100 years ago in The Saratogian
Saturday, April 7, 1917
The Saratoga race track is under armed guard after an apparent arson fire devastates Belmont Park in Long Island today, The Saratogian reports.
“Six incendiary fires, starting almost simultaneously, today destroyed the main grandstand, the Terminal grandstand, the betting ring and the jockey house and damaged other buildings,” according to a front page wireservice report.
Ironically, on the same page August Belmont II, whose family gave the Long Island track its name, is quoted insisting that this year’s horse racing season need not be cancelled or curtailed by the opening of war between the U.S. and Germany.
“It is rather the duty of the racing association than otherwise to keep up racing,” Belmont says, “I do not see how the declaration of war can affect racing, except that it may serve to lower the attendance in a measure.”
Now would be the wrong time to put a stop to horse racing, Belmont contends, “We are just beginning to get horse breeding established on a big and commendable scale in this country and it would be a big mistake to stop racing and tear down now what so many men have been at great pains to build up. I do not think there should be a single day of racing declared off.”
Belmont’s season is scheduled to open June 12, and while the park is unlikely to be back in shape by then, other tracks in New York State are prepared to take up the slack. Saratoga, however, is not one of those tracks.
Saratoga racing association representative A. McL. Earlocker tells The Saratogian that “no chance exists” of the Spa City getting an early start on racing by picking up any of the Belmont dates. Earlocker is also the secretary of the Westchester Association that owns Belmont Park.
While “we have been unable to determine exactly the amount of damage,” Earlocker is certain that “the fire is plainly of incendiary origin.” He tells the local reporter that Aqueduct and Jamaica, tracks closer to Belmont, most likely will pick up Belmont’s missed dates.
Earlocker won’t speculate as to why fires were set at Belmont, but he won’t rule out the same thing happening in Saratoga Springs. He’s directed local track superintendent Reed Landers to place the track under 24 hour guard beginning tonight. Landers reportedly is making arrangements with Saratoga County sheriff William J. Dodge to secure “adequate protection” for the track.
“Saratogians naturally have a deep interest in the safety of the race track,” the reporter notes, “Should it be destroyed all possibility of an August race meeting would be lost, it is believed.”