediocre contests
that make up the daily programs In
these days.
The English turf has its Derby. Oaks.
st. Leger and other "classic" races.
and France its correspondingly search
ing tests for three-year-olds. but
America, which once boasted the stout
est runners in the world. Is now with
out a single stake race in which horses
run a distance equal to that OF the
Derby. Oaks or St. Leger with scale
weight UP. The Belmont Is, as Mr..
Vosburgh has said. "our greatest test
for three-year- -olds." ana at bears the
same relation to American racing that
the EPSON Derby does to that OF Eng
land" but in it's checkered history II
has been repeatedly changed in condi-
tions and reduced in distance and in
weights. so that it's list of winners IN
cIudes horses that carried only loi
mounds and others that ran. only mile
and a furlong. Since 1914, however,
every starter has had to carry scale
weight. and since 1906 no horse mas
gained a place in the list of winners
without running a mile and three
eighths.
promoters Planned Real Derby.
In his interesting history OF the BEL
mont Mr. vosburgh says:
"Soon after the organization OF the
American Jockey Club, in 1865. move
ment was made to establish a gnsa.
sweepstakes race for three-year-oids' OF
sufficient value to attract the best colts
In the country and to possess a prestlse
similar to that possessed by the tlme
honored Derby in England Inc pan
was TO have a race at a mile nd
half similar to the EPSON event. "t
this was found to be impracticable. as
owing to the high bluff upon which the
clubhouse stood tat Jerome Parkl the
view of the spectators In the stan'i
would be shut off, as the starting post
was behind the bluff and hidden from
view. Accordingly the race was made
one of a mile and five furlongs, the
starting post being directly below the
bluff and opposite to ths grand stand. :
TThis was in 1867. In 1874 the club built
new chute that enabled them to dupli-
cate the Derby distance In the Belmont,
and 1t was run at mile and half IN
every renewal of the stakes until the
race was transferred to Norris Park in
1890. Then began a vacillating course
under the auspices of the New York
Jockey Club that virtually destroyed
the character oe the race for several
years by cutting the distance to mile
and quarter and then to mile and n
furlong, and further lowering the stand
ard by the Introduction of penalties and
allowances. designed. like handicaps and
selling races. to put slow horses on an
equality with fast ones. ~ -r
One wonders why the Belmont was
not restored to the Derby distance, In
conformity with the original plan ol
fits promoters, and thus made the real
Derby and the outstanding race of the
American turf, when 1t was transferred
to Belmont Park in 1906. But Mr.. Vos.
UuTEn all 100 DTlcI HlslOIy dHSWtIs
the question repeatedly. Under the cap
tion "Spendthrft's Year. 1879" he says
sand now came the turn OF the tide
The Belmont. which from 1867 hac
monopolized the attention of the coun-
try, visibly declined. The Wither'
Stakes, first run in 1874. cut into 1t. il
was a mile, while the Belmont was a
mile and a half, and, as the Withers
grew In nominations the Belmont fell
behind. A new element had be
come attracted to racing and, unfortu'
nately not from sporting but pecuniary
gain. Racing from a sport be-
came a business. The baker, the butcher
the saloon keeper and the book maker
became horse owners, as did the trainei
and the jockey, backed by professional
spectators. These soon exerted an in
f1uence that changed the whole system
Of racing. They declined to subscrib,
to stakes. and demanded purses, thus
getting something for nothing ana
they demanded short races in order tha
they might start horses more frequently
The great weight for age races
the cup races and other standard events
began to decline and were swept ava,
10 provide a sport that was sensational
gaudy, attractive of gate money and
conducive to the sale of betting privi
Ieges and the accumulation of revenue. ,
$4,000 stakes n Big Thing.
In the face of conditions incomparably
worse than in 1879. as far as the dis
taste OF owners and trainers for dis.
tance racing is concerned the West.
chester Racing Association has done o
big thing in raising the value of the
Belmont this year to $4,000. Existing
conditions are strikingly exemplified in
the number of starters that have gone
to the post since the revival of racing
at Belmont Park in 1913 Just thirty
all told, have come to the scratch in
nine years. making the average scarcely
enough TO take the four parts into
which the stakes are divided. Twice
within this period. Mr.. vosburgh shows
II. r.. Coe prevented the historic race
from being a waikover, while George w
Loft came to the rescue in Man o. Wars
+. year by providing the only starters
against the all conquering son of Fair
Play. This years Man o. War, Norwich
is not eligible TO start, and with huge
prize In sight for the others that tool,
part In the Kentucky Derby. as well as
the pick of the PrealSness starters. there
In reason to expect that newt Saturday
race may bring out the largest field seen
in forty years or more.
Cavalry Endurance Test
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