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7 7 Here and There 1 on the Turf ■ i 4 Bowies Fine Opening. Racing and Training. e General Thatchers Victory. United Hnnts Plans. _ l 1 Although the forced postponement of the 2 opening of racing at Bowie worked something . . I of a handicap on the trainers in upsetting their training plans, it was a blessing in 4 4 disguise for the Southern Maryland Association. 5 i When the skies finally cleared and the gates were thrown open Thursday it was under con ditions that were pleasing. There was bright tunshine and grateful warmth that contributed 1 to the comfort of the immense crowd that was 2 out for the opening. The track was in a i 3 ; surprisingly good condition, considering the ■ t weather that had prevailed, and the races were . I truly run. There need be no fear for the popularity of • racing in Maryland, judging by the immense , gathering that was out for the opening. Long 5 before the horses were called out for the first race the stands and lawns were crowded almost t to capacity and it was the same enthusiastic : crowd that has always be?n peculiar to the ? Bowie track. Another thing that was remarked was the pood manners of the two year olds that went to the post for the opening race. It is usual that two year olds making a first appearance are green and nervous. They need education. But this was not true of the first race at Bowie. These youngsters ran straight and true and it told of how carefully they had been schooled by their trainers. Too often good horses are beaten by reason of lack of education and the trainers are to be congratulated on the manners of the first two year old field of the opening of the eastern racing season. And the opening of the racing season At Bowie served to accentuate the fact that there is nothing like racing to fit a horse. Five of the seven winners of the day raced at New Orleans and were sent to the post thoroughly reasoned. Of course, the horses that only had training to fit them for the contests suffered n severe handicap when the storm came up that made the two days postponement neces sary. These horses had their training operations upset by the bad break in the weather, while the seasoned horses did not suffer to a like degree. That was pointed out at the time of the poMponement, It is to be remembered that Race King ran a dead heat with the mighty Sysonby in the : 1905 Metropolitan Handicap, the first year ■ that eld race was decided at Belmont Park. That was because Race King had b?en sea Mined at Benning, while Pysonby was coming ; out of winter retirement and he naturally did I not have tho beneiit of thorough seasoning. . There was never a chance for Race King to be I even close to Pysonby under any other con ditions. In the running of the Inaugural Handicap at t Ilovvie, General Thatcher would have been j beaten in a few more strides by James Arthurs g Tony Beau, but Tony Beau was hard and fit t from his New Orleans campaign, while General 1 Thatcher only had hi6 work to fit him. Ttact « ■» cbftoce. tt bring Tony Beau and 1 : ■ ; I . I t j g t 1 1 General Thatcher together with both horses I fit, and it is doubtful if Tony Beau will ever again be as close to General Thatcher as he was in the running of the Inaugural Handicap. ! And still another axiom of the turf was j brought home with the racing at Bowie Tues-day, . that one being of "Horses for courses." It was at Bowie that General Thatcher, as ! a two year old, gave his first evidence of racing ability. It was there that he raced in a fashion to suggest that he would be fighting it out for the championship among the three year olds in 1923. General Thatcher was back on the track where he had made his first reputation and he began his four -year olds • campaign in a truly promising fashion. He had been carefully prepared by Preston Burch at the old Benning course, but it is the 5,000 Dixie Handicap that Burch has principally in mind for the son of Sweep. He was entered in the Inaugural Handicap because he was training so satisfactorily. There came the postponement which was a real handicap to General Thatcher, but his better class carried him safely home in front of Tony Beau. It is not much to boast of. the beating of Tony Beau, but it was a four year- j old carrying 120 against a six year old that only shouldered 102 pounds. It was a horse that had training instead of racing to fit him, and General Thatcher ac- cepted all this handicap and still was the winner. The track played its part and "courses for horses was brought home again forcibly. General Thatcher may not ever be a truly great handicap performer, but he has at least begun well and Preston Burch is to be con- gratulated in the way he has brought him to the races, fit to win a ,000 stake race to ?tart his campaign of 1924. The son of Sweep is in the Dixie Handicap under 110 pound*. It is natural to expect that he will be an infinitely better horse for that race. With the benefit of the seasoning that is possible before May 3 and if the Maryland Jockey Club could be induced to have its big race run over the Bowie track there is no doubt that General Thatcher would be a hard horse to beau I ! j . ! • Elaborate plans are going forward for the racing of the United Hunts Association meeting that brings the thoroughbreds back to New York. The plans for that meeting have been made known seme time ago, but recently it has been decided to put on a special race for the "subscription" steeplechasers; that is, for the horses that were imported by the subscription plan. The reports of what these foreigners have already shown hold out great promise for the crosscountry racing of the year and it is fitting that these imported horses should have ample opportunity. The sportsmen who brought these horses over have done a big thing for the perpetuation of the jumping races in this country and races exclusively for the importations are richly deserved.
