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SPRINGTIME HANDICAP e Saturdays Feature at Bowie Falls to Senator Norris. » Opperman Completes Double for Bedwell Stable — Immense Crowd Turns Out. * BOWIH. Md . April 3.— The first Saturday of the Bowie meeting brought out the largest crowd of the meeting and the sport was worthy of the immense gathering. The skies were overcast and rain was a constant threat, but the weather was mild, the track at its best and the day splendid for racing. The best offering of the afternoon was the five and a half furlongs Springtime Handicap and it fell to H. G. Bedwells Senator Norris. The latter easily defeated G. C Winfreys Tester, while J. K. Griffiths star. Single Foot, was a distant third. The race was a fast one, Senator Norris finishing the distance in 1:06%. a fifth of a second slower than the track record. Six went to the post and no time was lost at the barrier, all six leaving at the same time. Johnny McTaggart rode Senator Norris hard and he ran the first quarter in 22 5r. seconds, leading Lieutenant II. by a length and making the pace altogether too fast for the latter. Tester was leading the others, while Single Foot was just a bit slow to settle into full stride, although he was not far back. McTaggart kept right after Senator Norris until he had Lieutenant II. well beaten and he was clear as he turned into the stretch. Tester had moved up into second place and Lieutenant II. was leading Single Foot by a length and a half, but it was apparent that his early pursuit of the Bedwell sprinter had taken much out of him. Turner had taken Single Foot wide, but at the head of the stretch he was running easily. He continued to gain in the last eighth, but did not tl aten either Senator Norris or Tester. At the end Senator Norris was a length and a half to the good, while Tester was four lengths before Single Foot. SINGLE FOOTS DEBUT. There is no reason to condemn Single Foot on this, his first race of the year. He was carrying 120 pounds and the five and a half furlongs did not afford him his best opportunity. Indoubtedly this race will be a help in fitting him for bigger things before the end of the Bowie season, i When Opperman won the one mile and a sixteenth fifth race he completed a double for the Bedwell colors, while it also marked a double for Clarence Turner, he having ridden St. Valentine to victory in the third race. This was one of the best races of the day. and it resulted .in a desperate battle all through the stretch. Blue Hill not being beaten until the last stride. Turner had Opperman away in front, but Blue Hill chased after him at once, and it quickly narrowed down into a two horse race. Villager was racing third, and the others followed in close order. Clique had run well up for an eighth, but found the pace uncomfortable, and quickly dropped out of the contention. Harvey rode Blue Hill hard, and the son of Bock View, racing in his best form, held his lead until well into the stretch, but Opperman was lapped on him, and responded gallantly to the ojaB of Turner. In the last eighth they were closely lapped, but at the end Opperman dropped his nose down in front. Four lengths farther back Dr. OMara got up in time to outstay the tiring Villager for third money. F. M. Kelly, who started Manifold in the race, claimed Opperman for ,000. LYYLY PROVES II F.ST. The second race was over a mile and seventy yards for platers and brought together rather a cheap band. B. V. Haymakers Gayly proved best when he got up in time to beat the Flamingo Farm Stables Poor Sport by a length, with W. Constan-tines Camouflage rather a distant third. There was considerable delay at the post, but the start was good. Camouflage and Kilauea were rushed away from the others at a fast clip. It w;ts a suicidal pace and Harvey foolishly kept Camouflage going until, as was inevitable, the old fellow put Kilauea away, but it cost him the race. He turned into the stretch showing the way. but he had nothing left and Poor Sport, which had been rather a distant third, and then Gayly, which had avoided the early pace, raced past him. In the final drive Gayly outstayed Poor Sport, while Camouflage was quitting so badly he would have been beaten for third by Sandpile in a few more strides. J. K. Griffith, the Maryland sportsman, showed his silks for the first time this year on St. Valentine, the swift-running son of Theo. Cook and Katriona, and he was home an easy winner from rather a good band of sprinters in the six and a half furlongs of the third race. C. II. Hughes Ten Sixty raced to second place, while Mark Master. CotitiniHU on sixteenth §Bge| SPRINGTIME HANDICAP Continued from first pngr from the International Stable, easily saved third from War Man. Ten Sixty occasioned some delay at the post by her unruly antics, but the start was a good one and she had just a shade the best of it. St. Valentine had the inside position and Turner promptly sent him through until he was alongside the mare. There Turner rated him along, content to measure stride for stride, with Ten Sixty. War Man and Knight of Merci II., the J. K. Davis starter, followed. If, was not until nearing the stretch that Turner drew away slightly with St. Valentine and. in the run home, lie had it all his own way to be winner by two lengths. Ten Sixty hung on with great gameness after having raced with all the pace but. at the end, she was doing her best to save second place by half a length from the fast-finishing Mark Master. Mr. Griffith lost his useful gelding out of the race when he was claimed by W. J. Owens for ,000. Capricorn and Florian. two unsexed sons of Dis Done, racing for Harry Payne Whitney, were first and second in the opening dash, for juveniles. Just a nose back of them came Woods Garths Sphere, with Samuel Ross Jim Crow fourth. The start was a good one. but some of the runners were so lacking in education that there was some bumping and swerving right after the rise of the barrier. McAtee had Caprieara off running and. showing a becoming speed, he dominated the race. Jim Crow and Sphere went after the Whitney gelding and the three of them drew out well from the others before the stretch was reached. Swinging for home Jim Crow bumped Capricorn sharply, but McAtee steadied his mount and he hung on well to be the winner, but in a few more strides his stablemate. Florian. would have headed him. This one was slow to be under way, but he came with a great rush at the end and was going faster than anything else in the race at the end. After Jim Crow had bumped the winner at the head of the stretch he swerved over and interfered somewhat with Sphere. Knnui and Tripalong. the Walter J. Salmon pair that raced at Miami, were never prominent, while Ankle Boot, the J. S. Davis representative, met with interference right after the start that ruined any chances he might have enjoyed. Joseph W. Rosenthals Wilkes-Barre. ridden by W. Harvey, .took down the sixth race of the day, a dash of a mile .vnd an eighth in a drive from P. R. Codds Modesta, while J. T. Johnsons Van Patrick was third. There might have been a different finish had Modesta raced straight through the stretch instead of bearing out. From a good start. Volcano and Darius drew away into the lead, while Harvey worked his way up on the inside with Wilkes-Barre. Rounding the far turn, Harvey sent his mount into the lead, while Modesta gained steadily when called upon. Wilkes-Barre raced straight through the stretch and responded gamely to punishment, while Modesta bore out badly. Van Patrick was a good third.
