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IMPROVEMENTS AT BELMONT • Work on Two New Chutes Is Progressing Rapidly. • Grandstand and Bnihlings Bring Freshened lip With New Pnlnt — Chilhowee hi Fast Work-out, ♦ mBW YORK. M, Y., April 16.— When the Westchester Racing- Association opens the gates of Belmont Park for the meeting beginning May 21. racegoers will see a number of changes which will greatly improve the big Nassau County course. The most conspicuous improvements are the new chutes, one of seven-eighths straightaway and the other for one mile and one-quarter races, connecting with the main racing strip. The new straightaway course will be used almost exclusively for two-year-old racing and it is a decided improvement over the old course that began at the eastern boundary of the property and connected with the main track near the end of the grandstand. On the new course it will be possible to see the horses in competition every stride of the way and the chute is wide enough to accommodate the huge fields that generally start in the big juvenile stakes. A feature that appeals strongly to the horsemen is the uprights supporting the inner and outer rails. These are of steel, set in concrete bases. They are placed at such an angle that it will be impossible for a horse when in close quarters to strike his knee or leg. They also will save green two-year-olds that swerve to the rail from injury. The rail is sufficiently high to prevent a horse falling over it, and it also clears a riders foot, thus reducing the possibilities of injury to the jockeys to a minimum. BEST AND SAFEST. Work on the two chutes is progressing rapidly. The subsoil is in place and has been well rolled. The sifted top dressing is at hand ready to be spread. The top dressing will be deep enough to give the surface a good cushion. Repeated harrowings and wettings, says track superintendent Fcls, will make it one of the best and safest racing strips in the country. The new mile and a quarter chute will eliminate the crowding that usually occurred at the turn out of the stretch, where the races at that distance formerly started. Bad weather during the past few weeks delayed the work, the contractors said, but they are now making up the lost time. The greater part of the work is completed, and what remains to be done will be rushed along. Many other improvements are being made which enhance the beauty of the plant. Additional trees are now being transplanted. A row of them will screen the stables that line the old straightaway course. A large crew of men are at work moving the trees to this spot. Additional shrubbery and flower beds are being planted in the paddock. Bl IllJIIfl NEW STALLS. The grand stand and other buildings are beins freshened up with new paint, and several boxes are being built in the turf and field club enclosure. A new one hundred stall barn has been built at the top of the old futurity chute for public use. It is one of the largest public stables in the country. The majority of the barns at Delmont Park accommodate sixty horses. Today was an off day for the horsemen and horses at Relmont Park. Few moves of importance were recorded. The chief work-out was that of Chilhowee, which is being pointed for the Kings County Handicap at Jamaica, a race at one mile and a sixteenth. Chil-howie was sent seven-eighths, and he registered one of the fastest gallops of the spring season. He covered the distance in 1:29%, under restraint. The fractional times were :24, :49% and 1 :29%. Preparations were made today to receive the large consignment of Rancocas Stable horses from the farm at Jobstown. N. J. Trainer S. C. Hildreth is expected at Relmont Park the early part of next week. The Joseph EL Widener horses in charge of G. EL Keeiv also are expected within the next week or ten days. Stable reservations for the meeting have been alloted and these will fill every barn on the course.
