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SOUTHERN MARYLAND HANDICAP CLOSING FEATURE ? c Bowie Kindergarten Stakes Supplementary Attraction on Final Card Remote Chance for Anything1 but Muddy Track for Running of Two Stakes Araho Stables New Deal Top Weight Headliner BOWIE, Md., April 10. Marylands first race meeting of 1936 comes to a close at this course tomorrow with the running of a double stake program, which is headed by the major event of the season, the ?5,000 added Southern Maryland Handicap, at one mile and a sixteenth. As a secondary attraction there will be the Bowie Kindergarten Stakes, a half mile race for juveniles, which has been endowed with ,500 by the association. Ten have been named overnight for the distance affair and eight for the two-year-old dash, with neither possessing a distinct standout. The mile track was deep in mud this afternoon, and there is scant chance it will be much better tomorrow. In fact, it may be even worse, as there is a threat of rain in the air. Under such conditions it is questionable if more than seven will go to the post in the principal race, with Purple Knight, Dogmata and Peradventure being rated as doubtful starters. There hardly will be any withdrawals in the half mile sprint for youngsters. Top weight of the party in the Southern Maryland will be New Deal, best horse in the Araho Stable of Mrs. Walter OHara. The Broadway Jones gelding has been assigned 118 pounds, half a dozen more than he carried to victory in the Sir Greysteel Handicap last Saturday, and a burden which promises to make his task considerably tougher. While the five-year-old is at the top of his form, the writer is inclined to question if he can handle his rivals at the arrangement which will prevail. The popular banner of Alfred Vanderbilt will be flaunted by Good Harvest, winner of the Jerome Handicap and other stakes during 1935 and a most creditable fourth to Singing Wood in the five and a half furlongs Inaugural Handicap, his seasons first. The Epinard gelding only lost third money to New Deal by a head in that event and, with a nine-pound weight shift in his favor, he figures to trounce the Araho representative. Greentree will have a husky prospect in Continued on second page. SOUTHERN MARYLAND IS CLOSING FEATURE Continued from first page. the Royal Minstrel five-year-old, First Minstrel. This fellow was fourth to New Deal i last Saturday, tailing off in the stretch, after looming up as the one to beat at the quarter post. Probably he needed the race. He worked a mile in 1:42 in his extended final for this, the swiftest trial at the distance during the last two weeks. Horsemen believe he will improve considerably and his class makes him a powerful threat. Lynx Eye, a corking Bowie horse, made a late charge at New Deal in the Sir Greysteel Handicap to finish second. He was off slowly in that event. Since then he has been going steadily in his trials and the one-time C. V. Whitney gelding promises to be a strong contender. Then there is Chatmoss, a superior mud-der; Steel Cutter, a very speedy gelding on a fast track, and the recent Rome Memorial winner. Bright Light. AH have been seasoned in competition over this track and all appear mighty close to top form. It is the going which promises to make Chatmoss particularly dangerous, for on a dry track he would not appear formidable. Steel Cutter has a good effort through light slop at Hialeah Park to his credit, but its very doubtful how hell perform through the more holding mud at Bowie. Bright Light is regarded highly by Shan-don connections, and that outfits lone hope for the Kentucky Derby. The Southern Maryland will provide his first serious test of the year and not the Chesapeake, as was generally believed. He ran a sensational race to win the Rowe Memorial with 116 pounds up, and will have eleven off that impost If he can whip this field he will be one of the choices for next Saturdays Havre de Grace feature and considerably less than 100 to 1 in the Derby futures. Balkanese and Irrepressible shape up as the chief prospects for the Kindergarten. The first named was an impressive winner on Tuesday, coming from behind the pace to beat Irrepressible by about two lengths. Right off that showing the Balko colt is certain to be made the public choice. The Vanderbilt filly, most probably, will be next in demand. The other entrants appear very much alike. The Shandon Farm Stable, which won the Southern Maryland and Kindergarten last year with Evergold and Bright Light, will be trying again for both stakes. The last named colt, as noted above, is in the distance special, while Happy Road and Overplay have been named for the two-year-old race. The first of the trio is a possibility, but it is impossible to enthuse over the chances of the other two. Despite the promise of a bad track Jack Campbell has drawn up a final program which should produce first-rate racing. Given fair weather the Easter Saturday crowd should be the largest of the brief meeting, with a mutuel handle running above 00,00. Given bad weather there will be no chance for the association to get out of the red.
