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LAST DAY IN MARYLAND Racing for 1924 Ends With Close of Bowie Meeting. Year of Great Prosperity for Horsemen as Well as Four Big Tracks of That State. 4 Racing in Maryland for the year 1021 comes to an end today with the close of the Bowie meeting. The general prosperity of the American turf during the current year was shared in by the four big Maryland racing organizations to a marked degree. The attendance has been extraordinarily large, especially on Saturdays and holidays, while the enthusiasm of the spectators that j journeyed to Bowie, Havre de Grace, Laurel and Pimlico strikingly illustrated the growing popularity of the sport. The generous support accorded the various tracks enabled the organizations in control of them to offer tempting prizes in stakes and overnight purses, with the result that practically all of the foremost turfmen of the country were at one time or another represented in races over these courses. Maryland was indeed a fertile field for American horsemen during 1924. A grand total of over a million and a quarter dollars in stakes and purses was distributed during the spring and fall meetings. The Maryland spring meetings opened at Bowie April 3, where racing was continued to April 15, and 03,490 was distributed during that time. Then the scene changed to Havre de Grace, the Harford Agricultural Association entertaining from April 16 to April 30, the money prizes for that period totaling 35,2G0. The last of the spring meetings was held at historic Pimlico, where some glorious racing was witnessed between May 1 and May 13, during which time prizes amounting to 45,940 were carried off by the victorious horsmen. In the fall Maryland racing was resumed at Havre de Grace after two short meetings at Timonium and Marlboro. The regular season opened at Havre September 24 and continued at that picturesque course until October 4, dispensing among the horsemen 27,750 in stakes and purses. Then Laurel, which holds no spring meetings, threw open its gates and was the scene of some brilliant Continued on sixteenth page. LAST DAY IN MARYLAND Continued from first page. racing during the entire month of October. The immense sum of 31,475 Avas distributed among the horsemen participating at that popular course. With the close at Laurel the Maryland Jockey Club im-ited Marylandei-s and visitors to the noted Pimlico course, Avhere from November 3 to November 15 many of the best horses of the country measured strides in the A-alueable stakes offered, a total of ?248,375 being the stake and purse distribution for this meeting. To BoAvie, Avhere the sport begins in the spring, is given tho distinction of bringing to a successful close the Maryland racing of the year. This it -will haAe accomplished Avith the conclusion of todays racing. Here are the figures for the year on the Maryland tracks : Spring Meetings, Bowie April 3 to April 15 103.490 Havre de Grace April 1G to April 30 135, 2G0 Pimlico May 1 to May 13. 215,940 Total S4,G90 Autumn Meetings. Timonium Sept. 1 to Sept. G $ 20,700 Marlboro Sept. 9 to Sept. 13 19,000 Havre de Grace Sept. 21 to Oct. 4 127,750 Laurel Oct. 7 to Nov. 1 331,475 Pimlico Nov. 3 to Xov. 15 218.375 Rowie Xov. 17 to Xov. 29 144.3G0 Total 91, GOO Grand total for tlie year ,3S1,350
