Evening star., 1952-03-16
Laurel HUNS With Activity
With Opening Six Days Away
Bx Lewis Z. Atchison

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With only six days renainingl
until next Saturdays opening.
which marks the start Of Mary
land racing. Laurel viii be hum
ming with activity this week. Onl
paper the meeting shapes up asI
one Of the best Of recent years.
and the decision to run Bowie's
spring meeting ct Laurel, making
50 days Of racing there, APPARENTLY
will improve the class Of horses.
A couple Of the better known
horse and rider combinations,
such as Alan Ciarke's Senator Joe
and Jockey Bobby Mitchell and
MRS. Nora Mikell's Repertoire and
Jockey Peter Mclean, already are
ON the grounds. Approximately $50
horses are at Laurel. with as many
more at Pimlico and another large
group ct Bowie. About II ship
ments from Florida and Louisiana
are expected within the next few
days, including many Of the horses
expected to compete In the seven
stake events on the program.
Post time will be 1880 pm. daily.
and the Baltimore and Ohio will
Operate special trains from WASH
lington at 1885 am. and 1918
lp.m. to the track.
Bruce to be Guest.
John d. Schapiro. president Of
Laurel, will be host at q press
party at the track Thursday after
noon when bronze, life-size
statue of the horse Billy Barton
will be unveiled. Guest Of honor
will be Howard Bruce, who owned
Billy Barton. famed steeplechaser
who finished second in the 1928
English Grand National. The
horse died last year.
With favorable weather In the
next few days trainers already
on the scene expect to have their
horses ready for the meeting.
Clarke believes Senator Joe will
Ibe better than last year when
he was a consistent winner In
sprints. He also things King
Novice and JEANNE c. will show
their heels to some fields before
the meet is over.
]: Bernie Bond. who has SO horses
under his care. is high on Irish
Game. owned by Robert Moore
land Fixed Star Of the Kee Dee
Stable. Walter A. Edgar. presi.
/ :Ident of the Maryland Horse
Breeders Association, expects tx
pick up some purses with Banta
Miss President and Jaconora, al
$lof whom campaigned in Florida
or with Jack the Great and 8
mice looking .2-year old by thu
name of Prince Dare. Jaconors
was purchased from Mrs. Georgt
II. Harrison, widow Of Rear Ad.
Imiral Cary Grayson, a prominen
Ihorseman during most of his life.
time.
Eric Blind, assistant to Starter
Eddie Blind, who will officiate al
the Laurel meeting, has beer
schooling horses with Moe Kuy.
kendall and John Rolfes for about
10 days and thinks most Of then
will have good gate manners wher
his older brother arrives. Yester.
day he had three youngsters
handled by Trainer Ed Christ
mas walking out of the gate likl
old hands. The three were Fa,
Echo, q Pavot colt, Caesar Dit
land Blue Beam. The latter twt
belong to Howell E. Jackson o
. Middleburg, Va. whose Balmead
. Stud colors are believed to ranl
with the oldest in racing.
Capitol Handicap Listed.
/, While there will be 80 days o
racing, only seven stakes are ol
the program, beginning with tn
$500 Capitol Handicap openini
day. The $4,000 Chesapeak
, Stakes, hold-over from the de
funct Havre de Grace track. ant
the $4,000 added Bowie HANDICAP
are the most important on tn
1card. Scheduled for April IL, tn
Chesapeake usually is a testing
ground for some Kentucky Derb.
hopefuls. The Bowie, a week later
also is for 3-year-olds.
Other stakes include the $7,50l
:. Cherry Blossom the SIS, 900 Laure
Handicap, the $4,000 Rowe Me
Imorial. and the $500 Bowie Kin.