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ENORMOUS CROWD OUT FOR BOWIE OPENING BRILLIANT INAUGURAL f Despite Inclement Weather and Bad Track Conditions. ♦ Aucilla Beats Contemplate in First Stake Feature Following a Thrilling Finish. ♦ BOWIE, Md.t April 1.— Aucilla, racing for G. C. Smithson, the Washington sportsman, was winner of the opening stake race of the Bowie meeting, when in a thrilling finish he was home first in the ,000 Inaugural Handicap, a seven-eighths mile dash. Contemplate, from the Flamingo Farm Stable was beaten by a nose for the prize, while H. G. Bedwells Cudgeller was a distant third, taking that part of the purse from the Greentree Stables Stirrup Cup. The race was worth ,490 to the winner. It was a brilliant opening of the Maryland season, when some 10,000 braved the inclement weather to journey to the track and the sport furnished was excellent, in spite of the weather and track conditions. Weather conditions were about as disagreeable as could be imagined for the opening, but this did not deter an encrmous crowd from welcoming the thoroughbreds back to Maryland. Rain fell all during the afternoon and after the racing began there were frequent showers and the skies were gray and overcast, threatening a downpour at any moment. The track was sloppy as a result of the rain, but it seemed to have a good bottom when the maiden two-year-old race over a half mile was run in :494. This changed track condition resulted in a number of scratches and there were some other trainers who desired to withdraw but were not permitted to do so. The lack of sunshine made no difference to the movie men and there were several cameras on hand to film the opening. JAMES F. OHARA SICK. There was general regret that James P. OHara. the ruling spirit of the Southern Maryland Association, was not on hand for the opening, but it was learned he is on the road to recovery from his recent sudden illness. During the afternoon John Farrell had a talk with the sick man over the phone and he declared he was both cheerful and hopeful for an early recovery. James F. Milton returned to his post as starter after wielding the flag at Havana all winter and he was never in better form. He sent the fields away in excellent alignment and with scant post delay. Contemplates name had not been sent out in the overnight entries. little time was lost at the barrier and Cudgeller was actually first away, but Contemplate dasned past him in the first few strides and soon opened up a lead of a length and a half. Cudgeller, never a quick beginner, dropped hack rather badly while Aucilla raced into second place and Iassa, the Samuel Uoss starter, was a close third and two lengths before the Bed-well hope. There was little change in these positions leaving the back stretch, except that Stirrup Cup moved up for a few strides and had Cudgeller headed, but Contemplate and Aucilla were well out from the others and Lassa was beginning to tire in third place. Swinging for home Aucilla gained on Contemplate and, in the final eighth, had him headed, being in the better footing well out from the rail. In the final drive the two drew away from the others and, in the last few strides, Contemplate was coming again, hut he was a nose back and Aucilla had won the prize. Cudgeller made up some ground in the final quarter, but an eighth out he swerved a hit to the inside and lost ground, but he readily saved third place from Stirrup Cup. though he was five lengths hack of the first two. PLKASANT SMII.KS SIKPIUSKS. The Promenade Purse, a five and a half furlongs dash for three-year-olds, brought out six starters and resulted in something of a surprise when Mrs. A. J. Bookers Pleasant Smiles was an easy winner from C. H. Pierces The Heathen, while Mrs. L. A. Livingstons Hvcr More was a distant third, outstaying the Greentrte Stables Tip Top for that part of the purse. Ileasant Smiles found the going to his liking and he soon raced The Heathen into defeat to draw away into a long lead which carried him home winner by three lengths. The Heathen always outran the others and was half a dozen lengths before Kver More. The performance of Tip Top was particularly disappointing, but there was some excuse when she began from the inside |K -sition and was in the worse going in the early stages. When Fllis called on her leav- IContiuued ou fourteenth page. BRILLIANT INAUGURAL Continued from first page ing the back stretch she could not improve her position and though hard driven in the stretch Ever More held her safe. George Miller had endeavored to have Ever More excused from starting early in the day, he thought so little of her chances to share in the purse. The Greentree Stable began the meeting well when Roy Waldron sent Skavar to the post in the half mile dash for maiden juveniles. He was home rather a handy winner over William Garths Birdwood, with J. P. Jones Roi Tan saving third from Walter J. Salmons Polar Sea. This was also a score for the winter racing, for Skavar had been raced at New Orleans, while Birdwood was making his first appearance. The start was a good one and it was really a two-horse race, when Skavar and Birdwood at once ran off from the others to open up a big gap. Birdwood was on the inside and before the stretch was reached seemed to have Skavar beaten. The Green-tree colt had swung a bit wide, but evidently found better going by the move and an eighth from home he was closing rapidly on the son of Meridian. In that last eighth Lang dropped Birdwoods head as he went to the whip and it was all over for the Garth gelding. He sprawled in the going and quit badly, to have Skavar come on to victory. Roi Tan finished resolutely to be third and the others were rather strung out. "Sonny" Workman began the meeting auspiciously when he brought his first mount home a winner. He rode with his nose encased in adhesive plaster, made necessary by reason of an automobile smashup when he was driving down to the track, but that did not effect his skill in the saddle. He had the leg up on Mrs. Anna Burtons Battle Shot in the mile and a sixteenth of the second race. Beginning well, he sent the mare into the lead and once safely out in front never surrendered that position. He had a good lead when the back stretch was reached, where he steadied the daughter of War Shot and Harlan was in second place well before the others. The field was closely bunched back of the first two and in the early running Spugs was well back, but he was working his way up on the outside and it was apparent a half mile from home that he was to cut some figure. Rounding into the stretch, Harlan draw up on Battle Shot, but Workman had saved something for the run home and when he shook up his mount she came again, to win with something in reserve. Harlan saved second place readily and Spugs beat El Canoe for third place. An accident occurred in the three-quarters mile dash which was the third offering, when G. C. Halls Nat Evens stumbled so badly in the stretch that J. C. Mergler, who had the mount, was unseated. At the time the colt was coming through on the inside and appeared to have a royal chance to be winner. Fortunately Mergler was unhurt when he fell in the soft mud and he walked back to the scales. This race fell to G. C. Winfreys Tester when, after forcing the pace, he outstayed Harvey Stedman, and it was Leger which raced third before Davenport. From the start Tester and Harvey Stedman drew away from the others and Nat Evens was not so alert in getting into his stride. He worked his way up and after leaving the back stretch drew up on the leaders. Turning for home Tester and Harvey Stedman went a bit wide, where the footing was better, while Mergler cut the corner with Nat Evens and took the bad going. It was at the eighth post that Nat Evens was seen to sprawl and stumble. A second stumble sent Mergler into the air and he splashed down into the mud. At the time the colt was racing so fast that he looked all over a winner. With Nat Evens out of the way old Tester stuck it out gamely to down Harvey Stedman, while Leger was best of the others. The sixth was over a mile and a sixteenth that brought out half a dozen platers and C. Bilds Golden Billows, always at home in such going, was winner from W. C Trovers War Man, with Laddie Buck outstaying Kan-duit for third place. Golden Billows drew an inside position and she was in close quarters until the back stretch was reached. There Petreooa wisely took her outside when opportunity offered and for the remainder of the stretch she had comparatively good footing. . a
