view raw text
Here and There on the Turf Holiday Racing. Donaghee s Defeat-Maryland Season Ends. Just as the turkey is the national bird for Thanksgiving, football is the national pastime and it is more or less of a duty to pay homage to that sport it fits right in with the noble bird. But there is another sport hat has a wonderful appeal for those who celebrate Thanksgiving or any other holiday. At Bowie Thursday it seemed that all of Washington, all of Baltimore, a goodly slice of Philadelphia, New York and all way points forgot all about football and went racing. Never was there such a gathering at the southern Maryland course and the sport was worthy of the crowd. And while Bawia was taking care of its immense patronage there were thousands of patrons of the turf that were welcoming the thoroughbreds at Jefferson Park in New Orleans and the Tijuana course in Mexico and almost adjacent to San Diego. There is something peculiarly satisfying in the holiday crowds that attend the races. It is peculiarly satisfying on such a day as Thanksgiving. That is a holiday above all others that is devoted to sport, with its years of football. When the racing can entertain such immense throngs as were out Thursday it gives an illuminating idea of the growing popularity of the sport. These holiday crowds differ widely from the average days of racing. It is a crowd made up of merrymakers who have chosen that particular sort of entertainment from those that are offered. Racing is the choice. It is often more convenient to attend the ball game, take in the football, patronize a matinee, go fishing and do a thousand and one other things, yet racing is the choice. That is what counts and that is what makes the big holiday crowds mean so much for the future of the turf. Racing has always had its devotees. They are the patrons who would consider a holiday wasted anywhere else than on a race course, but that is bred in them. They just cannot help it. Racing is their choice of entertainment at all times, no matter what others arc available. These do not enter into this argument at all. The turf has them and its lure will always hold them. What does count is the choice of ths casual racegoer, and when one sees the Thanksgiving crowds at the race courses there is forced a conviction that the greatest of all the sports is steadily growing in popular favor in this country. Weight will bring them all together. James W. Beans Donaghee, after demonstrating that he was a peculiarly good colt over the Bowie footing, was soundly beaten in the running of the Thanksgiving Handicap. He had begun his Bowie winning with a burden of 109 pounds and in his race Thursday he had raced his way up to 117 pounds. It was too much and he went down to defeat. He did not have the best of luck in the running, but the only valid excuse that could be offered for defeat was that he could not handle the weight successfully. And it was Bonnie Omar that upset the calculations in the big Bowie feature. He was a lightweight, carrying 105 pounds, but, like .Donaghee, he had shown an aptitude to race over the Bowie track. That counted much in his favor and his victory was a convincing one. It is probable that William Woodward will be as pleased with the victory as was Bert Reuge, his owner. It was Mr. Woodward that bred Bonnie Omar and while he had shown little before this notable score he raced in a fashion to indicate that he is capable of running both fast and far. Of course there is a chance that his ability to race over the Bowie track made him show to better advantage than he would over another track, but from any angle it was a race that gives the colt an altogether new importance. The racing at Bowie this afternoon will wind up the season except for what is offered at the winter racing grounds. But simultaneously with the last day at Bowie comes the first day of sport at Oriental Park, commonly known as the Havana track. Jefferson Park has had its big opening; the racing is under way at Tijuana and it means just a changing of ths circuit as happens all through the year. The fall season in Maryland has been a tremendously successful one at each of the big tracks, while both Marlboro and Timonium had a like success. For the most part delightful weather has contributed not a little to this success, though the last day of the Maryland Jockey Club meeting at Pinilico was run off through a blinding snowstorm. It was unprecedented in the long and glorious Pimlico history, but notwithstanding this untoward happening it was a great meeting. Havre de Grace and Laurel shared a like prosperity and the coming of Pierre Werthei-mcrs Epinard to Laurel gave it one tremendously big day that would not have been as big had it not been for the presence of the French colt. It will always be regretted that this sterling colt was started when unfit for racing that afternoon, but it was a problem and a difficult one to settle. A large percentage of that vast crowd cams solely to see Epinard in action and, while it was known that he was to an extent crippled, it was hoped that he would be able to race successfully for the edif;cation of the crowd. That he faihd was to be deplored, but he was sent j to the post in the hope that he would give a good account of himself and fittingly entertain those that were on hand to see him perform. All of that is a part of the history of the 1924 season. It has been a truly glorious year in Maryland and already plans are being laid for the next season. It is known there will be practically no change in the dates for 1925. The season, as usual, will begin with the racing at Bowie. That meeting will take up the first half of April. Havre de Grace will follow with its meeting and then will come the Maryland Jockey Club at Pimlico and the running of the Preakness. This completes the big Maryland circuit for the spring and th3 mile tracks remain closed until September, when Havre de Grace begins the fall season, to be followed by Laurel, which as usual will take up the most of October. This meeting will be followed by Pimlico and Bowie, as has been" the order for several seasons.
