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BLACK BUDDY AND COUCCI Winning Combination in Gladiator Handicap at Belmont Park. Race Best on Off-Day Card Quel Jeu Sey ond and Below Zero Third Firelock Wins. NEW YORK, N. Y., Tune 5. Black Buddy and Silvio Coucci proved a winning combination for the Greentree Stable in the Gladiator Handicap, which was looked upon aa the feature offering of an off-day program at Belmont Park. This was a dash of si? furlongs over the main course and at th end the Greentree Stable performer had a length advantage over Quel Jeu, from the Arden Farms, while C. H. Knebelkamps Below Zero was doing her best to stall off the belated rush of Mrs. R. H. Heighea Brown Twig. The winner negotiated the distance in 1:11, a creditable performance. Racing was conducted under ideal overhead conditions and over a fast track in view of a large representative week-day crowd. Interesting racing occurred during the afternoon and the majority of the winners were accorded support. There was some delay at the post in the Gladiator Handicap and when the start was effected, Polycletus was the first to show in front with Brown Twig and Black Buddy next in line, while Quel Jeu and Deduce were in the rear. Jones, astride Brown Twig, allowed his mount to drop far out of contention in the early stages while Black Buddy and Quel Jeu were sent after the early pacemaker. Polycletus continued to show the way to the stretch turn but it was there that his faint heartedness began to prevail although he held on to the furlong post before dropping back before the challenge of Black Buddy, Below Zero and Quel Jeu. In the final sixteenth the Greentree Stable star smothered his opposition for speed while Quel Jeu had a bigger margin over the tired Below Zero, which in turn barely managed to nose out the fast finishing Brown Twig. Thomas J. Pendergast of Kansas City was on hand to lend moral and financial support to Draft Sergeant, that races for hi3 daughter, Miss Aileen, in the first race of the afternoon, which brought together a field of eighteen starters. The winner, ridden by Cal Rainey and a stout choice in the betting, led home T. J. Beauchampa Dixie Dora, while in third place and a matter of inches back was Victor Emanuels Free Again, with Nalita J. in fourth place. The Roll Your Own Steeplechase Handicap, a new departure in assigning weight to starters, wherein the weight submitted by either the owner or trainer on his own horse are all listed, and is then averaged by the official handicapper, was programmed as the second race, and it resulted in an easy victory for Thomas Hitchcocks Nes-conset, ridden by Rigan McKinney. His advantage at the finish was a commanding one over E. Ambrose Clarks Hurry Harry. A distant third was Whitney Stones Wrackon. The winner was much the best. He was restrained back of the early pace and when called upon at the final turn of the field moved up on the inside and then drew clear. In a spirited finish with the winner in doubt until the official placing, Mrs. Herman Phillips Firelock was given the award over Jack McPhersons Merry Fox, with P F. Rattis Hermie Roy lapped on them at the finish in the third race, over one mile. The three crossed the finish line closely grouped, with the winner undetermined until the placing. Firelock was ridden by jockey Don Meade and was the popular choice in the event, while Hermie Roy was the second choice. Bright Plumage, an aptly named son of Macaw Beaming, that races for C. V. Whit ney, moved up another notch in the estimation of racegoers when he was a clever winner of the fourth race, styled the Radiant Purse, which was over five furlongs. This fellow led home E. R. Bradleys Bijuro, while in third place was Cascapedia, from the Wheatley Stable. The winner was a pronounced choice in the calculations, and ridden by R. Workman and raced the distance aided by a strong breeze, which blew down the Widener course. The running time was :58.
