Futurity Prospects: Lottery of Turf Demonstrated in Declaring of Several Stars, Daily Racing Form, 1922-09-12

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FUTURITY PROSPECTS - Lottery of Turf Demonstrated in Declaring of Several Stars. Romantic Appeal of Race Still Strong Likely Starters and Their Chances. BY C. J. FITZ GERALD. NEW YORK, N. Y., September 11. A study of the 1,195 nominations for the 0,000 Futurity Stakes for two-year-olds, which will be a feature of Saturday next at Belmont Park, when the autumn meeting of the Westchester Racing Association will come to a close, reveals the presence on the declared list of four stars of the juvenile turf firmament. These are Dunlin, winner of the Hopeful Stakes of 5,000 at Saratoga recently ; Enchantment, the Whitney gelding for which 0,000 has been refused, and generally regarded as one of the best youngsters of this year; Edict, winner of the Spinaway Stakes End other prizes during the racing at the Spa in the Rancocas colors, and Dust Flower, the fleet daughter of Peter Quince, which won the Flash Stakes on the opening day and subsequently finished second to Messenger for the Grab Bag Handicap at Saratoga. The lottery of the turf is demonstrated in the declaring of this quartet at different periods from next Saturdays famous race. Dunlin was so unpromising in appearance as a yearling that he passed into the discard on the initial payment of 0 about the time he was sold by his breeder, August Belmont, to James C. Milam. Enchantment disappeared automatically when he was gelded by James Rowe the race is for entire colts and fillies. It wasnt until later that Edict was deemed unequal to the requirements of a Futurity candidate. It cost 0 to take her name out of the selected list, S. C. Hildreth being responsible for the wSthdrawal. Dust Flowers name was erased by J. C. Miiam when she was in the 0 class. Here we have four of the shrewdest judges of thoroughbreds and their racing qualities in the rough that the United States embraces withdrawing what subsequently proved substantial elements from the greatest two-year-old prize of the year. Such happenings add to the uncertainty of the turt and are further evidences of the fascinations surrounding the sport. The ugly duckling becomes a swan frequently as in the instances enumerated above. BRIEF HISTORY OF RACE. The glamour of romance has been part and parcel of the Futurity since its inception in 1SSS. The race was inaugurated in a picturesque period of the turf. Sheepshead Bay, the home of the aristocratic and autocratic Coney Island Jockey Club, was the rendezvous of the rare sporting spirits of that time. East and West clashed in the feature races which were fashioned to bring out the best horses in training. Rivalries were engendered between captains of industry like J. B. Haggin and E. J. Baldwin of California ; Marcus Daly of Montana, Captain S. S. Brown of Pittsburgh and W. L. Scott of Erie, and the breeders and fanciers of the East at whose head stood August Belmont, James R. Keene, W. P. Thompson, D. D. Withers, Wm. C. Whitney, Clarence H. Mackay, J. O. Donner, Pierre Lorillard and Phillip J. and Michael F. Dwyer. It was the day of starter James F. Caldwell, the greatest autocrat in. his profession this country has ever known. His clashes with Pierre Lorillard were features of almost every meeting. Some idea of the manner in which Caldwell ruled may be gleaned from his telling the owner of the powerful Rancocas establishment, now owned by Harry F. Sinclair, that if he didnt like his Caldwells work with the flag he was at liberty to go elsewhere and race his horses. It was before the days of the board of control or its successor, the Jockey Club. Each association engaged its own officials. Caldwell had great skill with the flag there were no starting gates at that time and he had an incomparable assistant in a lithe negro known as "Polo Jim." Master and man understood each other perfectly and it was this so-called "prince of starters" who took fourteen colts, fillies and geldings to the post for the initial Futurity in 1838. SAM BKYAXTS GOOD FORTUNE. The prize that year fell to Sarr. Hvj int of Kentucky, whose gelding Proctor Knott defeated a great favorite in J. B. Haggina Salvator. Bryant was a poor man, and the 0,900 award brought him independence. The second running of the Futurity found the honors going to Hon. W. L. Scott3 Chaos. In 1890 August Belmonts