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Maryland By Charles Hatton Preakness Boxes, Reserved Seats Sold Pimlico Will Present Diversified Sport Laurel Attendance Most Encouraging PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 8. — The meeting on "The Hilltop" has made an encouraging beginning and there is every reason to think that it will prove a suc- cess despite conflicts from several quarters, including Garden State, the trotters, and a few days at Delaware Park. We must, say that the course on the fringe of Baltimore never looked more inviting than it does this spring, and all indications point to an entertaining Preakness. Needles exciting stretch run in the Kentucky Derby has kindled a lot of interest and he will again be opposed by Fabius, a forward factor all the way in the Louisville classic. If Hugh Fontaine can keep his charge at his present form, we -may finally have another Triple Crown winner. Some of those who saw, the Derby fancy that Fabius will be benefited by the sixteenth of a mile shorter distance of the Preakness, but then the colt owned by Dudley and Heath,. Oklahoma oil men, appears capable of running short or long. •a By the way, the winning owners really pitched a party at Derby time, with more than 100 guests and rooters who practically filled an Evansville hotel several days before the Downs event. Their party and others will enliven things for the Baltimore hotels and the Preakness Ball, which is being revived this year, as well as for the Cohen and Pondfield course. Pond-field says that "actually the boxes and reserved seats have been sold put several weeks for the Preakness holidays." Perhaps, as in the instance of the Derby, this will prove the biggest Preakness of them all from the point of view of patronage with any luck in. the weather. This last was a persuasive factor in the attendance of more than 100,000 at Churchill Downs, most of them assembled from the three Falls Cities and their environs. Count Chic, No Regrets to Try Again Count Chic and No Regrets are two more of the beaten Derby field who are expected td try Needles again in the Preakness. Come On Red, the Derby third, and Golf Ace, became supplementary entries late Monday evening. Certainly, as Pondfield observed, Freddie Colwill will have ample racing material with which to work during this meeting. In addition to the Maryland regulars, large strings are coming in from Gulfstream and other Florida tracks. This should enable Pimlico to continue in pursuance of its policy of presenting diversified programs, with a liberal assortment of overnight features and the only turf course events to be decided in this context until Delaware Park unveils its new grass surface. There was a time, not so long ago, when most horsemen felt that racing- on the turf required some special talent. But this superstition now has evaporated, and with the increase in the number and values of racing through the innerfield the associations feel no more hesitancy about programming these events. As time goes on there will be an ever increasing quantity of talent for racing in its most popular aspect. The Pimlico surface, incidentally, is the handiwork of John ~ T . Jackson, who contributed so" much toward the cultivation of the strips at Arlington and Washington Parks in Chicago. It was not easy, for the first season i the seedlings began to sprout the Preakness crowd overflowed into the innerfield and trampled most of the stand of grass. Care and patience restored it however and the course now is one of the finest of its kind in America. The recently closed meeting at Laurel was an un- J qualified success even though the tote play was off about 6 per cent. The attendance closely paralleled that attending John Schapiros meet a year ago. What accounts for the decline in per capita at several points this season is difficult to explain for it can evolve on any number or combination of factors. The Laurel club already is looking forward to its fall meeting, which, of course, will be featured by the 00,00.0 Washington, D. C, International. Schapiro is sailing to Great Britain and Europe in the interests of this unique mile and a half, and he will see the Epsom and French Derbys. Cascarella to Visit East, Midwest Tracks Joseph Cascarella will be off a little later on a missionary trip to tracks,along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Midlands. Laurel has the coveted Veterans Day date and will share also in the fall meet here at Pimlico, under the new and expanded schedule at the Maryland milers. Bowie is a participant in this springs season on "The Hilltop." There is a tendency in some quarters to suppose that the increase in take from 10 to 12" per cent accounts for the decrease in play, but this theory is not susceptible to proof on an analysis of the business at Bowie and Laurel. It is to us remarkable that the crowds have borne up so well de-spite-one of the most protracted winters in many years. Turf ana: Pimlico hopes that John Gaver, Harry Trotsek and other noted conditioners will be on hand for the intrcductox-y running of the Mr. Fitz. . . . Laurel staged a pony race, just for the laughs, on closing day. . . . Pimlico is renewing its lady jockeys race on Preakness Day, You would be well advised not to laugh whenone of the participants is within earshot.
