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BELMONT PARK RACING CLOSE AT HAND Westchester Racing Association Meeting Begins Monday with Metropolitan Handicap as Feature. New York, Slay 22. — On next Slonday, May 27, the Westchester Bacing Association will throw open the gates of Belmont Iark, the largest and most sumptuous racing plant in this country, for its spring meeting of eighteen days. Taking as a criterion the wonderful success that has attended the Jamaica meeting, it is safe to assert that Belmont Park will enjoy an even greater measure of pros-aerlty, because it can accommodate more people than any other course on the metropolitan circuit. As good as the racing lias been at Jamaica, it should be lietter at Belmont Iark. With all the high-class horses hereabouts rounding into first-class condition, a number having had the benefit of a race or two. some marvelous sport appears in prospect during the next few weeks. For the opening day. the Westchester Racing Association offers an unusual attractive program. The Sletropolitan Handicap, with a guaranteed value of ,000. is the big stake feature of the day am! the wonderful array of turf stars eligible to start in this event, foreshadows a contest of unusual brilliance. The New York Steeplechase is the secondary attraction and. with all the star timber toppers of tin- country eligible to start in it, the devotees of the sport through the field an- assured of a splendid contest over the jumps. Two of the overnight races on the opening day are given over to the baby racers and more than passing interest will be given these contests, because of the expiated first agaajaawtta of some reported good ones in the juvenile division. All the overnight purses include surplus bids of ,105. which the Westchester Racing Association received during tlie last two days of the fall meeting of 1917. That sum divided into four equal parts, makes 76.25 for each of tlie overnight races, making the first race 75.23 added, the third .25 added, the fifth and sixth tlie same as the third. Of those most likely to start iu the Metropolitan Handicap. J. K. Ross great colt Cudgel, because of his success in the Kings County Handicap at Jamaica, will have to carry top weight of 135 pounds and thus will lie giving his great rival Omar Khayyam five pounds. It will Iv asking a lot of Cudgel to concede the mighty Englishman five pounds at a mile, but tlie game son of Broomstick has never flinched under heavy imposts in the past and. wluthVr or not trainer BeWCll wKf -i-.-tlttte tin-issue remains to lie seen. The Metropolitan may mark the first start of the year of the popular Roamer, reiKirts from Andrew Slillers stable being to the effect that the great little gelding is training in splendid form and quite ready for a bruising race. It may also bring out August Belmonts Luculiite, the best horse in August Belmonts stable since the retirement of Hourless. A. K. Macomber is sure to have a starter and it is more than probable that Thomas lleulcy will send Campfire to the post as R. T. Wilsons representative.
