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ALAMO DOWNS OPENS TODAY Favorable Outlook for Successful 21 -Day Spring Meeting. Plenty of Good Horses and Riders Available Much Interest Manifested by Racing Devotees of San Antonio. SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 24. Horse racing returns to San Antonio tomorrow with the running of the twenty-one day meeting, the second spring season to be held at beautiful Alamo Downs since completion of the spacious plant little more than a year ago. The coming session, the third attempted by Raymond R. Russell and his assistants, is expected to be the banner one at this course. Interest is much higher this spring than during the previous meetings, and, according to those in charge, all of the best seats have already been reserved for the season. This is an increase of more than twenty-five per cent over the past seasons. Announcement was made several dayff ago that the reserved section of the large grandstand had been sold out for opening day. On the strength of these early reservations, the management anticipates the largest crowd to ever pass through the gates of Alamo Downs for the inaugural tomorrow. While Mr. Russell and his assistants are making preparations to handle a record crowd, director of racing Charles F. Henry has arranged a program of eight races for the opening. The card is featured by the Inaugural Handicap, in which high grade platers are entered. Golden Fate is asked to pack the weight of 117 pounds in the Inaugural, which is at six and a half furlongs, while Gold Step, the veteran sprinter which has a knack in winning inaugural handicaps, was only as good at 108 pounds, second highest weight in the race. Wise Player, a three-year-old of class, is given 105 pounds, with Sad Knight, a veteran of many campaigns, getting in with 101. Crash and Pompous Genie will carry 100 pounds each, while Countess Bina, coupled with Pompous Genie as the Woodward and Smith entry, got in with the feathery weight of ninety-four pounds. The feature will be supported by five sprints over six furlongs, while the seventh race is at a mile and seventy yards, and the final race of the day will bring together four-year-olds and over, at a mile and a sixteenth. As usual, Alamo Downs has drawn its share of star riders, and among the saddle experts already here and licensed are K. Horvath, W. Parker, F. A. Smith, J. Beech, " S. Armstrong, A. Hess, S. Hebert, H. Bridges, P. Petrella, F. Tice, H. Tinker, C. Greenwood, M. Calvert, A. Beck, J. W. Frye, D. R. Stuller, L. Jordan, J. Boucher, A. Gruber, H. Callahan, L. Jones, S. Snodgrass, P. Collins, R. Bergh, J. Dupuy, A. Harris, A. Cog-hill, E. Sylvia, J. R. Kelly, M. Mathews, D. Gray, J. J. Smith, F. Armstrong, -J. Kennard, B. Heath, J. Littrell, D. Edwards, P. May-eaux, R. Kastner and N. Merritt According to Wesley Freeman, who has charge of the jockeys quarters, at least twenty more jockeys are on their way, and he expects no less than sixty riders here by Saturday. The officials who will handle the meeting are Charles F. Henry and Herman P. Conk-ling, stewards, while E. A. Compton will be the steward to represent the Texas Racing Commission. The placing judges are John Carey, S. S. Brown and S. S. Bender. John Carey will also act as paddock judge, while Frank Otis will be given his favorite position as patrol judge. Joseph J. Nelson, who dispatched the horses last year, will again do the starting.
