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Maryland Maryland Spring Spring Season Season Opens Opens Today; Today; Pukka Pukka Gin Gin in in Division Division of of Experimental Experimental Concedes Weight ] ♦ To Seven Rivals Stir Up, Bel Reigh and Five Others Meet in Second Half Of Sprint Stake at Jamaica JAMAICA, L. I., N. Y.. April 11.— The ,000 added Experimental Free Handicap, which is to have its fifth running at Jamaica tomorrow, met with such favorable response from owners and trainers that it has been split into two divisions, which will be run as the fifth and sixth races. On paper, at least, the first division of this six-furlong fixture shapes up as considerably the most interesting, if only because it will be enhanced by the 1944 debut of Col. C. V. Whitneys Pukka Gin. rated by racing secretary and handicapper John B. Campbell as the best of last seasons juveniles. It was in his weights for this same Experimental, released in January, that Campbell offered his estimate of the current three-year-olds. Pukka Gin will carry 126 pounds and Ted Atkinson in his first effort of a spring campaign that is expected to include the Wood Memorial, Kentucky Derby and Preakness. The sleek brown son of Fire-thorn — Crauneen meets seven rivals and must concede sizable chunks of weight to | each of them. Next in order of the weights I is Crispin Oglebays Boy Knight under 119. This speedy son of Sir Gallahad III.— Heloise won the United States Hotel and Wakefield Stakes last season. Greentree Stables Broad Grin comes next under 112 , pounds and Atkinson is also down to ride , this colt. Broad Grin won the Spalding Lowe Jenkins Stakes in Maryland last year ! and was a fast-closing fourth in his debut . here on Saturday in a dash which was won J by Joe W. Browns Fox Brownie, who gets in this division of the Experimental with i 110 and Eric Guerin. Mill River Stables l Sweeping Time is on the same notch and I will be ridden by Charlie Wahler. who just [ signed to ride for the stable this season. Fox Brownie to Have Following Wheatley Stables Stronghold and Brook -meades . Ariel Game each are assigned 108. Light weight of the field is Coldstream J Stables Wild Rice, who carries the comparative feather of 106. It will be seen that Pukka Gin is facing . no easy task in his seasonal bow, but he [ will probably be made a sentimental favorite. m Fox Brownies impressive victory here Saturday will undoubtedly earn him a following, while there will also be some " support for Boy Knight. The second division of the Experimental . is distinguished by the presence of Green-tree * Stables Stir Up, who will be making his first start since his surprising victory in the Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah. Eddie Atcaro, who piloted him in that triumph, Continued on Page Three Pukka Gin Goes Postward I In Divided Experimental Concedes Opponents Weight — Stir Up in Second Half of Race Continued from Page One will be aboard again tomorrow, and the son i of Stimulus will carry 114 pounds. Top weight in this edition of the Experimental . . will be the 116 assigned Mrs. T. Christophers Bel Reigh, winner of the Ardsley and Babylon Handicaps last year and a colt for whom trainer Harris Brown predicts a rosy future. The other five in this dash are Longchamps Farms Grant J Rice, 110; Grant Thorns Fire Sticky, 110; ; Cain Hoy Stables Tit Tat Toe, 106; A. A. . Baronis Autocrat, 106, and Mill River Stables - Spheric, who will race coupled with l Bel Reigh under 106 pounds. Of the lesser lights in this section of the i Experimental, Fire Sticky ran fourth in the i Flamingo and has displayed finishing ability, - while Autocrat was the juvenile star r of the West Coast last year. He was beaten l in his debut at Bay Meadows in March, but Baroni is confident he will make a amends tomorrow. The secondary feature is the Kewessa Handicap, ,000 dash at six furlongs for three-year-olds and upward, which Is ; headed by Mrs. B. DiGiorgios Mettlesome under 122 pounds.
