Quote:
Originally Posted by RUFFIAN-333
WISH USA WOULD GET CREATIVE AND TRY THAT AT BELMONT BIG TRACK  |
Oh, the USA can be creative at times. There were stakes races for 2 year olds on the straightaway at Belmont many years ago. See quote below.
"In his 1925 book, "The Big Town", Ring W. Lardner refers to the then-recent directional change, when he has a character at Belmont say (speaking of a recent race) "At that time, they run the wrong way of the track, like you would deal cards". A later innovation was created by Joseph E. Widener, who took over track leadership when August Belmont II died in 1924: the Widener Chute. It was a straightaway of just under 7 furlongs (1.4 km) that cut diagonally through Belmont's training and main tracks, hitting near the quarter-pole of the main track; the course was removed in 1958"