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t Devil Diver Beats Apache in Paumonok As Record Crowd of 45,796 Turns Out Greentree Racer Drives Past Choice in Stretch at Jamaica MRS. PAYNE WHITNEY— Her Green-treeStable sent out the winners of Saturdays two feature events, Devil Diver in the Paumonok and Four Freedoms in the Tropical Handicap. t Atkinson Has Victor Clear Of Belair Horse at Finish; ,601,836 Mutuel Handle JAMAICA, L. I., N. Y.. April 8.— Greentree Stables Devil Diver sped past Apache in a thrilling stretch drive to win the Paumonok Handicap by a rapidly widening length and one-half this afternoon as the New York racing season was off to a sensational start. Three-quarters of a length behind the Belair Stud favorite, Joe W. Browns Brownie finished third, half a length before Mrs. B. Digiorgios Mettlesome. Second choice in the wagering. Devil Diver paid .30 and stepped the distance in the sizzling time of 1:11 5 over a track that was classified as good. It was an eventful afternoon in every respect, with a crowd that jammed every nook and corner of the New York Boulevard track, a strike by the grooms delaying the start of the first race of the season, and wagering threatening to set new highs. The attendance of 45,796 was the record for Jamaica and topped last years inaugural by nearly 20,000, while the attendance for last years first Saturday was 31.034. The total public pool of ,601,836 fell short of the Jamaica record of ,852,414 set the last day of the Victory Meeting in 1943, but is nearly a million dollars above the first Saturday of last year when ,743,370 was wagered. The opening day total in 1943 was ,308,919, but the season opened on a Thursday. Bill Sickle Goes to Front The 10 who accepted the issue in the ,500 Paumonok went away to a good start as George Cassidy dispatched the field with a press of the button, and Bill Sickle went to the front, closely attended by Brownie and Apache, with Devil Diver in fourth place. Apache was not long in taking over the lead from Bill Sickle and was a length to the good while Brownie clung to the leaders a wide margin before Devil Diver, on whom Ted Atkinson was biding his time. Bill Sickle called it a day rounding the turn, obviously burned to a crisp by the hot pace, and Apache opened up a three-length lead coming into the stretch, with Brownie inheriting second place, a length and one-half before Devil Diver, who was finding his running legs. For an instant Apache appeared to be home free, for Brownie was clearly tiring behind him and none of the others except Devil Diver appeared to threaten. Then Devil Diver started his tremendous charge down the center of the -track, cutting Apaches lead by yards with every stride. They were level at the sixteenth pole and the son of St. Germans swept past with authority, though Atkinson appeared to have some difficulty keeping him straight in the drive. Brownie Third in Stake There did not appear to be any excuse for Apache, though Stout permitted him to go a bit wide at the head of the stretch ■ and was of no great assistance in the final I yards. Brownie held on gamely for his ; share of the stake, while Mettlesome closed i with a rush, but was passing tired horses. 1 Devil Diver added ,625 to his already impressive earnings and served notice that . he will be a sharp factor in all of the New , York stakes for which he is eligible this i year. A damp, dismal morning did not deter • an enthusiastic throng from filling the I stands early. Long before the first race 1 the grandstand had a substantial quota of Continued on Page Seven Permane Is Astride Five More Winners Accomplishes Feat Three Days in Row at Tropical; Four Freedoms Victorious CORAL GABLES, Fla., April 8.