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MARYLAND SPRING RA CING BEGINS TOD A Y Enthusiasm Runs High as Bugle Call Is Awaited at Bowie * Everything Spic and Span at Prince Georges Park— Successful Meeting Predicted— Excellent Field for Inaugural Handicap « BOWIE, Md., March 31.— With sixteen horses named for the ,000 Inaugural Handicap and ninety-four horses in all, engaged for the seven races, the Bowie meeting will have its big opening tomorrow. The track is at its best, the weath • ideal and Baltimore never entertained a more eager or larger gathering of enthusiasts for the racing. While there will be some withdrawals from the sixteen that are named for the Inaugural Handicap, which is at seven-eighths, to which ,000 is added it is assured that the stake will bring out a big field, while it will be a thoroughly representative one. * " f Inaugural Handicap Probabilities PP. Horse. Wt. Rider. Owner. Trainer. 1— Gaffsman 115 Seagram Stable. W. H. Bringloe 2-Lassa 100 E. Barnes. .S. Boss M. Smart !~1£2J*te M. J2! W« J- Sa,mon J- «• Prjw 4— Martha Washinjrton.101 S. Hebert . . . . W. J. Salmon J. B. Pryee 5-Priceman 103 J. Stevens. . . V. Franek F. J. Kearns 6— Stirron tup 110 G. Ellis Greentree Stable... . Phillips i. 2* 107 J* Petr *«» C- € • Smitnson . . . G. I . Brenton o H— Tip Top 99 Greentree Stable. . . . . Phillip* ™~£?P ft? % °* Brown Mrs- Seiaccaluga .11. Booker 10— King Jimmy 104 P. Groos C. Boxton R Buxton IJ~iVhIs,k?T 112 *• Workman. . H. P. Whitney F. Hopkins 12-Reminder 114 H. P. Whitney F. Hopkins I T~ 9,dande,,er HI L. Steinhart. H. G. Bedwell . . . . H. G. Bed well 14— Fore Lark 103 D. Dubois . . . . H. G. Bedwell .. . H. G. Bedwell J~?a*t0r Norris Ill * G* BeH H. G. Bedwell lb— Edisto 121 Seagram Stable. W. H. Bringloe -— — £ It is probable that H. G. Bedwell will furnish the favorite, for he is represented by Cudgeller, Fore Lark and Senator Norris, and it is well nigh a sure thing that two of the three will go to the post. Then H. P. Whitney is represented bv Whiskery and Reminder and the manner in which each has been working for Fred Hopkins makes that stable particularly popular. It is not known definitely that Whiskery will be sent to the post, but whichever one is started, provided only ■ ®one goes, will be ridden by "Sonny" Workman, who rode with such success at Miami. Other stables in the promising field are Gaffsman and Edisto to bear the silks of the Seagram Stable, the Canadian racing confederacy whose Sir Harry was winner of the rich Coffroth Handicap; Walter J. Salmons Martha Washington and Ursa Major, and the Greentree Stable"s Tip Top and Stirrup Cup. EXPECT SOME WITHDRAWALS. Doubt has been expressed of the starting of the Seagram pair and, of course, it is to be expected that there will be some other withdrawals, but that would make for a better contest and it is expected that there will be ten or twelve starters at post time. The Salmon pair are in so lightlv 101 pounds— that Johnny Maiben will not have a mount ; Hebert being the riding choice. Besides these mentioned there are several others that are highly thought of in the field j though surprise was expressed at some of I those which did not accept the weights. ne of these is Joseph E. Davis" Storm King The fact that the Promenade Pars* for three-year-olds, and over the five and a halt-furlongs route is another of the opening day offerings, attracted some of that aee division. With the Inaugural and the Promenade I urse as opening day features, it is surely an attractive card that is offered and then there is a juvenile dash that will be of great interest from the fact that it will mark the first appearance of several two-vear-olds that have been attracting attention" bv reason of excellent trials. C. KIMMER TO RET1RX. In this juvenile dash Clarence Kummer who completed a long term of enforced idleness last fall, will return to the saddle He has been engaged to ride William Garths Birdwood. one that has been training excel! ££. J- thV Veteran Virpi"i:l t"rfman. Birdwood is an unsexed son of Meridian and Mary I ydia. and he has shown unnl to warrant the prediction that he will not lone s remain a maiden. Fred Hopkins has two of the Whitnev juveniles in this two-year-old da.sh, but thev can only be started should others be with-drawn, for each is jn the "also eligible" CotitiniMNl on fifteenth page MARYLAND SPRING RACING Continued from first page list. They are Sesqui, a bay son of Peter Pan and Pageant ; and Royal Pennant, a well-named son of Pennant and Regina, Of the pair the trials suggest that Sesqui is the better one and it may be that he will prove the real star of the baby racers that Hopkins has in his charge. Hopkins was liberal in his nominations of Whitney horses for the opening day, with the two-year-olds named in the opening dash, Afterglow in the Promenade and Whiskery and Reminder in the Inaugural Handicap. Should the two-year-olds win in the first race it would not be surprising if three races fell to the stable. Both Reminder and Whiskery, in the Inaugural, are fit and ready, while it is admitted that if Afterglow races to what he has shown in his trials, he will be hard to beat in the Promenade Purse. But "Billy" Garth thinks well of his Meridian gelding in the opening race and the fact that he has the services of as experienced a jockey as Kummer will add to the chances of that youngster. In addition to these three races, each one of which has a special appeal, the setting is an excellent one and reflects credit on Joseph McLennan. Three of the seven races are over the mile and a sixteenth distance and each has attracted the limit number of entries, testifying to the number of fit horses that are on hand. Each is under claiming conditions and a number of those engaged were campaigned through the winter at one or another of the winter tracks. The other race, to make up the card of seven, is a three-quarter mile dash, for platers of the older division. It attracted some good horses and some of them will be appearing under silks for the first time since last fall. There are others that raced well through the winter months. One that Is coming out of retirement and fit to run is Ernest Halls Nnt Evens. It was expected, from the manner in which this fellow was training that Hall had the Inaugural Handicap in view, but he picked a better spot in the claiming race, though it has attracted several others of good quality. Martha Martin is one of these which has been showing speed. Then there is Body Guard, which raced well at New Orleans, Sunsard. Tester. Harvey Stedman and others which from time to time have shown real sprinting quality. On the eve of the opening of the Maryland season every train into Baltimore brought additions to the already big crowd on hand and probably just as many elected to make Washington their headquarters for the Bowie meeting. Jockeys have been arriving daily, but some of them were eleventh hour arrivals and not a few of them will have to ride under temporary licenses until granted the full license by the racing commission. For a considerable time the commission has been issuing these licenses, but, as usual, there are many who delayed making application and are on hand not properly equipped. All of the officials for the meeting are present, the various mutuel employes are here and everything is in complete readiness for what promises to be the best opening ever enjoyed by the Southern Maryland Association.
