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f | Here and There 1 on the Turf Billy Bartons Triumph. Opening of the Season. How Bowie Has Grown. New Belmont Stakes. $ ; q The magnificent showing of Howard Bruces Billy Barton in the running of the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase should do much for steeplechasing in this country. It was truly unfortunate that he was robbed of victory by a fall after taking the last jump of the trying course, but that could b3 charged to the treacherous going. Tipperary Tim, taking a line through all he had accomplished, was a lucky horse to be the winner, and it must also be remembered that the American was giving him eleven pounds. Billy Barton had not been in England long enough for such a race and that makes his performance doubly remarkable. The renewal this year will surely keep alive the ambition of other American turfmen to try for the big cross country race and it is assured that for years to come American colors will be well represented in the event. Right now Marshall Field has Labrador in England and he has been there since 1926, with the Liverpool Grand National as his eventual goal. Mr. Field has been in no hurry with his giant jumper and it is to be hoped that his patience will be rewarded in the 1929 race, when it is the intention to send the big horse to the post. If Billy Barton suffers no ill-effects from his gruelling race, he will surely be an American that will be properly respected in future renewals as long as he tries for the race. Of course the condition of the going at Aintree made the race one in which luck played an important part, but through such going it indeed took a sturdy horse with all the luck that was possible to be present in nuch a strenuous gallop. Mr. Bruce and his friends have every reason to feel proud of the wonderful showing of Billy Barton in this, his first try for a Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase. The first of the spring meetings will begin Tuesday when the gates of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Association will be thrown open at Bowie. It is usual for Maryland to open the spring racing season and it is Bowie that introduces the sport in Maryland. To open and close a racing season is not the most attractive spot on a racing schedule, but Bowie was the last of the big Maryland courses to come in and, for that reason, it had to take what was left in the manner of dates. Thus, it is that the Bowie racing is early in April and at the tail end of November each year. Time and again these dates have meant that the sport was conducted under severe weather handicaps, but, with all that, there is no racing association that has prospered more bountifully in Maryland. And going back to the first Bowie meeting at Bowie, in October of 1914, every effort was made to drive the association out of the state. The Maryland State Fair Association, at Laurel, conducted its meeting on conflicting dates. Bowie went right along for its promised ten days against this strong opposition at Laurel and, through the ten days, there was a constantly increasing interest in the new association and its racing. That battling for a position in the racing schedule of Maryland resulted in Bowie being awarded a place in the Maryland turf scheme, and in 1915 there were twenty-six days awarded with eleven in the spring and fifteen in the fall. That was just the same number of days awarded both Pimlico and Laurel, while Havre de Grace had twenty-eight days of racing. Ever since Bowie found its place in the regular schedule, by reason of the courage of James F. OHara and his associates, it has steadilj grown in popular favor, until now it is one of the most profitable and one of the most popular race courses in the country. As the racing prospered, there has been a becoming increase in the value of the money offered and there has been a commendable improvement in the accommodations for the patrons that made the success possible. Bowie richly deserves all of its present prosperity and it is safe to promise that the opening of the 1928 season means the beginning of altogether new success. Situated mid-way between Washington and Baltimore, its location is ideal to draw heavily from both of those cities and both have always been great racing communities. The course has taken the place of the old Benning track, of the Washington Jockey Club, for it was there that the eastern racing season opened and closed each year and it has grown to infinitely more importance than was ever possessed by the old club in the District of Columbia. When Joseph E. Widener announced the two new stakes for the spring racing at Belmont Park, there was some apprehension as to the success of at least one of them. That was the seven-eighths dash for three-year-olds that had never been to the post. The other is a mile and a quarter, exclusively for four-year-olds and, of course, it was agreed that it ought to bring about an ample list of nominations to make certain a good race. It was feared by many that there would not be found enough of the three-year-olds that had never raced to make the first named race a good contest. Now that fear seems to be put at rest, for with some still to be heard from there have been upwards of ten entries— and that is a goodly number when the conditions are taken into consideration. In this, the endowment for which is ,500 added, the weights are fixed at 118 pounds. Among the owners who have made nominations are Robert L. Gerry, Walter M. Jeffords, J. S. Cosden, James E. Gaffney, Joseph E. Widener and John Loftus. A condition of the race is that should it be determined five days before the date for its running, the contest will not be a worthy one, the race may be declared off. There are various reasons for three-year-olds not being raced before this time, and still be good horses, but of course, for the first running of such a race, it is not to be expected that many eligibles would be found. If the race should be continued as a fixtuic, it is probable that better results could be had. for trainers might readily wait with a backward two-year-old for just such a chance early in his throe-year-old season. The race for four-year-olds of course has more of an appeal, for there is no other special race that is exclusively for that age division. The mile and a quarter makes it an adequate distance and the weights are fixed at 122 pounds. In this, there is an allowance of four pounds for non-winners of ,500, while winners of 0,000 or two race of ,000 value, are required to take up a penalty of four pounds. This gives a range of eight pounds, with the low weight 118 and the top weight 126 pounds. Such conditions should make for a good race. Incidentally these are condition races to which geldings are eligible by reason of the recent sensible amendment to the rules of racing.
