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- 4 Knickerbocker Surprise Win njpr of Metropolitan at UO to I Fighting Fox and Jacola Disappointments First Triumph in Famous Old Stake I for Joseph E. Widener — Third v Straight for Winner. nEW YORK, N. Y., May 20.— Knickerbocker, at 40 to 1, stunned the good-sized crowd that gathered at Belmont Park Saturday, despite close and threatening weather, by winning the forty-sixth running of the Metropolitan Handicap. The three-year-old son of Teddy and Warrior Lass, the eighth of his age to triumph in the historic spring mile test, gave Joseph E. Widener, president of the Westchester Racing Association, his first triumph in the event, at the same time enriching his racing treasury to the exterif of ,500, the exact amount of the added money. Shortly after the Metropolitan had been concluded, a rain and thunder storm forced the 20,000 spectators to shelter under the spacious grandstand. Racing He Did into defeat in the stretch, Knickerbocker gained his first important triumph by a length and a half over Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilts Heelfly, which just barely outgamed Edward Friendlys Jacola and Arnold Hangers veteran He Did. The low weight of the field under an impost of 100 pounds, safely made by jockey F. A. Smith, Knickerbocker completed the mile in the creditable time of 1:37%. REMAINS UNBEATEN. The Metropolitan marked the third success of the Widener colt in as many starts. He ran only once as a juvenile, taking a maiden affair at Pimlico last fall, and early in the current Belmont meeting he was victorious in a slowly-run seven furlongs contest. Fighting Fox and Jacola were the disappointments of the eight Metropolitan starters. The Friendly filly finished well but William Woodwards candidate, the favorite, tired steadily in the stretch after being hard ridden to reach second position. He did not get away any too well and then was caught in a pocket going to the far turn, compelling his rider to take him up slightly. Knickerbocker had excellent speed from Remainder on thirty-first page. KNICKERBOCKER SURPRISE WINNER OF METROPOLITAN HANDICAP AT ODDS OF 40-1 Continued from first page. the start, but he was slightly outrun by He i Did. Fighting Fox settled into third position in the opening quarter, closely followed by Jacola, while Heelfly was last, but for the distant-trailing Brown King. When starting the turn, Smith gave Knickerbocker a breathing spell and He Did took command by a length as Fighting Fox advanced to second position, but half way around the turn Smith called on Knickerbocker again. ! FIGHTING FOX WELL BEATEN. Responding readily, Knickerbocker was lapped on He Did again coming into the home stretch, as Fighting Fox dropped back, and through the first half of the straightaway, he was able to bring about the defeat of the Hanger representative. He then drew away as Smith drove him to his utmost. Heelfly gained rapidly on the extreme outside in the stretch, to get up in the last few strides over Jacola, whose bid was more gradual. Fighting Fox was a well-beaten fifth, followed by Lady Maryland, Brown King and Sun Alexandria. Ariel Toy, disqualified after winning the Albany Handicap at Saratoga last summer, the race in which Thingumabob met with his fatal accident, suffered another such reversal in the Mad Hatter Handicap, the secondary attraction. A double disqualification was ordered by the stewards as Spillway lost third honors. The victory was awarded to A. G. C. Sages Entracte, the favorite, while Greentree Stables Armor Bearer was given the secondary award, and Cravat, which was last of the five class "B" horses, clashing at six furlongs, got third money. The Hugh Jackson colt ran the distance in 1:11%, to score by two lengths over Entracte, as Spillway was another neck away, Armor Bearer and Cravat finishing at his heels. All were well out from the inner rail. Basil James, Entractes pilot, claimed the foul, apparently becausq Ariel Toy brushed the :Sage colt*ashe :went by him with a. rush at the sixteenth pole. At that time Spillway was drifting out from the rail and he could have been entirely at fault. Up to that time he had set the pace, as Entracte was next in order, after Armor Bearer dropped back on the turn. Ariel Toy was rated in fourth position by Lee Hardy until he made his move half way around the turn. Armor Bearer closed slowly, while Cravat staged a belated rush. Entracte was overtaking Spillway when Ariel Toy came forward. He appeared to be running straight and continued that way after getting by the Sage colt. Spillway weakened slightly towards the end, and Entracte was able to outgame him for the place. It developed later that the stewards held Ariel Toy to blame for placing Entracte in close quarters as the field went into the first turn when the favorite was on the inside and the Jackson colt was on the outside of both him- and Armor Bearer.
