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i j I I j j ] ] j ! ; I ] ] ] j J i I I j j j j j I | | j j I I I | 1 j j ; I , j i ! ] ! , ; I I . j I j j ; ; ] | • j ; I I I : j i s ■ OUTLOOK AT PIMLICO e Maryland Jockey Club Expects a Most Successful Meeting. e Early Nominations for Stakes Closing April 7 Indicate Exceptional Interest. BALTIMORE, Md., April 2— Pimlico is rapidly being made ready for the Maryland Jockey Clubs spring meeting, which opens May 1. Those in charge of the various de- tails are striving to provide a welcome to the patrons of their track in keeping with the standards of other years. The racing public, local and scattered throughout the entire country, are also looking forward to the time when the gates will be opened for the meeting of eleven days, during which the best horses will compete, not alone for the generous awards that are to be tendered daily, but for the glory of a victory at a track where to win means something out of the ordinary. Some may think a prediction at this time as to the class of racing that will be fur- nished is based on hope more than on facts. especially with the stakes for the meeting not closing until April 7, but taking a line through the nominations already recorded, and the applications for stalls that have been made, it is a certainty that the meet- ing will bring into contention practically all the worth-while stables of the metropolitan district, a greater showing than ever from Kentucky, and a worthy representation from Canada, with Maryland-owned horses to add to the general eclat. A number of the stables at the course are now occupied, and each day will add to the quota until the meeting opens. DIXIE VXD PRKAKNKSS. The outstanding features of the meeting are the Dixie, which will be run the opening day. Friday, May 1, and the Preakness. which is down for decision on May 8. The distance of both events is the same, one mile and three-sixteenths. The Dixie is a handicap for three-year-olds and over and the Preakness a weight-for-age event for three-year-old colts and fillies. Both mean the answering of questions of material importance to the years racing, and in each a representative field of starters is assured. In the line-up for the Preakness will be found every colt of established reputation that is ready to run, and with them the pick of the fillies. When the entry list is closed it will be a gratification to the racing world, jdeldings will not be included, nor will "for-] lorn hopes" be solicited with the idea of a slogan as to the number of entries. This means that the list of nominations, when all are in, will contain the names of a great group of colts and fillies. Some, of course, will disappoint, for at this time of the year! setbacks are far from uncommon, but. with the abundance that will be at call, the lineup at the post is certain to be a really great field. QUALITY IX EARLY ENTRIES. Today, with the closing of the entries less than a week off, there is ample reason for this prediction. In the first twenty nominations made for the Preakness there is quality enough to guarantee one of the best races of the year, for more than a dozen that have been rated a the top-notchers of the three-year-olds, taking a line from last years racing, were included. With them are a couple of the winter developments that have been crowned with the halo of great-, ness. The Dixie, which closed on January 2 and for which the weights were announced Feb-j ruary 2, received a total of ninety-nine entries. Included in this CCUectioa will be found all the really good ones of the older division, with a generous representation of the better three-year-olds. From all train -i ing quarters, private as well as public, east and west, come reports of the work of preparation of prospective starters. The winners share of the money is almost certain to be ." .O00, which means a hand- some beginning for any stable. In addi- tion there is the glory of first honors in lone of the real events of the year. In the array of likely starters must be included several of those most highly con-1 sidered for the Preakness. Some racing critics are inclined to scoff at even the mn gestion that a three-year-old can he seriously considered as a factor in a race of this sort where they meet older horses over !]a long distance of ground, hut a review of the records will speedily set aside their claims. The history of handicaps for many years shows that three-year-olds have been not alone prominent at the finish, but in I many of the most important fixtures have Iheen winners. The advantage in weight is greatly in their favor, and there is just as i ;« od a chance of their being fit and ready its with the older horses. With the Preakness and Kentucky Derby | just ahead, the Dixie is viewed by many horsemen as a welcome opportunity in the j way of real help in the way of prepara- tion for the two rich three-year-old events.
