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THE FORTHCOMING MATCH WAR ADMIRAL vs. SEABISCUIT I By SALVATOR. 11 Z-J There was something rather curious about the publicity accorded the now-agreed-upon great match race in advance of the settlement of the terms. Apparently there was a party in New York trying their best to pre- vent the consummation. One would have supposed that support for it would have been unanimous for, assuredly, such a race will do more to stimulate interest in racing than anything since the Epinard and Papyrus Internationals of fifteen years ago. There was every reason in the world why it should be brought off, if such a thing was at all possible, and absolutely no legitimate one why it should not. Nevertheless, during the week preceding the final decision that the race should be staged at Belmont Park on Memorial Day, the public was repeatedly assured that various persons, named and unnamed, that were I not only high in turf affairs, but some of them actually in a position to dictate what would be done, were unalterably, not tosay violently, opposed to the match! They were represented as only awaiting the opportunity to get into action to consign it to the scrap heap. To disinterested lovers of racing it seemed difficult to believe that anything of that kind ; could be true. And, when it came to the issue, this proved to be the case. OPPOSE MATCH. The alleged "uncompromising opposition" proved to be wholly the "wishful thinking" of those who, for reasons of their own, were trying to "queer the whole proposition," and for that cause adopted the attitude described. There has been more or less talk that "matches are bad for racing." Nothing could be more untrue. Turf history is dotted with great match races which stand out as milestones in its pages. A large number could be cited, both here and abroad, but it is only necessary to hark back, in the "good old days" to the memorable events in which American Eclipse contended with Henry, and Boston with Fashion; and, in more recent times, the never-to-be-forgotten meetings between Freeland and Miss Woodford, Troubadour and The Bard, Salvator and Tenny, the "three-cornered" combats of Henry of Navarre, Domino and Clifford, etc., etc., to realize the potentialities of the coming event. As a matter of fact, such a race represents sportsmanship at its very apogee. It ranks as high above any such thing as a handicap for however big a sum or under no matter how sensational conditions as a stake horse does above a selling plater. The public has always recognized this and it always will. And it requires no stretching of the imagination to forsee that if May 30, 1938, proves to be a fine day, it will betoken that fact in the most emphatic manner. There have also been adverse criticisms about the great money prize at stake as something, else .that is "bad for racing." - This also is a wholly false premise under the circumstances that prevail. GIGANTIC PRIZES POSSIBLE. There are -conditions under which gigantic money prizes can be and have been bad for racing. When they have been contended for under circumstances that were not healthful for the sport, when they have been untruly won and victory has gone to horses wholly unworthy of such great rewards. That is undeniable. But under the conditions now to prevail, it may not only be asserted, but stressed, that: No sum of money is too great to go to the ivimier of such a match as that which now seems assured. Here are two horses confessedly among the best ever seen in America. Their records attest that fact as firmly established. Both have proved themselves, beyond the shadow of a doubt, as among the most emi- nent examples of the "breed of horses" that we can hope to see. Both are owned by men who have disclosed themselves, in their handling of them, as true sportsmen, not afraid to face the issue, with neither the desire nor the intention of dodging it, asking only a free field and no favors and willing to stake everything upon the outcome as a sportsman should. Everything surrounding the event will be of such a nature as to preclude anything in any way questionable from entering into it. The two horses will carry even weights. They will be 126 pounds, which will be generally considered fit and right. They will race over the countrys most splendid course, situated in its greatest center of population. It will be staged as such a race can only be staged, at Belmont Park, in the finest environment that America provides and every detail supervised and managed by the best and ablest gentlemen connected with the sport. BOTH FIT. There is every indication that both horses will come to it fit and right and ready to give their very best. Why then is such an amount as 00,000 too great a sum to give for it? The outlook is that at least 5,000,000 will be raced for this season upon the American turf. Immense sums are being tossed about on every hand, with the utmost nonchalance, by the entrepreneurs of the sport. Many of the figures turned in upon it are fairly staggering their magnitude. In vievy of such facts, all beyond dispute, the argument that 00,000 is too much for a race between the two best thoroughbreds in America is wholly beside the point. Quite the contrary. If such gigantic sums have been paid out in the past, again and again, for races unworthy to be compared to the match in any way, shape or manner, not only will it be worth the sum named, it would be worth a far greater one. It will do racing incalculable good, unless some accident impossible to prevent, should ruin it and that is the most remote of possibilities. There is, therefore, everything to com- j mend and nothing to criticise in the preview of the event. And if I am not greatly mis- taken, all America will get behind it and assist in bringing it to the most brilliant consummation.
