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NOTED SPORTSMAN, AUGUST ?! BELMONT, . DEAD Chairman of The Jockey Club Passes Away Wednesday Evening After Brief Illness Was One of the Foremost Turfmen of the World Bred and Raced Many Famous Horses in England and France, as Well as in This Country Owner of Nursery Stud Where Mighty Man o War Was Bred New York, N. Y., Dec. 11. August Belmont, for thirty years chairman of the Jockey Club, died in his New York apartment, 550 Park avenue, at C:30 oclock Wednesday evening. He had been ill less than two days and his sudden taking off was a severe shock to the entire turf world. Death resulted from septicemia and the fatal affliction was not manifest until noon Tuesday, when Mr. Belmont felt some pain in his right arm and, cancelling his engagements for the afternoon, motored to his apartment with his son, Morgan Belmont. Later Tuesday alarming symptoms set in, when an inflammation and swelling developed in the arm and there was a consultation of doctors, Evan M. Evans, who first treated the . stricken man, and Bradley L. Coley, Percy R. Turnure and Carl G. Burdick. As a result cf this conference an operation was decided upon and it was performed Wednesday morning . at the apartment. The patient failed to recover strength after the operation and, while he was conscious almost to thejmd, he sank rapidly. Mrs. Belmont and his son, Morgan Belmont, were at the bedside. Raymond Belmont, another son, was notified of the critical condition of his father, but was unable to be there from his home in Virginia. Born in New York on August IS, 1S53, August Belmont was educated at Harvard, from which he graduated in 1S75, and he then entered the banking house of his father, then known as August Belmont and Company. His brilliant career as a financier when he sue- . ceeded his father as head of the banking firm is a familiar one to those of finance, but 5 this has to do with his career as the head and front of the American turf and of his thoroughbred breeding operations. Just as he succeeded his father in the business world, he succeeded him in the field of sport and on the turf. The stable of the elder Bclmon was founded in 1SGG and was sold on his death, but shortly after a much stronger stable was established and August Belmont showed his scarlet with maroon sleeves with black cap on the English and French turf as well as in this country. He became an enthusiastic polo player and yachtsman, and was a familiar figure in the hunting field, but it was to the turf that ha gave bountifully of his best efforts. It was in 1S05 that he was elected chairman oi the Jockey Club and he has filled that high office continuously since that time. He was a member of the first New York State Racing Commission, serving with K. D. Morgan and John San ford, and he was president of the Westchester Racing Association. This organization held its meeting at Morris Park, in Queens County, until 1905, when it was moved to Belmont Park, the magnificent racing ground at Queens, Long Island, and it is there that racing has been since continued, with the dismantling of Morris Park to make way for the growing borough of Queens. HIS BREEDING ACTIVITIES. In all his long years of service to racing" August Belmont ever kept pace in the thoroughbred breeding industry with his stock farm in Kentucky, known as Nursery Stud. There he bred some of the greatest of American thoroughbreds, one being the super-horse, Man o War. sold as a yearling to Samuel D. Riddle for ,000. He also did a tremendous good for breeding interests when he imported the English stallion, Rock Sand, to this cbuntry at a cost of 25,000. His efforts were largely responsible for: the bringing over of Papyrus to this country and the invasic n of Epinard this year. 1 1 was Ladkin, a Nursery bred three-year-old, that carried tl e Belmont silks to victory over Epinard in the mile of the three specials that brought the French champion to these shores. Another high honor he enjoyed as a breeder was having bred both the sire ot Papyrus. Tracery, and the dam of Epinard, Epine Blanche. The achievements of August Belmont as a breeder of thoroughbreds, as a sportsman and as the ruling power of the Jockey Club are known the turf world over. He wa.i almost as well known, and as widely respected and admired on the English ana French turf as at home, and he was the biggest figure in our racing. Col. Matt Winn, general manager of the Kentucky Jockey Club is in New York and had come for the purpose of discussing pos- Contiuued on sixteenth pase.J AUGUST BELMONT DEAD Continued from first