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, *■•«— [reflections By Nelson Dunstan Belmont Winner Will Join Impressive List From Inaugural Famous Horses Have Won Some Dispute Man o War as The Greatest Winners Beadroll, Leading Sires List Linked NEW YORK, N. Y„ June 6. Tomorrows eighty-fourth running of the Belmont Stakes still shapes up to this writer, _as we said earlier in the week, as Blue Man against the field. While some persons seem to believe that Blue Man was not partial to the racing strip ... . , at Churchill Downs, we are not in accord with that belief. Away slowly and on the outside throughout, the White Oak Stables colorbearer was twelfth at the three-quarters, sixth at the head of the stretch, and then third to Hill Gail and Sub Fleet at the finish. How that can possibly lead anyone to the conclusion Blue Man did not like the track, is beyond us. In the Preakness, the son of Blue Swords ran an even more powerful race and on that occasion, we believe that Sub Fleet definitely did not like the *■•«— track and will show an improved effort to- morrow, even though we doubt that he will defeat Blue Man. There can be no denying that Armageddon is very partial to the Belmont racing strip and, while he may surprise, it is our opinion that he will be no better than third to Blue Man and Sub Fleet in the one and one-half -mile race. This trio should offer Belmont fans another thrilling renewal of the event and as Conn McCreary has never won a Belmont renewal this may be his day. Regardless of which horse wins tomorrow, his name will be added to one of the most impressive three-year-old winning rosters to be found anywhere in the world. If the importance of a race is judged by the quality of its winners, then the Belmont is entitled to high ranking among the great turf events of the world. On its winning list is Hanover, Henry of Navarre, Colin, Sir Barton, Man o War, Grey Lag, Crusader, Gallant Fox, Twenty Grand, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Count Fleet, Assault and Citation. Times without number, it has been debated as to which of these horses is "the greatest of them all" and usually, Man o War comes out on top. But Joe Notter, who rode Colin and many other top-ranking American horses, has stoutly maintained down through the years that Man o War never saw the day that he could defeat Colin v It was little short of a tragedy that Count Fleets career ended in the Belmont Stakes after a severe injury. As a three-year-old, in the opinion of this writer, Citation was entitled to equal ranking with "Big Red." When all is said and done, Citation was one of the few crack three-year-olds who went on to be a star in the handicap ranks. These debates lead nowhere, of course, but taking the Belmont Stakes from its inaugural running to date, it has a winning beadroll that is second to no other three-year-old event in the world. The Belmont Stakes has often been called "A Breeders Race" for the fact that a victory in this event has been a passport to the outstanding breeding establishments of this country. Lexington, who led the American sire list on 16 occasions, 14 in succession, raced before the Belmont Stakes was inaugurated, but his sons played a prominent part in Belmont victories through 1878. On another page of this paper, there is a more detailed account of the Belmont winners, who went to stud to reproduce their kind. While American breeders have imported stallions ever since the day of Diomed, the American lines of Fair Play, Ben Brush and Domino are deeply etched in the breeding sequences of this race, which is the third and last leg of the American "Triple Crown." In England, the value of an Epsom Derby winner skyrockets and in recent years, quite a few of them have been brought to this country as an outer oss for our American mares. Fair Play ran second to Colin in the renewal of 1908, but became the leading sire in this country in 1920 and again in 1924 and, once again, in 1927. His son, Man o War, led the American sire list in 1925, 1926 and then, after a long lapse, came back to lead the list in 1937, the year in which his son, War Admiral, won the Belmont. There has been a tendency in late years to ridicule the expression, "The improvement of the breed," but the Belmont Stakes is but one of the races which demonstrates a close affinity with the "Twenty Leading Sires" list, year after year. In every event of long standing there are unusual happenings and the Belmont offered one of the most unique of all in the renewal of 1908, when the undefeated Colin won from Fair Play. That race was run in such a thick fog that it was next to impossible to time accurately. Colin turned for home well in front and it appeared as if he would win as he pleased. Joe Notter was riding Colin and mistaking the finish line, which was still 30 yards down the track, he eased his mount. The throng sensing Not-ters mistake, roared "Go on — Go on!" as Fair Plays rider drove with all he had. Suddenly Notter realized he had made a mistake and with all the skill at his command, he rallied Colin to win by a short neck. Years later, Notter, with a wide grin, refused to admit that he had made an error in that race, but it was obvious to anyone who watched it that Colin, who had a comfortable lead at the head of the stretch, came as close to defeat as any horse possibly could have. Although running second, Fair Play became one of the greatest sires in this country and through "Man o War and his sons, has made a definite imprint on the winning roster of the Belmont. , Belmont Stake Shorts: Regret was the only filly ever to win the Kentucky Derby, but in the Belmont, only Ruthless, in 1867, and Tanya, in 1905, defeated the colts in the long history of the race. ... It costs 00 to nominate a three-year-old for the Belmont and ,000 to start him. . . . Aristides, the "Little Red Horse," who won fame as the first winner of the Kentucky Derby, ran second to Calvin in the 1875 renewal of the Belmont Stakes. . . . Eddie Arcaro has ridden four winners of the Belmont, but still has two to go to tie Jimmy McLaughlin, who rode six winners within a period of seven years. ... As in most races, early Belmont winners earned small purses, while, just a year ago, Counterpoint took down an even 2,000 for C. V. Whitney. . . . Man o War, War Admiral, Colin and Count Fleet are four Belmont winners who were undefeated as three-year-olds, but War Admiral was the only one who went on to race as a four-year-old. . . . Count Fleet and Citation both ran the one and one-half miles of the Belmont in 2:28and In 1919, Man o War defeated Donnacona, his only opbnent, by 20 lengths. ... On five other occasions only two horses went to the post. . . . "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons has saddled five Belmont winners, and the veteran Max Hirsch is credited with three. . . . Some 70,000 plants will be seen at Belmont tomorrow, all products of the tracks greenhouses.
