Match Race on May 30: Riddle and Howard Consent to War Admiral-Seabiscuit Clash, Daily Racing Form, 1938-04-14

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MATCH RACE ON MAY 30 Riddle and Howard Consent to War Admiral-Seabiscuit Clash. . Campbell to Rearrange Belmont Parks Stake Schedule to Make Way for 00,000 Race. . NEW YORK, N. Y., April 13. The Westchester Racing Association, having obtained the agreement of Samuel D. Riddle and Charles Samuel Howard to run War Admiral and Seabiscuit in the proposed 00,000 contest at Belmont Park on Decoration Day, will meet soon to consider details for the staging of what is called "the horse race of the century." Most important of these details are the admission fees to be charged, preparation for the handling of the tremendous gathering expected to be present, and re-arrangement of the stakes schedule for the spring meeting. John B. Campbell, racing secretary and hahdicapper of the New York tracks, is expected here Friday and will, while accepting entries for the opening day card at Jamaica on Saturday, consider arranging the Belmont schedule of stakes to provide for the staging of. the race. SHIFT DATES. It will be a most difficult task, as the Belmont management wants War Admiral to start in his engagements in annual fixtures there as well as in the "match". It is understood that the dates of the Suburban, Metropolitan and some lesser events may be shifted around, with the date of the Belmont Stakes remaining on June 4, getaway day. Herbert Bayard Swope, head of the New Tork Racing Commission and who originally suggested the match, is enthusiastic over the prospect of bringing to the Empire state what he characterizes as the greatest match since the days of Salvator and Tenny, and Domino and Henry of Navarre. "The two champions are in form and there remains only minor details to be considered," said he. "I do not think that In this century America has had a match between two such horses, thoroughbreds like War Admiral and Seabiscuit usually come along a generation apart. Here arc two who are contemporaneous. I have Leen a number of matches but I think this promises to prove the greatest of them all." STARTING METHOD. Among the details to be worked but prior to the match is the question of the method of starting. Chairman Swope of the commission has indicated the stalls probably will Continued on eighteenth page. MATCH RACEON MAY 30 Continued from first page. be used. Mr. Riddle yesterday was questioned in the matter and replied "It makes no difference to me. Whatever they decide upon will be all right, although I prefer a walk-up start. The possibility that the race may have to be postponed because" of inclement weather or a bad track is also all right. "I understand War Admiral is doing well up at Belmont Park at present. What effect, if any, the race would have on War Admirals engagements this spring remains to be seen. I have not decided about where nor when he will start next. "I believe that the race is to be winner take all." Owner Howard, of Seabiscuit, is anxious that jockey "Red" Pollard ride his horse in the event. Pollard suffered a broken collarbone in a fall at Santa Anita a couple of weeks prior to the running of the 00,000 handicap there last month. Doctors were to examine him yesterday and it was expected that he would be able to resume his saddle activities during the Pimlico spring meeting. The San Francisco sportsman will ship Seabiscuit and twenty-three other horses to the Baltimore track on Monday. Seabiscuit is a candidate for the 0,000 Dixie Handicap, prior to the match there, and as he gets in with 130 pounds, is expected to start if track conditions suit and he comes up to the engagement in good form. War Admiral is a candidate to the same stake, but is not expected to start. STILL HOPING. Seabiscuit is a prospect for the 0,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at the new Inglewood track in California on July 16, and the management of that plant still is hopeful that he will return west for the race after the Belmont contest. However, Howard has indicated he will likely remain here and start in the 0,000 Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs. Seabiscuit was. not nominated to the Metropolitan and Suburban Handicaps at Belmont Park, but may be made eligible to the Brooklyn Handicap at Aqueducts summer meeting here now that he is shipping east. The Admiral is expected to start in the Suburban if the weights are satisfactory and the date does not too closely approximate that of the match. He also is a Brooklyn candidate and will point especially for the 0,000 Massachusetts Handicap.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1938041401/drf1938041401_1_5
Local Identifier: drf1938041401_1_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800