greatest triumph in breeding was achieved when his Potomac and Masher ran first and second. The race was worth 1922.sh7,675 to the winner high water mark for the prize to this day. Continued on eleventh p-ge. j FUTURITY PROSPECTS Continued from first page. His Highness, another product of the Belmont paddocks, but which had passed to David Gideon at the dispersal sale of the Nursery Stud of the elder Belmont, won in 1S91. Morello, owned by W. F. Singer of the Philadelphia Record, but running in the name of his trainer, was the victor in 1892, while Domino followed in 1893. The Butterflies and Requital won for Gideon and Daly and David Gideon respectively in 1894. Then came the triumph of Ogden for Marcus Daly of Montana, who developed the colt in the Bitter Root Valley to a point of excellence where the best of the East could not live with him. And so on down the years to the present stars of the turf are found on the roster of Futurity winners. These include the fillies LAlouette, Hamburg Belle, Artful, Maskette and Step Lightly. Colin, Novelty, Sweep, Campfire, Pennant, Man o War and Bunting were some of the others to gain admission to the charmed circle and on each occasion the lure of the contest attracted throngs from every part of the United States and Canada. The appeal of the Futurity is still strong, and on Saturday next there will be an outpouring of racing devotees unmatched this year. The temporary disability of Messenger and the ineligibility of Dunlin, Edict and Enchantment remove from the Futurity of 1922 potent factors. But there is an abundance of material remaining to furnish a fine test. Some of the best known candidates are Zev, which will carry the colors of the Rancocas confederacy, and Goshawk, representing G. A. Cochran. This pair were second and third to Dunlin in the Hopeful, and each had 130 pounds up. Harry Payne Whitney has half a dozen from which to make a selection. Cresta, Flagstaff, Rialto and Chickvale are the best on public performances. The Greentree Stable, with Barbary Bush, Dustabout, Untidy and Moonmaker eligible, holds a strong hand. Richard T. Wilsons Wilderness has a world of speed and Tall Timber is above the ordinary. The former would have been close up in the Hopeful if Ensor had perservered with him. Wigwam, a smart filly by Poly-melian, will be the reliance of W. R. Coe, while Martingale and Crochet, or perhaps the 1,000 Cyclops, will go to the post for J. S. Cosden, whose convalescence may be far enough advanced to permit of his witnessing the race. The West will have John S. Wards good colt Donges, Jefferson Livingstons Newmarket and Idle Hour Stock Farm Stables Boys Believe Me as their dependence. Robert L. Gerrys pair, Cyclops and William Tell, are above the ordinary. So are Sunference and Sallys Alley, which will carry the colors of W. S. Kilmer. Best Love and Wildrake are the best of the Madden string, while McKee is the sole hope of C. A. Stoneham, who paid a big figure for the son of Ultimus, because of his Futurity engagement. Hobgoblin is the candidate of Harry K. Knapp, Caveat Emptor the hope of the Quincy Stable, while rossible, Mark Twain and Silk Tassel are the candidates of Frederick Johnson, Wr J. Salmon and James B. Smith, respectively. Everything points to a big field, but there is abundant room for . all on the broad straight course over which the prize will be contested. On the same day the Jockey Club Gold Cup at two miles will engage the best of the older horses, with the exception of Exterminator, which is ineligible because of his being a gelding. The race is at weight for age and carrying an added value of 0,000, and is one of the best prizes of the turf. The Gold Cup at ,500 is a gift from the Jockey Club in its endeavor to foster long distance racing. The gelding clause was only inserted -this year, and the name of Exterminator appears as the winner in 1920 and 1921, the life of the race, as it is a compara tively new feature. Among this years eligi-bles are Grey Lag, Kai-Sang, Playfellow Mad Hatter, My Play, Lucky Hour, Bunting. Pillory, Bon Homme, Chateau Thiery, Snob II., John Paul Jones, Rockminister and Blazes. The closing day of the Belmont Park fall meeting therefore promises to be remarkable for the quality of its sport. With two such races on the card as the Futurity and Jockey Club Gold Cup, racing enthusiasts are in for a treat.


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