view raw text
Eight Belmont Winners Have Headed Sire List Only Three Derby and Preakness Victors Have Earned Such Fame BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 6.— The Belmont Stakes is often referred to as a "breeders race" and it only requires a brief glance at the record to fathom the reason. Eight winners of the classic mile and a half have gone on to head the leading sire list. That may not seem like a grreat number, but the same record reveals* that only three winners of the Preakness and three Kentucky Derby winners achieved the same success at stud. In addition, two of those were "Triple Crown" winners. The Belmont stakes winners who went on to head the sire list in their productive years are Hanover, Hastings, Commando, Sweep, The Finn, Man o War, War Admiral and Count Fleet. The latter two also won the Preakness. In 1896, when Hastings won the Belmont, Ben Brush captured the Kentucky Derby and both went on to become champions at stud. Man o War, who didnt race in the Kentucky Derby,- followed his Preakness and Belmont victories of 1920 by heading the sire list in 1926. Hanover was by far the most successful stallion of the Belmont Stakes winners, so far as the sire list is concerned, having headed that bead roll in 1895, 96, 97 and 98. He is the only winner of any of these "Triple Crown" events tq head the sire more than once. However, Hastings sired Fair Play, who produced Man o War, sire of War Admiral, as well as two other Belmont winners, American Flag and Crusader. Hanover and Sweep are the only Bel- ] mont Stakes winners who became leading sires and were themselves sons of Kentucky Derby winners. Hanover was by Hindoo, who won the Churchill Downs classic in 1881, while Sweep was by Ben Brush. Sweep also sired the stallion leader The Porter, while Ben Brush also produced Broomstick, leader in 1913, 14 and 15.