Suburban Handicap

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by Linny

Even when I started following racing in the 70's the Suburban was a pretty big deal. Did I once read that it was the opening day feature at Belmont Park in 1905?

I believe the opening day feature at Belmont Park in 1905 was the Met Mile run on May 4th. Sysonby and Race King dead heated for the win.

The purse for the Met Mile was 12K.

The Suburban Handicap was run at a track called Sheepshead Bay. The 1905 edition was won by the 4-year-old filly Beldame and was worth 20K.

The other jewel in the Handicap Triple Crown, the Brooklyn Handicap, was run at Gravesend.

This was Sheepshead Bay at Coney Island:





This is a picture of Gravesend that was taken the day of the 1893 Brooklyn Handicap:





Both Sheepshead Bay and Gravesend were casualties of a statewide gambling ban on horse racing in 1910.