Evening star., 1950-04-30
FeatureIess pim|ico
"Opens Spring Meeting
On Charles Town Note
By Lewis F. Atchison
Stor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

Stor Staff Correspondent
BALTIMORE, April Rare
Mineral, a 1871 shot that hadn' t
won a race since last October at
Belmont. outran six opponents to
win the $4,000 feature here today
on the opening card of Pimlico's S
1850 spring season.
Owned by E. A. (Steve) Stone,
a placing judge at Charles Town,
the four-year-old son of Thellus-
son-Say To helped give the Pim-
lico opening decided Charles
Town hue. Stone. ironically, al
most scratched the horse earlier
in the day when it seemed ill.
Charles Town Boys Star.
Jimmy McDermott, who had the
mount on Mr.. Edd, winner of the
finale, was the leading rider at
Charles Town in the meeting
which ended Friday, while Mike
Sorrentino. who booted home
Just Lovely for another $34 pay
off in the second race, was a WIN
ming jockey at the West Virginia
track. Mr.. Edd paid 1920.
Five Preakness candidates were
paraded before the crowd of Is,
TIA, including Fred C. Brogan of
Baltimore, who was counted .as
the IL millionth fan to enter Pim-
llco since the track opened in
1870. The 40-year- old inspection
foreman of an automobile assem-
bly, plant in this city. who esti-
mates he has lost ST 900 a year in
the 20 years he has been going to
the races, was somewhat startled
by the Sudden fame that netted
him an inscribed silver horseshoe
ashtray. It wasn't very lucky. how
ever. for Brogan lost on two daily
double tickets.
Only one Preakness nominee
won. Arcave, owned by Sylvester
w. Labrot and ridden by Jockey
Jack Robertson. took the six-fur-
longs fifth race. Two and a half
lengths back was Great Admiral
also a Preakness candidate. Still
another, Just Eight, was out of
the money.
The other two. Balkan and
Eastern Flyway, were beaten by
Brookmeade Stables Ouiia in the
mile and sixteenth seventh race
Less Than Million Bet.
Although bucking both Garden
states flat racing in Jersey, which
took some of the PHILADELPHIA
trade, and the colorful MARYLAND
Hunt Cup in nearby Worthington
valley. the start of the economy
meeting was considered successful
A total OF $685. 1892 passed through
the betting machines, which com
pared with $589,771 on a Monday
opening last year. Track officials
said Pimlico lost $1O1 TAG last year
and $54,173 in 1948.
Today's mutuel handle, signi-
Incantly, was smaller than Laurel's
opening of $966,467 and Havre de
Grace's inaugural $894,797.
Although the sixth race origi-
nally had been billed as a six
furlong handicap for three-year-
olds. it failed to fill and Racing
Secretary Charles McLennan had
to make it an allowance race. open
to older horses. 1t was good race,
nevertheless, with Jockey Rocco
Sisto rating Rare Mineral nicely
until he hit the stretch where he
opened up to eatch Abbottstown.
Oriole and Vital Sun.
Ouija. ridden by Jack Robertson,
led all the way in the seventh race,
outrunning the third-place Radical
and holding the second-place Bal
kan in the stretch. Balkan got of
poorly and couldn't make up the
lost ground.
Arcave, also handled by Robert
son, came from last at the half
way mark to win galloping, while
Great Admiral, who ran a steady
race under Moose Peters, was
second.