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FINEST IN ALL AMERICA Belmont Park to Be Most Magnificent Track on the Continent. Alterations to Cost 00,000 to Be Made After Coming Fall Meeting. BY C. J. FITZ GERALD. NEW YORK, N. Y., August 21. There will be no chanftes in Belmont Park prior to the running of thand autumn meeting, -which follows Saratoga, beyond placing tlie course in perfect condition, arid the installation of . whatever additional seating capacity in the field stand may be necessary to take care of the crowds which will assemble to see tlie Futurity, -Lawrence Realization and other established stake features, as well as tlie new Autumn Gold Cup at two miles decided. The labor situation played a part in the determination of the management to postpone the work until later in the Autumn. As tlie cost of the alterations to the plant will run into ?300,000 or more, the racing public will readily understand the necessity of exercising care and deliberation in carrying a Avork of such magnitude to completion. When the .changes in the track proper, the clubhouse, grandstands qnd paddocks shall have been completed, Belmont Park will be the most magnificently appointed racing plant on the American continent. Tliose interested in the rehabilitation of the course have had frequent conferences during the past six: weeks. Numerous plans have been submitted, for their consideration, and it was the desire to. do the tiling right that figured as strongly as any other motive in the decision to postpone tlie work until no detail would be overlooked. Major August Belmont, president of the Westchester Racing Association, in discussing the situation a few days ago, said, "We found that the contemplated changes in the course, and the buildings were of such an elalwrate character that we must have more time in order to do the work properly. Even now our plans have not been sufficiently developed to warrant our beginning work. It has been impossible to secure labor in order to build the chutes which would 1k ne.cessary under the revised plan before the Autumn meeting. "All of the gentlemen interested in the project accordingly agreed to postpone action until after the Autumn meeting. In the meantime we have bettered our program, -and the present course will receive special attention so that the iiorses will have the finest sort of a track when they come to Belmont Park next month. Additional chairs will be placed in the field stand, and everything possible for the comfort of our patrons will be provided. "We believe," said Major Belmont in concluding, "that the public will appreciate our attitude, and realize that halfway improvements would under the circumstances be likely to inconvenience them. In the meantime Ave are grateful for the forbcarr mice the patrons of racing have shown ever since the disastrous fire from the effects of which we are only Just beginning to really emerge. This may also be said respecting tlie owners and trainers. When they assemble for our spring meeting next year they will find much to admire." As Belmont Park is peculiarly the peoples own track there will be great Interest in the realization that the improvements are. to be on such . a large scale. Every cent of revenue beyond the cost of up-keep, and a modest return on the investment, is put into the property or returned to the horsemen iij the way of increased stakes and purses. The Westchester Racing Association has not paid a dividend in years, aud it will be sohie time before cue is likely to lie declared, for the .changes, and improvements wilLbe of a most substantial nature and naturally must cost a heap of money, more so because of the almost prohibitive cost of labor and material. When they are completed, however, the metropolis of the United States will have a racing plant of which it may well be proud.
