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»- 1 and There j tere on the Turf Belmonts Racing Most Impor- i • tant j j Greater Patronage Expected J ♦ Large Preakness Field Likely ! Bold Venture Is Solid Favorite J Racing for the 1936 season approaches its greatest importance today with the opening of the annual spring meeting of the Westchester Racing Association at Belmont Park. The sport will hold sway at the large Nassau course until June 8 and will be punctuated by revivals of several of the nations leading | stakes. Traditional opening day attraction I is the Toboggan Handicap, a dash of six | furlongs over the straight course, but this race will be pretty well overshadowed by forthcoming renewals of the Metropolitan Handicap, Withers Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks. Suburban Handicap and Belmont Stakes. These stakes, as well as many others of minor importance and attractive overnight events combine to give Belmont Park a program that draws a large percentage of the finest stables in the country to New York. Consequently the racing is of the highest caliber and the public is realizing it more and more, especially with the progressive spirit of the new state racing commission being felt in the conduct of the sport. Belmont Park is not in a position to offer as much money in some of its stakes as it would like, but the values are being increased whenever the opportunity arises. If the mutuels ever come to New York no track in the country will be able to match Belmonts unless it be a new course on Long Island. The richest attraction is the Belmont Stakes, to which the Westchester Racing Association adds 5,000. Nomination and other fees raise the value of this event— the only American counterpart of the Epsom Derby— to more than double. For the older horses the Suburban Handicap is the principal race, yet its value is only 0,000. Joseph E. Widener, the Belmont chieftain, wishes to make the worth of this mile and a quarter special 5,000, and when he does, the outstanding older horses will be pointed for it. Increased patronage can be expected at Belmont during the meeting which will run until June 8. Jamaica has just concluded one of the most successful terms in its long history, proving that racing is more popular in New York than it has been for years. Consequently the attendance at Belmont may be expected to pick up proportionately. The course itself is in splendid shape and as beautiful as ever. Patrons may be able to exhibit more interest in straightaway racing with the installation of loud speakers through which will be given a description of the race at two points. The racing over the Widener course never will be entirely pleasing to the public, however, because Americans prefer to see their races rather than to hear about them. Two-year-olds and sprinters may have a better chance to display truer performances over the straight course, but this argument is overshadowed by the publics preference. A field slightly less than the fourteen which went to the post in the Kentucky Derby seems probable in Saturdays renewal of the Preakness Stakes. At least ten colts are expected to start and several more eligi-bles are possibilities, but the makeup of the field will not be fully determined until later Continued on thirty-first page. HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. in the week when the candidates have gone through their final trials and qualifying tests. Bold Venture looms up as a heavy favorite, but Granville will not lack for support as he has acted in fine condition since his arrival at Pimlico from Churchill Downs. The Preakness should show whether or not the Belair Studs colt would have been a factor in the Derby running had he not been thrown down at the start. Maryland-trained horses which did not go after the Derby, but which are pointing for the Preakness include E. R. Bradleys Bow to Me, Walter M. Jeffords Jean Bart and Giant Killer; Shandon Farms Bright Light, and Mrs. Marion Dupont Somervilles Transporter. Preakness candidates likely to be sent to Pimlico from New York include the Brook-meade Stables Corundum and Delphinium and the Greentree Stables Brush Hook and Memory Book. None of these colts made the Derby, all but Delphinium having come out only recently. Other Preakness possibilities are the Bomar Stables Grand Slam, E. R. Bradleys Bien Joli. Mrs. Silas B. Masons He Did. and the Wheatley Stables Teufel. Grand Slam and Teufel are at Pimlico, having been returned there from the Derby. Grand Slam should like the Pimlico course because of the depth of its cushion, but the son of Chance Play doesnt appear quite as sharp as he might be. With the possible exception of Granville, none of the colts at Pimlico loom strong enough to stop Bold Venture if Morton Schwartz racer duplicates his Derby effort. Memory Book may prove the stoutest of the New York opponents of Bold Venture and his first race last week should improve him greatly, as he is a colt that makes ready gradually. «
