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NEW BELMONT PARK PLEASES Newly Constructed Course Compares Favorably With Foremost in the World NEAV YORK N Y May 28 Unstinted praise lias been showered on tlie officials of the West Chester Racing Association for Riving to the Ameri ¬ can racing public such a palatial and beautiful course as the new Belmont Park On opening day astonishment was expressed on every hand over the magnitude and magnificence of this wonderful American race track trackStartling Startling changes have been made not only in the reversing of the track from the socalled wrong to the conventional way of turning from right to left but many alterations have been made Some of them while seemingly trivial in themselves are admirably destined to promote the comfort of llolmont Park patrons This in fact is the key ¬ note of all the changes for it is the desire of Major rtelmont and his associates to make the Queens County track the peoples race course in fact and in name nameThat That this motive actuated alterations is apparent for instance in the raising of the stand itself twelve feet so that a better view may be obtained of the horses in action The projection of the front of the granstand a distance of thirtyfive feet has been brought about with the same end in view The removal of a hedge along the rail which previously obstructed the view of those on the lawn is another of the small but important changes Of course these little points are as nothing as compared with the stupcnduous task of rebuilding the stand itself but are mentioned because of the interpretation that may be placed upon the nature of their doing doingThe The convenience of the general public is carried out in the general scheme The remodeled stand stretches for a distance of 1000 feet along the stretch an imposing array of steel and concrete A portion of this has been reservedi for a club section and another for the Tnrf and Field Club bU tlicir allotment of space is comparatively small and is made without sacrificing the vantage points of the rank and file Both the clubhouse and Tnrf and Field reservations take up the forward part of the old field stand which has been moved down to join the main structure and a section of the lawn in front of those enclosures is fenced off and elevated but thero is still room left in front of the reserved section so that the public may gather at the finish line and those who perfer to go into the stands can establish themselves in alignment with the line at the rear of the reserved section Thus it happens everyone if he arrived early may have an equal chance of viewing the finishes The new stand will seat 1700 persons This includes 2riOO vantage points atop the structure Practically every foot of this space is accessible to the general public publicWonderful Wonderful progress has been made in the struc ¬ tural work at Belmont Park in the last month and the plant was near enough to completion to satisfy he demands of the public on opening day and on others days of the current meeting lint it will not be officially completed until contemplated bcauti fication brings it to a point where it will lie ac ¬ cepted as the equal if not the peer of such re ¬ nowned courses as Iongehamps and Auteuil in France and Kpsom Downs in Kngland The pad ¬ dock at present a beauty spot will he surrounded by approaches of similar beauty and whon the plans of the officials are completed a sodded and tree lined lane will lead from the saddling space along the eastward end of the grandstand to the track A figure eight steeplechase course modeled after that at Auteuil will be developed in the course of the next year
