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OLD BELMONT STAKES « Appears Destined to Live Up to Its Best Traditions. ♦ Pompey, Chance Play and Other Stars Among Prospective Contestants for Rich Prize. ♦ XF.W YORK. X. Y.. April 11— That the Belmont Stakes, on* of the oldest and most popular of three-year-old races in this country, is destined to live up to its glorious traditions this spring, is apparent from a perusal of the list of the eligihles for the line old race which will he worth 1926.sh0,000, providing sis horses go to the post; and at this writing it would MCta that this number will he exceeded. The Belmont Stakes is only surpassed in continuity hy the Travers Stakes, now known as Hi.- Trav.-rs Midsummer I erby. the chief thr. •••-year-old prize offered by the Saratoga Association for the Improvement of the Breed of Horses at Saratoga Springs. These events have stabilized the bloodstock breeding industry to a remarkable degree. breeders with in initiations in such races know that th. ir eailint;s will command higher prices. Whether offered privately or in the publi markets. A perusal of the entries for the Belnont Stakes, which will be decided on Saturday, •Inn.- 12. the same day as the National Stallion Stakes for two-year-olds, reveals a lot of promising material for this years prize. Naturallv, the presence of Pompey and Chano- Play, rivals as two-year-olds, among the eligible s. give-s the race that sort of inter- | est that is good for the turf, and which has not been diminished by the arguments that are now engaged in by the rival camps. That 1ompey is a racehorse of rare promise, was demonstrated repeatedly last year. His action is not smooth but he gets there. He is a climber, but the fact that he is going strongest at the end of his races would indicate that he will not be bothered by the mile and a half of the Belmont, despite the e-ontcnions of some that he is not bred to stay. His sire. Sun Briar II.. was a brilliant miler at best, but it must not be forgotten that his dam Cleopatra seemeel able to run all dav. though her grandsire Poljmelus is recognized as a progenitor of speed, rather than staying elements. 1ompey, like all the Imrses that are trained at Belmont Park, is rather backward in condition, and will not be hurried. From the way trainer Karrick is handling him. he will lie at the top of his form by the time the Westchester feature is reached. m