— Four Freedoms and Eddie Arcaro rounded out the Tropical Park meeting this afternoon just as they founded out the Hialeah Park meeting, by taking the richest offering of the Gables Racing Association spring meeting, the Tropical Handicap, which added another ,000 to the earnings of the son of Peace Chance. It was his first appearance since he led Sun Again home in the 5,000 Widener. It also completed a notable riding triple for Eddie Arcaro, as well as the Greentree silks, for in addition to the handicap scores with Four Freedoms it was Stir Up, ridden by the Kentucky Italian, who won the Flamingo for Mrs. Payne Whitneys popular silks. The sensational apprentice. Bobby Permane, wound up his stay here in a blaze of glory by riding five more winners, duplicating the feats he turned in Thursday and Friday when he was astride five winners on those programs. In hanging out the remarkable riding accomplishment today, he brought his total of winning mounts for the meeting to 49. Attendance Record Broken For the final day of the welfare week of racing at the Bird Road course, which brought the 100-day season in Florida to a close, the Tropical attendance record was broken when the turnstile count revealed 11,435 on hand, and it also marked an all-time high for the wagering. Thus the most successful racing season in Florida was brought to a brilliant conclusion. As the six in the handicap left the stalls Billie Thompson at once went out with Marriage, but Arcaro had Four Freedoms chasing after him and rounding the first turn the Coward gelding had a lead of a pair of lengths. Grasshopper II. was racing third and Argonne Woods, his former stablemate, was racing closely after him. Before the half-mile ground was reached, Arcaro moved up on Marriage and for a furlong they went along stride for stride and closely lapped. Then, as the pair rounded from the straightaway, both Argonne Woods and Grasshopper II. moved and they were closely following the battling leaders. But Arcaro had saved plenty for his challenge and at the three-furlong pole he drew away slightly from old Marriage. Thompson went to a drive on Marriage but it was of no avail and as the old fellow hung, Argonne Woods moved up resolutely on the inside until he. too, had him headed. In the run through the stretch Four Freedoms had his company thoroughly beaten to be winner by two lengths. Argonne Woods had beaten Marriage three lengths and Sweep Swinger outfinished Grasshopper II. to be fourth. The time. 1:49. for the nine furlongs, equalled the track recerd hung out by Sir Marlboro in the same prize in 1943. Four Freedoms paid .60. Devil Diver Takes Measure of Apache In Paumonok Before Crowd of 45,796 Record Turnout at Jamaica t ► Wagers ,601,836 on First Program of New York Season Continued from Page One ; standees and when the "Star Spangled Banner" was played at 1 p. m. at least 15.000 people were already on hand. The clubhouse restaurant was crowded with early arrivals and hot dog and sandwich stands did the expected rushing business. The sun broke through the overhanging mist at almost the same moment the "tote* board began to flash the wagers on | the first race. Among the celebrities viewing the races, j in addition to many anonymous heroes in , the uniforms of the armed forces, were Mrs. Elizabeth Nightingale Graham, formerly Mrs. E. Graham Lewis Elizabeth Arden, William Helis; John Hertz. Herbert Bayard Swope, Ashley T. Cole, Henry M. Knight, Walter J. Salmon, Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Travers, George D. Atwell, W. Arnold Hanger. Mr. and Mrs. John A. Morris. Theodore J. Knapp, George Francis. William Woodward and F. Skiddy Von-Stade. The season opened on a happy note as the favored Happy Lark scored a two-length victory in the six-furlong curtain-raiser, but the sport was delayed 20 minutes by a last-minute strike of the grooms. Steve Brooks sent Happy Lark to the front leaving the gate, was momentarily threatened by Free Double at the head of the stretch, but drew away in the drive. Tatu was a contender most of the way and ap- ► , — . peared to have third place safe midway of the stretch, when Jemas sent Umbril through on the rrJI tc take the lesser portion of the purse by a neck, but was a length and a half back of the runner-up. Happy Lark ran t::e distance in 1:13% over a good track and paid .90. A second straignt favorite registered in front-running fashion when Mrs. D. H. Peters Bull Dar.cv led throughout the second race to beat Jean Miracle a length, with Bounding Bow another three lengths farther back. Buj] Dandy paid .30 and completed a Daiiy Double with Happy Lark, winner of the J ace. that paid 5.20. This was a race ioi maiden three -year-olds and upward and the winner was timed in 1:11%.
