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■SL* *"*" ROBERT J. KLEBERG, JR.— Through the accomplishments of his sterling colt, Assault, became the sixth sportsman to own a Triple Crown winner. Assault Assault Triumphs Triumphs in in Belmont Belmont Stakes; Stakes; Historian Historian Annexes Annexes La La Salle Salle Handicap Handicap Seventh Triple Crown Victor Runs Down Natchez in Stretch King Ranchs Texas-Bred Colt Given Excellent Ride by Mehrtens to Score by Three Lengths Over Mile and Half; Lord Boswell Disappoints After Being Installed Choice BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 1.— King Ranchs gallant little Assault scored a clever victory in the seventy-eighth running of the Belmont Stakes today, coming to the end of the arduous mile and a half journey three lengths before Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords Natchez, who led Mrs. Aksel Wichfields Cable another two lengths, while Foxcatcher Farms Hampden was a head away in fourth place, a half-length before Maine Chance Farms Lord Boswell, who was slightly favored over the winner. Warren Mehrtens rode the Texas-bred son of Bold Venture — Igual with confidence, hitting him just once nearing the stretch turn. Assault, who was completing his conquest of the "Triple Crown," and ►wen his third 00,000 stakes of the year, having already taken the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, paid .80 and earned 5,400, bringing his total earnings to 16,270. The time of 2:304/5 was just fair, but was quite fast enough to get the job done. Admiral Mark Mitscher and Mayor William ODwyer presented the huge silver Belmont cup to owner Robert Kleberg. Jockey Mehrtens, who was criticized in some quarters for his ride on Assault in the Preakness, was also in the winners circle during these proceedings and beamed like the happiest kid in the land. Crowd of 43,599 Sees Program A crowd of 43,599 fans turned out in weather that was bright and sunny in the early part of the afternoon, but suddenly clouded over after the first race, with the temperature dropping some 20 degrees in the space of a half hour. This Belmont was a cleanly run race from the start, though Assault stumbled at the start, but quickly recovered. Cable was first out of the gate, followed by Mahout, Natchez, Lord Boswell, Hampden, War Watch and Assault. Hampden was quickly sent to the front by Arcaro and led Natchez by a neck as they rounded the clubhouse turn, while War Watch was several lengths back of the leaders, followed by Assault, who saved ground along the rail. Lord Boswell was a couple of lengths back of the ultimate winner at this stage. The order didnt change going down the backstretch until nearing the far turn, where War Watch suddenly wearied and dropped out of the race, Assault moving into third place. Lord Boswell was in a contending position, but didnt appear to want to do much running. Hampden was a couple of lengths to the fore of Natchez as they rounded the far earner and Assault was just beginning to find his stride. Conn McCreary called on Natchez midway of the bend, and the Jeffords colt, running a surprisingly good race, swiftly surged past Hampden, but at the same moment Assault made his bid, along with Cable who also started to run Continued on Page Three Assault Triumphs In Belmont Stakes Defeats Natchez by Three Lengths to Become Seventh Winner of Triple Crown Continued from Page One again. Assault and Hampden appeared to bump slightly just inside the stretch, but not enough to have any bearing on the outcome. Assault had drawn level with the leaders above the eighth pole and drew away with speed to spare, winning with the authority of a genuinely good colt. Natchez held on well for the secondary honors, while Cable outfinished Hampden. The two-fold surprise of the Belmont was Lord Boswell. It was surprising to most of the experts that the Maine Chance colt was made favorite over Assault, who had beaten him in both the Derby and Preakness, and who had appeared to sulk in his last start, and it was still more surprising that the son of Boswell had absolutely no finishing power in a comparatively slow race. Assault has now won the three richest and most significant races for three-year-olds, but the Experimental and the Wood Memorial and has only been the favorite on one occasion. That was in the Preakness. in which he just beat Lord Boswell a neck. Assaults performance today probably convinced the most skeptical that he is at least a good horse and certainly the most honest and capable of the three-year-olds now in training. His feat of winning the Triple Crown" was the seventh in the record books. Jet Pilot Impresses After the race, Warren Mehrtens said that his only worry was at the start when Assault stumbled. The lad added that he had much more confidence in the colt today than in either the Derby or Preakness, but added that he still found it hard to believe they had won the "Triple Crown." Owner Kleberg said he hoped that now people realized that Assault was a great horse and particularly complimented Trainer Max Hirsch on a great job of conditioning. Assault, it will be remembered, drove a nail through his foot when a yearling, and there was some doubt that he would ever get to the races. That foot now appears perfectly normal, though Assault wore a strip of adhesive tape on his near foreleg today. Maine Chance Farm, owned by Mrs. Elizabeth N. Graham, lost 22 costly thoroughbreds in a fire at Arlington Park about a month ago, but one of her juvenile colts, a son of Blenheim II.-Black Wave, named Jet Pilot, was sufficiently precocious to be in training at Churchil Downs and avoided the holocaust. The 1,000 yearling purchase may have been the best of the lot, as he demonstrated today when he captured the thirty-fourth running of the National Stallion Stakes, charging down the Widener course on a zig-zag trail, but keeping his unbeaten record intact at the direct expense of Brookmeade Stables Peace Harbor, who followed him under the wire by slightly more than a length. Cain Hoy Stables Noble Creek finished daylight farther back, a narrow margin before C. V. Whitneys Bastogne. Jet Pilot ran the five furlongs in :56%, only the fractions off the track record, after swerving at the start and again at the eighth pole. Had he run straight, he might have won by 10 lengths. Second choice in the wagering, Jet Pilot paid .50 and was ridden by Eric Guerin, whose chief problem was not to get the colt to run fast, but to keep him on the track. The fractions of :22% and 44y3 are about as fast as juveniles run. The final time of :56% was the fastest in the history of the stage. Jet Pilot had won his debut at Churchill Downs and captured the Pimlico Nursery Stakes in his only other start. His victory today was worth 5,690 to Mrs. Graham, and brought Jet Pilots earnings to 1,240.
