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Twenty Years Ago Today Chief Turf Events of March 24, 1904. Racing at "Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Little Rock. It is announced by president Thomas H. Williams that racing at Oakland will terminate Saturday, May 7. Trainer "Bud" May, who has Highball in hand, is rumored to have refused an offer of 0,000 for a two-year-old colt by Loyalist. Conroy II., which won the Brooklyn Handicap for James R. Keene, but which was recently sold to Lord Villiers, has been entered for the 0,000 Auteuil Grand Hurdle race, to be run in France on June 8. The Benning meeting at Washington, D. C, opened under favorable weather conditions, the sun shining brightly and drying the track considerably, but it remained good for the running of the races. Of most importance was the First Benning Spring Handicap, at three-quarters mile, with ,000 added, for three-year-clds and over. It remained for an outsider to score an easy victory when Shrine, racing in the colors of H. C. Schulz, won by five lengths, being eased up at the end. The Daly pair, Himself and Illyria, wcra the popular choice, but the best either could do was to finish and never at any time during the race were the Daly colors near the front. Sais captured second money after running a good race. He made a bold bid for first honors in the stretch, but the winner disposed of him with ease. Ascension was third. Rain or Shine had the honor of winning the first race of the eastern season. This was an allowance affair at three-quarters mile. Modredlaw, the A. L. Aste colt, which scored a sensational victory at New Orleans recently under big odds, captured the second race, which was for two-year-olds over the half-mile route. Modredlaw was forced to his limit to dispose of the filly Sweet Pepper, with whom H. T. Griffin put over a big coup recently at the Crescent City, which resulted in his banishment by the stewards of that track. Modredlaw and Sweet Pepper were the ines of the nine that started which had never run under colors before. The Aste colt broke fast and, racing Sweet Pepper into defeat in the first half stood a mild drive to withstand Filigrees challenge in tha stretch. Dulcibella outstayed Sweet Pepper for third place.
