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J. E. WIDENERS HANDICAP DIVISION. Chiclet Has Wintered Well — Naturalist Promising Three -Year-Old — Maintenant a Whale. Of the older horses that have wintered in the J. E Widener barn at Belmont Park, the best know a is Chiclet. The five-year-old son of Spearmint — Nature has yvintered well after his successful campaign last, fall and is one of the hopes of the stable in the handicap division this year. He looks exceedingly well and ready to do whatever is asked of him. The most promising of the three-year-olds is Naturalist, a fine upstanding colt by Rabelais — Nature, and a half-brother to Chiclet. Welsh had high hopes for him as a two-year-old because of the racing ability he showed in his trials last spring, but just before it was time for him to go to the races, one of his legs filled up and he was turned oat for the year. The leg responded to treatment remarkably well, however, ami now Naturalist is sound and bright as the proverbial dollar, and should go far toward making up for lost time. Maintenant has the distinction of being one of the biggest thoroughbreds, if not the biggest, quartered at Belmont Park. The four-year-old son of Maintenon — Martha Oor-man is a colt of truly heroic proportions. ••Seventeen hands and going up." in the words of his trainer. "If hed race as well as he can grow," continued Welsh, "Id have no fault to find." In all probability Maintenant will race well, as last summer in his first start under colors lie made a veritable showing of his opponents, although In-raced green. The odd part of it is that Maintenant does not strike one as lieing as big as he really is until one stands beside him. His extreme length of barrel, depth through the heart and immense quarters, together with a splendid muscular development, counterbalances any tendency toward legginess. The chestnut son of Maintenon has taken on much weight since last summer, but every racing outliii" is clean cut. More than this, he is not an awkward horse, despite his size. According to trainer Welsh he weighs more than Mont dOr. the French horse now in the Widener stud, which last year stood out among his opponents like a f;re horse among broncos.
