view raw text
JAMESTOWN MEETS TWENTY GRAND a ♦ i Two Outstanding Three-Year-Olds of Year Clash for First Time in Sixty -Third Renewal of Valuable Belmont Stakes—Sun Meadow Only Other Eligible Named to Start— Predict Greatest Race of Year • NEW YORK, N. Y., June 12. — Though there are only three colts named to start in the famous old Belmont Stakes, at Belmont Park Saturday afternoon, it promises to be the greatest three-year-old battle thus far staged this season, with George D. Wideners Withers winner, Jamestown, and the Greentree Stables Kentucky Derby winner, Twenty Grand, both named. The third to the three-cornered battle for the historic old fixture, which i8 1 having its sixty-third running, is Mrs. Katherine Elkins Hitts Sun Meadow, a colt that was denied his engagements | in both the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby by reason of illness. ! With the three colts starting, the Belmont Stakes will have a gross value of 4,320. That will mean a net i value of 1,770 to the winner, ,500 to second, and ,000 to third. The distance is over the trying mile and a 1 =• gfthalf jhalf route, route, and and present present indications indications gfthalf jhalf route, route, and and present present indications indications are that there will be clear skies and a fast track for the running. While there have been many rainy days and a muddy track condition coming up to the Belmont classic all three colts have shown enough in private to indicate that each is ready for his best, though on all public and private form the race is considered really as a match between Twenty Grand and Jamestown. WINS WOOD MEMORIAL. Twenty Grand began his racing this year by a victory in the Wood Memorial Stakes at Jamaica. He followed that by finishing second to Mate in the running of the Preakness and his only other appearance under silks was on May 16 when he was an easy winner of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in the record time of 2:01%. Since that running James Rowe has been content with private trials to bring the son of St. Germans and Bonus up to his big effort of today. Jamestown had a later start and he has won all three of the races in which he has been sent to the post. His first was a seven furlong dash that was a final for his victory for the mile of the Withers that followed. His only other race was an easy victory over the mile and a furlong route on June 8. Both colts have on frequent occasions impressed greatly in their trials, though Mr. Joyner has not sent Jamestown over a greater distance than a mile and three furlongs, while Twenty Grand has been worked the full mile and a half of the Belmont Stakes. Sun Meadow has trained steadily for the big objective, but he has been so overshadowed by both Twenty Grand and Jamestown that he has not been seriously considered as having a chance to beat either one of them. INTENSE INTEREST IN RACE. The prospective meeting of Twenty Grand and Jamestown has given this renewal of the Belmont Stakes an interest that has never been shown in any recent running of the big prize. It cannot be remembered when opinion was so evenly divided between two colts, and while there is abiding faith in both camps, trainer Rowe has a wholesome respect for the colt trained by Joyner, the latter entertaining a like regard for the Greentree Stable star, and a rare battle is confidently expected. "Jack" Joyner has a thorough appreciation of the task that is in store for Jamestown when he meets Twenty Grand Saturday afternoon. He said, "I am sending a fit horse to the post, and I think he will win, but it is sure to be a hard race. I would prefer a field with more speed engaged, and probably the manner in which the race is run will have an important bearing on the result. I am convinced it will be a hard race for both colts." Just as the roster of winners of the Belmont Stakes is a roll of honor of the greatest three-year-olds since 1867, when it was first run, so the names of the sportsmen whose silks were carried to victory is a blue book of sportsmen of the turf. Yet the race has never been won by either the Greentree Stable or George D. Widener. Beginning with F. Morris Ruthless, winner of the initial running, such sportsmen have won the stake as August Belmont, Dan Swigert, D. McDaniel, Pierre Lorillard, George Lorillard, James R. Keene, Appleby and Johnson, the Dwyer Brothers. Phil and Mike; A. J. Cassatt, Byron McClelland, Mar- Continued on twenty-second page. a a d ,r e It B- ► e le d g a. s, f § " I L. f J s te a * ]Ji "r ° n in n ro r" n JAMESTOWN - TWENTY GRAND i ... Continued from first page. cus Daly, A. H. and D. H. Morris, Sydney : Paget, Eugene Leigh, H. P. Whitney, S. C. Hildreth. John W. Schorr, H. C. Hallenbeck, J. K. L. Ross. Samuel D. Riddle, Harry F. Sinclair, Richard T. Wilson, Joseph E. Wid-it ener, A. H. Cosden, Edward R. Bradley and ; William Woodward. No race is richer in tradition than the Belmont Stakes, and no victory on the American turf brings more fame to the horse or silks he carries in the running. While the Belmont Park meeting has had more than its share of inclement weather, the promise of sunshine and a fast track for the running of the Belmont Stakes is j some recompense. It has not been a suc-r - cessful season financially for the Westches-ter Racing Association, but it has surely been a great sporting success, and the meet-"j ing of two such colts as Jamestown and i Twenty Grand offers a climax that could not be excelled. For several days sportsmen have been coming from many sections of the country r especially to witness the Belmont. Train l arrangements for today were made to ac- - commodate thousands from points as far south as Washington. A special will be run ; from Philadelphia direct to Belmont Park, and this will make the trip a comfortable I one for those from further south who will change at that city. Many Kentuckians are on hand. A large number passed up the . Chicago sport for the chance to see these e two great colts in action.
