Amateur Season To Open Saturday., Daily Racing Form, 1916-04-26

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AMATEUR SEASON TO OPEN SATURDAY. New York. April 25. — "Boots and saddles" will lie sounded next Saturday at Hewlett K;iy Park. L. I., for the first lime around New York this year. The occasion will be the annual banter and pony races of the Rockaway Hunting Club, which will lie conducted as a two-day affair, with the second days events on the following Saturday. In many ways the meeting is bound to be notable. It will usher in thoroughbred racing in the north. ► will mark tin- beginning of the amateur season in this coiiutry ami will be the first ..utdoor so. - in 1 event in this rteialty. A number of imported horses sent here 1m-.-;iiiso of the disturbed conditions in Europe will run in Hie various events, thereby increasing the element of uncertainty. Nearly 100 entries have l«-en made for the two days of racing. Last year there were forty-seven and the preceding year forty-one. the event lasting only one day on those occasions. The few flat races scheduled have attracted only about the same number of nominations as before. The increase is entirely in the steeplechase and hunter contests. There was a marked revival of amateur racing in Pennsylvania and Virginia last season. The participation in the Rockaway meeting of several prominent men from those states shows that they are reaching out for national honors. The running of Foxhall P. Keenes Toreador, the stout -hearted son of Beau Gallant, winner of the Rockaway Cup last year, will be watched with great interest. At least one other horse will carry the famous colors, white with blue dots, of this veteran sportsman, pals player, automobile race driver and gentleman rider. B cause of the prominence of the Rockaway Hunting Club its annual race meetings attract lame and brilliant attendances. This organization has been conducting racing since 1881. The amateur character if its meeting is most pronounced. All but one race on each day of the two days is limited to gentlemen riders. William A. Hazard is president of the club; 11. Hobart Porter, vice-president; Newbolt T. Lawrence, secretary, and Frederick H. Hatch, treasurer. The race committee is John G. Livingston, chairman: Carlton Macy. John Tucker. Franklin P . Voss and John Howes Burton. Six races are on the program for each of the two days, three being steeplechases, one for hunters over the post ami rails course and two on the flat. The general excellence of the course at Hewlett Ray Park, from the standpoint of both participants and siwctators. has much to do with the popularity of the rues of the Rockaway Hunting Tub. The courses are laid out over natural hunting country anil are grass sod all the way. The grandstand and parking spaces are located on a hillside and command a fine view of practically the entire course. For a background there is Hewlett Ray and the broad Atlantic beyond. It would be hard to find a more appropriate setting for stirring sport and a brilliant attendance. Following are the weights for the Cedarhurst Steeplechase Cup. two miles, to tie run Saturday: A. don. 145; imported Ben Wyvis. 14S; Hurgrude. 130: Relle of Kryn Mawr. 138; Cherry Mulotte, 158: Crosthill. 135; Dixon Park. 137: Fashion Wing, 134: My King. 130; imported Neunpakr. 143; Otto Floto. 133: Overseer. 133: imoorted Primbuttou, 13s; Royal Amber. 148; Numa Red. 141. Two hundred ■and seventy entries of thoroughbred horses, owned by upward of two score prominent Americans, have been received for the annual spring two-day meeting of the United Hunts Racing Association to be held at Belmont Park Terminal on May 13 and 17. This is by a wide margin the largest number of entries ever received for an amateur race meeting in this country, and has been rarely exceeded in the history of American thor-oughiired racing. The excellent two-day race meeting conducted by the Inited Hunts Racing Association last fall only received eighty-six entries, while the total for last springs meet did not reach that figure. There are thirteen events on the two-day program for Belmont Park Terminal and this gives an average entry for each race of twenty-one. Several championship races are included among the thirteen events on the card. A total of X13.5IHI in cash purses, in addition to handsome plate, has been apiiortioncd among the different events, which include "steeplechases ov -r the brush course, races for hunters over i ost and rails, and races on the flat. Two race- each day are to be limited to gentlemen riders and. to encourage their participation in all of the events, the amateurs are allowed a five-pound handicap in the other races.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800