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MASTER ROBERT SURPRISES. DEFEATS FAIR PLAY IN A GREAT RACE. BUT i SUSPICION FOLLOWS THE RESULT. The Jockey Club to Investigate the Race Agont Vin3 the Champion Steeplechase Speedy Trance Is Beaten. New York. October 17. Muster Robert scoreil a flukr victory over August Belmonts meat three-ycari.ld, Fair Play, in the r.elmont Park Autumn Wi igiit-for-Age Race at turf headquarters today anil a sensational aftermath of tnrf .scandal may result. That Master Robert, which has been regularly beaten by lair Play while in receipt of big weight concessions from the latter, should reverse their recent running todnv at even weights, was thought to be almost unbelievable and. barring accidents, impossible, so the fact that he did. created the most profound surprise. The adding of Prank Gill was regarded with indifference because of his thoroughly well exposed recent form. , ,. The betting quotation, which relleeted public opinion concerning the respective merits ol ll: lour starter . saw Pair Play am! Piaster Robert at . 1 to S on ;tm S to 1 against, respectively, wifli Brother Jonathan and Prank Cill at 1.1 to 1 against eac.i. Owing to the prohibitive price about the favorite, speculation was confined almost exclusively to place betting on the other three, and. inexplicable as it may seem, the market on the ultimate winuer tor t con4 place was of a receding kind. In the early running Profiler Jonathan led Master Robert by a wine gap. with Pair Play and Prank 0111 lapped ami trailing, but at such an absurdly big distance behind that backers" of the favorite began to grow uneasy before live furlongs of the long journey had been traversed. Beginning the fifth quarter the quartette took closer order. Master Robert making play on tie inside. All were still running under a pull. Tl-ir positions remained unchanged until on the tar turn, where Fair Play passed Prank Gill and Brother Jonathan into a belated and unavailing pursuit pf ills living rival. The relentless cutting down of Master Roberts commanding le.nl during that fatetul three furlongs closing drive through the stretch by the giant chestnut was watched with an intensity ot interest. At the finish the stillness was so profound that it was remarked upon, afterwards. It is now turf history that Fair Play failed to get up in time o catch Master Robert, wliieh thus became the long distance champion of the year. Close observers saw Mr. Belmonts horse impeded by Frank Gill ail through the early stages of the race, or until they passed out of clear sight on the first turn. Jockey J . Leo complained to J. II. iMcCormick. who saddled the horse, that jockey Joe Notter had herded lum with Frank Gill for a full mile and a half. Metor-mlck reprimanded the negro sharply for not going on and away with his mount, or even accepting the disagreeable alternative of dropping back next to the rail so as to escape the bumping, lie could have done either with ease, .particularly the former. ., which would have been in strict accordance with v riding lionors. The belief is general that bail- Play , was not ridden to win today, and Mr. Mct.ormick j shnres that belief. Mr. Belmont, however, on meet- . ing J. L. McGinnis". owner of Frank Gill, in the clun- house immediately after the race, exclaimed: "Why did you enter your horse?" j "I dont understand you. What do you mean. icplied McGinnis. "My horse was eligible and I , had a perfect right to race him." he- added. , "Well, you know that Mike Daly started a horse ! ir a race once to beat the favorite." answered the ; chairman of the Jockey Club. "I hope you dont compare me with Mike Daly, : ; Mr. Belmont?" said the young owner. "I have : : never been in trouble on the turf. I am an honest man and have a first-class reputation to protect. If : Notter interfered with Fair Play and was guilty of rough riding, it is up to the stewards to punish "But you know your horse had no chance to win i the way he has been running of late?" persisted 1 "Norepiied Mr. McGinnis. "I did not think he had but thought lie could be second and I backed him accordingly for W place." Mr. Belmont, after having emerged from a long : conference with the stewards regarding the race, refused to discuss the matter just then, but promised 1 to give the press all the facts that may develop J e-arlv next week. In the meantime, jockey J. Lee I andJoe Notter have been summoned to appear before the Jockev Club next Monday. It is a coincidence that Fair Play and Master Rob ert were worked together in preparation for the Belmont Park Autumn Welght-for-Age Race. Trainers Blnkcley and Joyner were both present and the trial J at one mile and a. half was done in 2:42 flat, with Pair Plar leading the other three-year-olds by four r lengths and under a pull. Neither Blakeley nor Mc-Oormick attached any significance to the new track I wcord of 2:51 created by Master Robert. Both nereed that Fair Play could have broken all records for the distance. Including Kthelberts time in tne e Brighton Cup. had he been extended properly. The tabled history of the Belmont Park Autumn n Weight-for-Age Race since 1000 is given below: Year Winner. A. Wt. Jockey. Val. Time JandOO M. of Harlem. 4 05 J. Slack ....300 405 ;j 1001 Gold Heels ..3 111 Odom a,870 3:ng i" 1002 Advnce Guard;; 124 Odom . .,0 3 5,! I MOT Shorthose ....3 ill l u Her 3.040 4 01 ., 10IU Shorthose ....4 124 Odom ,040 3:5Si !J 1005 St. Bellane....:: 10S W. Knapp. 3.JH5 3:57; J000 Runng Water.3 108 W. Miller. . 3.255 4:015 5 1007 Nealon 4 124 W. Knapp. 5.40.. 3:52 ! 10S Master Robert.3 111 D. McCarthy 4.S0O 3:51 Changed to welght-for-age in 1001. Run at Morris is Park prior to 1005. The Champion Steeplechase over three miles and a a lialf of cross country, including twenty-live jumps, s. the chief event of this kind on the American turf, I"; was participated in by eight fast and accomplished 1 fencers and produced a rarely well fought struggle. The solitary mishap in the running fell to .Sanctus. 3 which after performing the wonderful feat of pacing Ids opponents for three miles and a quarter of the ,g iournevV came to grief at the third from the last st obstacle. At this critical moment Agent. Malacca. " Ironsides and !Mark Gumberts were lighting for the ie Ipnd and after running nearly aligned during the IC tirst furlong of the stretch. Agent drew out and won n m In a hard drive from Mark Gumberts. The condensed history of the Champion Steeplechase e. is as follows: Year Winner. A. Wt. Jockey. Val. Time. i 1800 Van Ship O 103 Mara ..... .1908.sh,025 7:05 IOOOTheCad 5 153 Mr. Smith. . 0.250 7:12 1001 Zingiber 4 154 Vcitch 0.775 7:02 3 P02S Protection. .S ICS Mr. Page .. 0.475 7:27 PMVt U of Clover... 5 107 Veltch . . . . 0.0S0 7:14 1004 O.and Plenty.4 154 Ray 0.400 7:15 5 3005 Ilylas 4 L.4 1 ay 0.500 0 o7 I 1000 Hylas .-25 8.2.; , 1007 Collgny I lbS "onohiie ...8.32...... ift Apent 100 Ivelleher .. 4,SoO 7:40 u Run at Morris Park prior to 1005. statesman decisively captured the two-year-old Id race from nine others, including Trance The 12S 2S pounds neemed too heavy a burden for the little filly ly to fhoulder on this occasion and she was never able ile Thbulntedhiistory of the White Plains Handicap II- from 1000 is as follows: Year Winner. Wt. Jockey. Val. Time. ie. llHHiConroy . U Henry ...... ,485 l:lli li nwn Uindvantage ...100 OConnor ... 4.i5j 1:11 1 1002 Merry Acrobat ..100 Redfern ... 4.055 1:00 0 1003 Divination 108 Redfern ... 3.205 1:008 OR l 1904 Artful .... 1?0 niMffnind. 3.230 1:0S S lOft-i Tlotoe 113 W. Davis .. 3.00. 1:13A 3A JSOfi Okenite 103 Jas. Hensy 3,500 l:14i 4i
