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BELMONT MEETING NEAR •— ■ m. M., 109; 10 Spring Racing at Westchester In Course Begins Thursday. i . — ini metropolitan Handicap Inaugural Day At- ?50. traction — Famous "Wither Stakes to Be T Hnn Saturday. CS 7C • 6J M NEW YORK, N. Y., May 21.— With the 7t closing of the Jamaica meeting almost at 6S hand all eyes are turned toward Belmont 61 Park, where the Westchester Racing Asso- jj* ciation will inaiiguarte its spring racing °* with a program of excellence. This splendid p] course with its vast stretches, spacious sb grandstand and capacious paddock, where the visitor may inspect his favorites as they st walk about under oaks and pines that are N N.. unrivaled in their beauty in this part of the 140 country, has been aptly termed the Newmarket of America A Since the close of last year the Westchester ur management has made many improvements, having an eye to the comfort and entertain- c ment of its patrons. The vista opened up " ing by the removal of the saddling paddock to a point backing on the property under lease to A. K. Macomber is one of the greatest s beauty, revealing the matchless gardens and -quaint old home of the Turf and Field Club, n Many fine trees have been planted in the I paddock and a walking ring lined with trees, ei where the horses may be inspected, has been $ laid out in a way that makes it look as though nature herself had arranged the de- c tails. 7 An improvement that will be appreciated 7 to the fullest is the placing of a restaurant 7 beneath the stand, where the wants of pa- 6 _ trons will be catered to in artistic surround- ■ ings. Food will come piping hot from a kitchen located between the club and the p general inclosure. r For the opening day, Thursday, May 24, the Metropolitan Handicap, with 15,000 added, *; at a mile, is the feature. This fine race, in- • 40 augurated in 1891, when it was won by Tris- ■ 30 tan at Morris Park, is one of the best of the spring handicaps. It has never fur- a nished a poor contest in all the years of its J existence, and some of the greatest horses on the American turf have scored in it. ■ Ramapo, Voter, Bowling Brook, Banastar, Ethelbert, Irish I.ad, Sysonby dead heat v with Race King, Whisk Broom II., Strom-boli, The Finn, King James and Mad Hatter J are on the honor roll of the Metropolitan. DOUBLE FOB MAD HATTER. Mad Hatter won in 1921 and again in 1922, i and he is the only horse that has achieved a I dual victory in the Metropolitan. At the weight he is asked to carry on Thursday the . big brown son of Fair Play might make it three straight, though he has a strong band of opponents against him. The eligibles in- elude Grey Lag, Tryster, Bunting, Lucky : Hour, Kai-Sang, Missionary, Careful, Tall . Timber, Southern Cross, Playfellow, Fire- j brand. Oceanic, Snob II., Dinna Care, Cyclops, Dunlin, June Grass, Messenger, High 1 $ Hand, Krodus Rialto, Zev, Enchantment, , 1 Prince James, Rocket, Flagstaff, My Play, Captain Alcock, Cherry Pie and a lot of 1 j other good ones. , On Saturday the pick of the three-year-olds 5 will appear in the Withers Stakes, which l also carries an added value of ,000. This famous old lixture, inaugurated at Jerome ; • Park in LS74, is at a mile and geldings are not eligible. Few races in this country have J BM traditions of the Withers Stakes, and it 1 was a brave sight to see the display of * | beauty and fashion that mustered in the old 1 days on the hill at Jerome Park when the bugle called the crack three-year-olds of the 8 period to the post to contest for this prize, which was named in honor of one of the best t sportsmen this country has ever known, David . Dunham Withers, the founder of Brook-dale, where most of the Whitney horses are e now bred and prepared for the races. The International Steeplechase, at two 3 miles, with a line array of candidates, will 1 be decided on the same day as the Withers. ;. Given a good day and track it should be a B memorable occasion for the turf in the Em-pffo State. ♦- ■
