Whenever the old track record was set THAT is the one that would be reduced 17 pts.
I have heard AD INFINITUM about this first start of Man O War. My father owned some horses then and had 4 Bar and Grill Cafeteria in Northern Manhattan. Sold lots of beer.
Ruppert Knickobocker a favorite of the times. He usually took Fridays off and was a big Yankee Fan living and working near Polo Grounds. He had tickets to a Yankee Chi White Sox game that day. But it was rained out early. So he decided to go to Bel Pk and check out his horses. In the Morning Telegraph fast work outs were noted. Man O War does not have an impressively fast workout line.
Just another first time starter he thought. As the race ran It was incredible to see. Man O War shying away from the start wire he was a bit nervous that afternoon but accepted quickly the race routine expected of horses.
Under restraint most of the way Man was clearly the top starter in the race. As they reached the finish he was gliding smoothly across the finish line. When the time was posted :59 crowd reacted What? How can that be? lol
Ah but time was right!! My dad would gauge prospective horses by their maiden wins as youngsters. Mostly a good maiden winner would be 10 or 12 pts slower that track record. Hear Man wins at 17 Faster than record.
Dad very impressed this day by the Man. He would always say " What the hell kind of horse is this that beats the time by 17!!! But for a rain out of a Yankee White Sox game
dad would not have seen it.
