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Here and There on the Turf Reflections Engendered by Bowies Meeting. Some Good Two -Year-olds Shown There. Steeplechases Featured at Havre de Grace. Huntington Disappointing. It was a bit unfortunate that for the closing day of the Bowie meeting the weather was bo unfavorable, but that did not prevent the meeting from being successful and one that presages a record breaking turf year. For the most part public form was conserved and Bowie maintained its reputation for close and exciting finishes. While in the main the horses were of ordinary class, Joseph McLennan on frequent oc casions induced the racing of the best there. The stake races that were added to the program proved powerful drawing attractions These stake races will probably continue to be a part of the spring racing at Bowie and should grow in importance. General Thatcher was far and away the best three-year-old that was raced at the meeting and his one race on the opening day gave evi dence of his eligibility to the Preakness Stakes, for which he is being pointed. The fact that General Thatcher has a twelve pound allowance in the Preakness Stakes prevents his going after other stake races that would rob him of that advantage and for that reason it may be he will not be started against the other Preakness candidates before its decision, but, barring accident, he will be as fit as skill can make him before its arrival. Setting Sun, the sturdy son of Olambala and Sunburst, was a more successful three year-old than General Thatcher, in point of accomplishments at Bowie, but it is hardly probable that he is equal in class with Mr. Wingfields handsome son of Sweep. The fact that Setting Sun is a gelding bars him from the Preakness Stakes, but it is probable that he will be raced in the Derby at Churchill Downs. The meeting did not bring any startling two-year-old developments, but what the racing did demonstrate was that the two year olds that raced at New Orbans were at least useful. Joseph A. Murphy expressed the opinion at the close of the New Orleans meetings that he considered the new thoroughbreds that were shown as about the best that had ever raced over the Southern tracks. That opinion was pretty well vindicated by the after performances of the young horses that were first shown at New Orleans. Close Work, the son of Johren, that won for Harry Payne Whitney, is evidently a good colt, while his stablemate, Dusk, a son of Broomstick, raced in a fashion to attract attention. Probably they are the best two year-olds that were raced at Bowie, but taking the young racers right through the meeting, it is found that those from New Orleans were promi nenl and dangerous. Reparation, the fast four year-old son of the Futurity winner Trojan and Humility, was brought back to the race a good horse and he was another that did his share in furnishing high class entertainment. In this connection it might be said that Reparation was trained at Benning and had frequent gallops with General Thatcher. Preston Burch had General Thatcher going all winter and he was a real trial horsa for Reparation, just as Reparation proved himself to be a real trial horse for the son of Sweep. It is not likely that Matt Brady will put Reparation back to jumping, unless it is later in the racing season. He has shown that he is a fairly good horse on the flat, while, although he has won through the field, he has not shown a measure of aptitude for jumping that makes him a prospect among the good ones. With the opening of the Havre de Grace meeting will come the first opportunity for the steeplechasers and that is a feature of the sport that always lends peculiar interest. There is no lack of jumpers ready to fill the races that will be offered. Reports from the Huntington, W. Va., meeting have been anything but favorable and the fact that a free gate has been agreed upon is, to say the least, disappointing. It was unfortunate that the weather conditions were so unfavorable and with better weather there might have been the patronage that was expected. There are horses enough for the conducting of the racing, but bad weather and track conditions prevented the starting of many that were depended upon to help in the success of the meeting. It is frequently a difficult task to open up a new racing territory and it is to be hoped that the West Virginia Jockey Club will not be discouraged at the failure of the initial meeting to fulfill its rosy expectations.
