view raw text
WAR ADM1RAL-SEAB1SCU1T MATCH RACE CANCELED — a a w w Seabiscuits Legs Under Suspicion-Owner Howard Withdraws Star » Son of Hard Tack Fails to Train Properly for 00,000 Special Scheduled for Monday, Decoration Day — No Future Date Set for Race * NEW YORK, N. Y., May 24.— The race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral for a purse of 00,000 at Belmont Park next Monday, was called off today by the Westchester Racing Association when Charles S. Howard, owner of the California horse, reported that he was not in condition to run his race. C. V. Whitney, vice-president of the Westchester Racing Association, held a conference during the afternoon with Howard, Herbert Bayard Swope, chairman of the New York State Racing commission, and Peter A. B. Widener, representing Samuel D. Riddle, owner of War Admiral, at which it was decided to cancel the match, which had been described as the championship special. Following the conference, Howard issued the following statement: "We deeply regret that Seabiscuit has not trained as we felt he should, and definite indications that his legs are bothering him became apparent within the last few days. PUBLIC OBLIGATION. "Recognizing our obligation to the public, we had planned to work the horse today to finally determine his condition. "This morning, however, it was plain that to work him might endanger him permanently and, with the consent of the Westchester Racing Association and the New York State Racing Commission, we decided not to work him and to withdraw him from the special race." Cancellation of the event proved a tremendous blow not only to the California sportsman, who had been very confident that in proper condition Seabiscuit would prove the master of War Admiral, but to the public, which had displayed such wide interest in the match that it besieged Belmont Park with such a demand for reservations that all had been sold for some time. ELABORATE PLANS. Elaborate plans had been made by the Belmont Park management to accommodate a crowd much greater than the spaciousness of the Nassau plant ordinarily would permit. The overflow from the big grandstand and clubhouse was to be handled in the vast infield. One of the greatest crowds ever to view a horse race in America was freely predicted. As soon as announcement had been made by Whitney that the match had been called off he went into conference with racing secretary John B. Campbell and other officials, with the view of providing a worthwhile feature other than the Juvenile Stakes for the program on Memorial Day, which usually is the best of Belmont Parks spring meeting. The Suburban Handicap has been the traditional May 30 feature and it was advanced to Saturday to make room for the match. War Admiral is eligible to the Suburban, a 0,000 added affair of a mile and one-quarter, the same route as the Special was to have been, and there is a possibility he will accept. He is the top weight, with 132 pounds. Howard, in adding to his official statement, reported that Seabiscuits knees were troubling him. He pointed out that the five-year-old son of Hard Tack— Swing On had a suspicious knee when ho purchased him as a three-year-old and that it was necessary to let up on him after the Brooklyn Handicap last June hecause of the same trouble. Both Continued on thirty-fourth page WAR ADMIRAL-SEABISCUIT ! MATCH RACE CANCELED Continued from first page. knees now are troubling Seabiscuit, the California sportsman stated. The match race was first proposed about a month ago with the Westchester Racing Association and the Arlington Park Jockey Club both bidding for the event, each with an offer of 00,000. For a day or two it j j appeared that Belmont Park would not be j the successful bidder when some of the ] Belmont Park directors expressed themselves as opposed to such large purses. However, a meeting of Belmont directors was held and it was decided to make an official bid, which was accepted by both I Howard and Riddle, and they were quick to settle on the date and conditions, the latter providing that the event be at a mile and one-quarter, with each horse to carry 126 pounds. War Admiral was already domiciled at the New York track and Seabiscuit was shipped from the west coast with others in his stable to Belmont. Every move of the two horses has been of public interest ever since.
