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Dinner Dinner Key Key Purse Purse to to Valdina Valdina Maiden; Maiden; Apache Apache Can Can Prove Prove Paumonok Paumonok Repeater Repeater Nine May Oppose 1 Belair Stud Star Fitzsimmons Has Sent Forth Five Winners in Jamaicas Traditional Opening Stake NEW YORK, N. Y., April 4.— At 1:45 p. m. next Saturday George Cassidy will press a button in the starters stand at Jamaica and the 1944 New York racing season will be under way. When the field of two-year-olds assembled for the opening race of the Metropolitan Jockey Clubs spring meeting charges out of the stall gate it promises to be a momentous occasion in turf history, for all signs point toward a record-breaking season of thoroughbred sport. A field of about 10 horses now seems likely to parade postward for the ,500 Paumonok Handicap, six-furlong feature of the inaugural program of the 25-day meeting. While some of the "probables" may await later engagements and one or two who are engaged but considered unlikely at this writing may get to the post, the following appears to be the prospective field: Apache, 130; Devil Diver. 130; Cassis, 120; Eurasian, 119; Signator, 118; First Fiddle. 115; Mettlesome. 112; Boysy, 112; Go-Gino, 110; Harvard Square. 110; Adulator, 110; Bill Sickle, 108. and Flak, 106. Of the above group, Signator is now reported on the doubtful" list and may be replaced by Adulator as the Woolford Farms colorbearer, while First Fiddle and Eurasian may go in the ,000 King Saxon Purse, secondary feature, instead. That race is at a mile and a sixteenth. Cassis Sure Starter Last year the Paumonok was, for the first time, displaced from its traditional place on the inaugural program and run in two divisions a few days later. The winners were Mrs. Josephine Grimes With Regards and Belair Studs Apache. When trainer Jim Fitzsimmons led Apache out i of the winners circle it marked the fifth time he had had that pleasant chore since ■ 1938. The other Fitzsimmons-trained winners were: Snark, 1938; Johnstown. 1939; "Fighting Fox, 1940, and King Cole, 1941. Mr, Fitz" is sending Apacheback in an i attempt to repeat his 1943 triumph. He i carried 126 pounds last year and the Laird 1 of Aqueduct" is unperturbed at the likely prospect of his charge having to pick up i four additional pounds this year. Indications at Belmont, Aqueduct and Jamaica point toward well filled races throughout the inaugural program. Jockey r agents are busy placing riders for most of the seven races on the bill and the horses ; are being asked for real speed in the training hours to sharpen them for early action. . Just a few of the riders who are already . on hand, or will be in New York in the next day or so, are Steve Brooks, Johnny r Gilbert, Nick Jemas, Bobby Strange, Bill I Pearson, Darrell Madden, Lee Haskell, Jimmy Stout, Doug Dodson, Ted Atkinson, Charlie Wahler and James Lynch,
