Evening star., 1940-06-05
All Contenders, Save
Midland, Entered
In Rich Classic
Hard to Name Fovorite,
But Your Chance Packs
All of Needed Assets
BY ROBERT HENRY.

BY ROBERT HENRY.
Americas greatest test for 3-year-
olds is due for decision Saturday
when the s5O,OOO Belmont Stakes,
IL mile combination of speed and
endurance will be run before an
expected crowd of $4,000 This race,
which usually clinches the 3-year-
old championship. has been won by
many of the country's top-f1ighters
since its first running in 1867 and
this year promises to be no excep-
ton.
Entered are all of the leading con-
tenders for the 1910 crown with the
lone exception of Charles S. How
ards Midland, the big Western colt
which was not nominated for the
event when yearling by his former
owner and breeder, H. w Ray, State
Senator from Oregon. However, E.
R. Bradleys much publicized Bim-
elech, victor in the Preakness; Mrs.
Ethel D. Mars Derby winner. GAL
lahadion; George D. Wideners
greatly improved Your Chance;
Mrs. Payne Whitneys two up and
coming steeds, Century Note and
Corydon, victor over Bimelech in
the recent Withers Mile: Joseph E.
Widener's fleet. but faint-hearted
Roman; Anthony Pelleteri's zig
zaging Andy X; w. L. Brann's
Maryland-bred undermining Pic
tor, and one or two others are ready
to compete This field embraces
the best colts in active training and
the winner will have a strong claim
to the title. In fact, he probably
will be the 1910 champion.
Takes Great Horse to Win.
None of the Belmont winners
ever has lacked class, a note that
can be added to many winners of
nearly every other important horse
race on this side of the Atlantic.
Run in June when the majority of
colts are at their peak and over
distance that requires both speed
and staying power. the race COM
pareS like none other with the
English Derby. Scale weight of
1876 pounds is carried by all the colts,
while the fillies are given the s.
pound sex allowance. Geldings are
not eligible. it being a race calcu-
lated to improve the breed AS there
are no outstanding fillies running
this year their absence will not
affect the winners right to the
championship. Only one filly is on
the roster of winners, Frank Morris
Ruthless. which scored in the initial
running at Jerome Park
Quality far exceeds quantity when
the field lines up for the race for
only four times has more than 10
marched postward The race has
been changed in distance several
times, but since 1925. when Sam
uel D. Riddles American Flag won
to become the first of three Man
O War colts to take the event, 1t
has been at IL miles. The purse
also has varied, low of ST $50 going
to the first winner and a high of
s66,040 going to Gallant Fox, first of
William Woodward's five victors. A
purse of about $4,000 will be added
to the 1910 winners total
Not New for Some Owners.
Several owners with entries Sat-
urday already have taken down first
place in the Belmont. the most sue
cessful being Woodward. who ranks
with the DWver brothers and J. r.
Keene, all of whom have won five.
Woodward's have been scored in
the last 10 years. James Fitzsim-
mons, trainer of these five winners.
ranks behind James Rowe and Sam
uel Hildreth as the leading condi-
toner of Belmont winners. Rowe
saddled IL: Hildreth, 6. Romans
owner, Widener, former president of
Belmont Park, has won three races,
with Chance Shot, Peace Chance
and Hurryoff, the first two trained
by Pete Coyne, Romans trainer.
Mrs. Whitney won with Twenty
Grand and Bradley won with Blue
Larkspur, which, despite idle talk
that Bimelech is the Kentuckians
best horse. really deserves that
position. None OF the jockeys with
mount Saturday ever has won the
race.
In looking for a probable winner
of this years renewal it is wise to
recall that only eight Kentucky
Derby winners have been able to go
on and win the Belmont. The first
of these was Sir Barton. in 1919: the
last Johnstown. 1899. Preakness
winners have feared even worse
only seven also taking the longer
race. Withers winners have done
better, II having also won the Bel
mont, Johnstown being the latest.
Sir Barton won all four races while
Man O. War missed only the Derby:
Gallant Fox, War Admiral and
Omaha missed the Withers, and
Johnstown won all but the Freak
ness. In order for a horse to win
all he must be blessed with speed
endurance and toughness, with the
ability to run over any kind of track
UlTOWn III.
Difficult to Make Choice.
This years Belmont figures to be
a wide open test. There is both
speed and staying power in the field
but the horse that has both is the
likehest winner. Roman, Andy K
and Pictor have proved speed, Moth
ing else Bimelech has speed but
his route-running quality is open to
serious question. Gallahadion, a
plodding type, might lack necessary
speed, which also might be said of
Century Note, full brother to
Twenty Grand, 1881 winner.
Your Chance, son of Chance Shot,
1929 winner and sire of the 1884
record breaking winner, Peace
Chance, appeared to have both in
winning a 1s-mile test Monday