Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-09
II 81 at Bowie See Pine Echo
Disqualified; Sand Boy Winner
CrowdBiggest
lnHistoryfor
Opening Day
BY LEWIS r. ATCHISON
Star stan Writer


A record Bowie opening-day,
crowd Of 1921 fans. Drawing
icy winds for the earliest horse
racing in Maryland's history,
saw Edward Siravo's favored
Pine Echo finish first in the
featured 51a-furlong sprint
yesterday only to lose the deci-
sion to George w. Parker's Sand
Boy after a double foul claim.
Pine Echo, backed down to
II to 10 and ridden by Willie
Passmore, led the eight-horse
field from end to end and
crossed the finish line in the
undistinguished time Of t:06Ss
over q slow track. Halt Q
length back at the wire was
Jockey Bonnie Green on Sand
Boy, with Mrs. Winifred B.
Dietrich's Honey's Tiger. ridden
by George Cardoza-a substi-
tute for Joe Culmone-another,
length and a half back.
Drifted Out In Stretch
But Pine Echo drifted out In
the stretch, taking Sand Boy
with him and causing that
horse to impede Honey's Tiger.
Both Green and Cardoza lodged
objections and the stewards up
held them, placing Sand Boy
first, with Honey's Tiger next
and Pine Echo third.
The winner paid $1,000, $3.50
and $500. Honey's Tiger re-
turned $7.20 and $3.50. while
Pine EchO's hackers collected
$40 for show.
Sand Boys owner also got
$4,825. the big end of the $500
purse. The sprint, appropri-
ately, was named 1.-THE Early
Bird"
1t was a tough break for the
chalk players. who saw a sue
cession Of outsiders lead the
favorites home in all out two
F, races. Big Bonus, 8-to-5 choice
in the third race, and Blue
Pencil, 2 to / in the eighth
the longest race on the card at
a mile and Observation-Disclosures
the only favorites to reach the
winners circle.
/ The attendance broke the
previous mark for an opening
lday by 1882. The old mark
was 16.489, set on March 20,
Il948.
Fourteen buses brought $50
passengers down from New
York. Trains from New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington brought 2.513 more.
Won Twice at Tropical
Pine Echo's fate was par.
ticularly disappointing IN view
Of the fact that he won the
Inaugural Handicap at 51a fur
longs and the New Year handi-
cap at 6 furlongs at Tropical
Park. He also was fourth in an
allowance sprint before being
shipped north for the Bowie
meeting, and had all the ape
pearances of a certified sure
thing,
/ Neither Sand Boy nor Honey's
Tiger appeared to have much
chance of catching Pine Echo
during the stretch run. out
Pine Echo appeared to tire
slightly running against a high
wind, and he did bear out
enough to cause the objections.
Passmore said after the race
that he was confident Sand
Boy wouldn't catch him.
1t was the first start Of the
year for Sand Boy, a 6-year-
old gelding by Colony Boy out
OF Rose Sand. Sand Boy won
five Of his 81 races last year
and was in the money Is times
in earning a modest $25,27O.
Betting Record, Too
Yesterdays betting handle Of
81, 225,75l was another opening-
day record for Bowie, but il
was under the $1,3l4,56O re-
corded on the first Saturday
last year, which fell on Feb.
ruary Is.
Wagering was of about
$4,000. compared to a year ago,
on the first race. but it was up
approximately the same amount
on the daily double handle Of
$l2l ,242. 1t picked up as the
afternoon went along and
reached q high Of $l75,72S ON
the feature. OF that amount.
the crowd confidently put $4s,.
$50 on Pine Echo's nose.
1t was a sunny but windy
G.. nnxuru