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Here and There on the Turf War Admiral Disappoints the Public Kiddle Blamed for Withdrawal Interest in Belmont Racing on the Wane Pompoon Brilliant in Defeat By his action in withdrawing War Admiral from the Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park Saturday after promising the Westchester Racing Association that he would start the colt, Samuel D. Riddle disappointed thousands of fans. Many persons went to Belmont Park solely attracted by War Admiral, all went with an eagerness to see how the son of Man o War and Brush Up would perform under 132 pounds against a crack field. When the scratches for the Suburban were posted following the running of the previous event, the patrons clearly expressed their disappointment over the withdrawal of the colt which has been unbeaten since a two-year-old. Fortunately, for Riddle, he was not present to hear for himself just how the public felt about the absence of the colt which has brought the Philadelphia owner more pleasure than any of his horses since Man o War. No reason was given for the declaration of War Admiral although the condition of the track probably influenced it. Trainer George Conway worked the colt a quarter of « mile Saturday morning to "open" him up for the race in the afternoon. Then he conferred by telephone with Riddle who was at Liz home on the outskirts of Philadelphia and apparently was instructed at that time to withdraw War Admiral or otherwise the owner could have been expected o start his journey to Belmont Park for the race. Had Riddle been on the grounds and saw the manner in which the track dried out, how sure was the footing and what good time was made in the preliminary events, even by ordinary horses, he hardly could have reached the conclusion that War Admiral would have been at a disadvantage thereby or subject to more than the ordinary dangers of racing. It is true that War Admiral received a final preparation for the Suburban contrary to the usual procedure followed by Trainer Conway. The colt was being prepared for a race on Monday and Conways plans called for an extended workout on Thursday, after he had gone a mile and a quarter the previous Saturday. Conway knew last Tuesday Continued on thirty-fourth page. HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. evening that the match race was off, and with assurance having been given by Riddle that War Admiral would start in the Suburban, it was generally expected, the colt would work Wednesday. But he didnt, as Conway waited until Thursday when the colt stepped a smart mile. Belmont Parks track was surfaced by light mud on Friday when entries for the Suburban closed and horsemen had a fair idea of what sort of going would prevail the following afternoon with no further rain. It would have been far better not to have entered War Admiral rather than to withdraw him after the public had assembled Saturday afternoon. The disappointment ensuing from Riddles action was felt at Belmont Park yesterday afternoon, the attendance not being as large as would have been with the public having lost some of its zest. Win or lose, War Admirals appearance in the Suburban would have given patrons the show they had paid to see and which had been promised them. Fortunately they were treated to an excellent race, particularly when Snark and Pom-poon emerged from the pack in the final furlong and staged their brilliant duel to the end, finishing out the mile and a quarter in the fastest time actually accredited to the traditionally famous Suburban. But the public had gathered to see a champion and he had failed them, a fact which could not be hidden in the Suburbans brilliant running. With War Admiral withdrawn from the Suburban, Pompoon was installed an odds-on favorite, even though he was shouldering 128 pounds. The son of Pompey and Oonagh ran his race under that load but he just wasnt quite good enough to give eight pounds to the greatly and suddenly improved Snark, which was soundly beaten by Jerome Louchheims colt in the Dixie and later was defeated by the rather ordinary Danger Point in the Metropolitan Handicap. Pompoon lost no friends in losing to the Wheatley Stable veteran by inches considering that the son of Boojum and Helvetia, by Hourless, ran one of the fastest races at a mile and a quarter ever recorded in America. With the record of two minutes flat by Whisk Broom II. generally disproved, the 2:01% required by Snark to win the Suburban was within three-fifths of a second of Sarazens mark, actually the best over what is commonly called Americas championship distance.