page. sible plans for other international races, to be held next year. He was profoundly shocked when he learned of the untimely taking off of the chairman of the Jockey Club, rind said that his death was an irreparable loss to the turf. It was August Belmont, Col. AVinn and James Shevlin, prcs!dent of the iueefis County Jockey Club, who arranged tne three International Specials in which Epinard took part, and Col. AVinn is the only one remaining, Mr. Shevlin. having died recently. The news of the death of August Belmont was received during the sale of the E. F. Simms thoroughbreds AVednesday night, an. I it cast a gloom over the turfmen who had assembled for the vendue. John E. Madden, who for years has led the American breeders, had to say this: "Mr. Belmont was unquestionably the most successful student of thoroughbred lines in America. Indeed. I do not exaggerate in saying he had more success in breeding great horses than any breeder in the world." Joseph E. AVidencr, who had tlte- news bv messenger while at the sales ring, was deeply affected and said: "Major Belmonts death is a great loss to the turf and to all his friends." Max Hirsch. who developed Sarazen fo Mrs. AV. K. Aanderbilt HI., said Mr. Belmont will be missed by everyone who ever came near a race track-. "He was a fine sportsman and a great racing man. and I am as grieved by his death as I can be." J. K. L. Ross, foremost turfman of Canada said: "The news of the death of Major Belmont came as a great shock to me on my arrival here. The racing world has lost a great man." Robert L. Gerry voiced his feelings with: "It will be difficult to replace Major Belmont in the turf world." . Admiral Cary T. Grayson said: "The turf world has suffered one of its greatest losses." Edward Arlington expressed the opinion that "The turf has lost its greatest supporter. Major Belmont was the man who made it possible for racing to come back." Louis Feustel. who developed Man o AAar, and who trains for the Belmont Stable, said : "Mr. Belmonts death is a great shock to me. I did not know he was ill. Mr. Belmont was one of the best turfmen in America. He knew more about the turf than any other man in the country. His death, is a great loss. I have been with Mr. Belmont nearly all my life. I started with him when I was eleven years old." Arthur B. Hancock-. Samuel C. Hildreth. R. Penn Smith. Jr.. Montfort Jones. AVilliam Ziegler, Jr., Thomas AVelsh and many other prominent men in racing offered like expressions of regret on the passing of this outstanding figure of American racing and breeding. AVhen the senior August Belmont passed away, his mantle as governor of the turf, a turfman and- a breedor fell upon the shoulders of his son and namesake, himself a man of singular ability in many wavs and fully equal to coping with the heavy responsibilities of the position as chairman of the Jockey Club. As such he was for thirty years the foremost figure of the American turf and of commanding influence In its affairs. Accustomed to visiting the race track in his boyhood and rejoicing -in the victories of his fathers horses, it was but natural that he should inherit his fathers love of racing and breeding. Subsequent to his fathers death in 1S90 the thoroughbreds belonging to the Belmont estate were sold at public auction in two sales. The first was of horses in training, arid took place December 27, 1S90, twenty-eight head realizing 23,000, of which Potomac brought .3,000. The second was of the sallions, brood mares, yearlings and jfoals and took place October 1G and 17, 1S91. This was the sale at which St. Blaise was sold to Charles Reed for 00,000 and its total was 17,S00. The two sales combined brought the enormous total of ,400, its only parallel being the sale of the Marcus Daly horses that followed the latters death. Ar this sale Mr. Belmont bought such of his fathers horses as he desired to retain for his own use in racing and for the perpetuation of the Nursery Stud. HIS FIRST STABLE. His first racing was conducted under the name of the Blemton Stable. This was in 1S92, 1893 and 1SD-I. Subsequently his racing was in his own name. He took over such splendid stud matrons as the native mares Arnica, Bellegarde. Felicia, Feu. Follet. Flavia. Fides. Flying Fish, Glory, Lady Margaret, St. Pauline, AVoodvine and others and such imported mares as Belladonna, Christmas Tree, Clover, Decoy, Frimsall, Kate Allen and Merry Nellie. As the years passed others were imported from England and judicious additions of American mares were made. His early stallions in service were Rayon dOr, Henry of Navarre, Magnetizer, Fiddlesticks and Margrave. Their progeny raced well fo-him, but he finally secured the brilliant racer and first-class sire, Hastings, and with him achieved unexcelled success as a breeder. Octagon was another that played an important part for him and in Norman III., furnishing the winner of the Two Thousand Guineas of 1908 in England. The best horse Hastings gave him was the brilliant colt, Fair Play, which ranked as only second to Colin in th racing of 190S and after the enforced retirement of the latter, took many of the greatest races of the year and won 0,215 for Mr. Belmont Another wonderfully fast soiv of Hastings that was an especial favorite with his owner was the flying gelding, Priscillian. PURCHASES ROCK SAND. But having had in mind and intention for some time the purpose of buying in England a stallion of the recognized highest class, Mr. Belmont put this intention into practical execution when he purchased Rock Sand from Sir John Miller for 25,000. Rock Sand was one of the few Triple Crown winners, having won the Two Thousand Guineas, Epsom Derby and Doncaster St. Leger for Sir John in 1903 and in the course of his career in England won the great total of 30,S1S, ranking third in total winnings to Isinglass and Donovan. That the troubles that beset racing In this country about a decade ago led Mr. Belmont to sell Reck Sand in 1912 to a syndicate of French and English owners for 50,000 is known to all interested in our racing, but fortunately: he did not depart before having sired sons capable of carrying on his line affectively in this country, not only in the possession of Mr. Belmont, but in other ownerships as well. It is well known that his son Tracery won the Doncaster St. Leger in a canter in 1912 and, besides winning the 0,000 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park and other races in 1313, justly gained for himself the reputation of being not only the best horse .of his age in England, but probably the best in the world as well. In parting with Reck Sand it is not probable that so sagacious and far seeing a man as Mr. Belmont did not have in contemplation that in Tracery he possessed a better horse and one amply qualified to succeed his sire in the stud. No other Triple Crown winner than Rock Sand was ever brought to this country, but the elder August Belmont imported the Epsom Derby winner, St. Blaise, which, while not ranking with Rock Sand as a race horse, was a remarkably successful sire on this side, such jewels of racing as Potomac and La Tcsca alone having been sufficient to bring fame to any stallion. The pleasure of winning the Futurity never, fell to August Belmont, his nearest approach to it being when, in 1902, Savable defeated his Lord of the ATale by a nose, but Potomac won the richest Futurity eer run for "his father in 1S90. ACHIEAEH SUCCESS ABROAR. For a number of years Mr. Belmont had carried on racing abroad with a marketl measure of success. Besides winning the St. Leger in England in 1912 with Tracery he also" won the Prix de Diane French Oaks at Chantilly, France, with his filly Quelle Est Belle II., a brown daughter, of Rock Sand and Queens Bower, and" won other important events, so that in all his stable earnings for that year in England and France reached the ciuite satisfactory total of 10,S7. Mr: Belmont at one time owned a stud farm in France, where he had a large band of brood mares, -with our famous stayer Ethelbert as its premier stallion. How Mr. Belmont sold Tracery to the Argentinian breeder, Senor Unzue, for the high recortl price of 05,000, is still fresh in the memory, as is the trick of fate that deprived the chairman of the Jockey Club from racing under his own colors the noted Man o AVar, by many considered the greatest of all race horses of all times and all countries. However, no other breeder of thoroughbreds the Avorld over can ever hope to duplicate the record of Mr. Belmont in giving to tha turf such two marvelous horses as Tracery and Man o AAar. Ex-oflicio, as chairman of the Jockey Club, Mr. Belmont was an honorary member of the Jockey Club of .England, his co-holders in that exclusive distinction being the president and vice-president of the French Jockey Club, the Khedive of Egypt, the steward of Ascot, appointed by King George, the three stewards of the Societe dEncouragement pour. Lamelioration ties Races de Chevaux en France, the chairman of committee of the Aictoria Racing Club, the chairman of committee of the Australian Jockey Club, the president of the Ontario Jockey Club, tha chairman of the New Zealand Racing Conference and other noted sportsmen.
