The New Jersey track conflicts continued to cause unrest as Maryland horsemen protested the new spring and summer dates at Havre de Grace, which saw a reduction to four days a week rather than its customary seven days in an attempt to avoid direct conflict with the new Garden State spring meet.
But expected to meet horsemen’s approval was a new policy revealed by Havre de Grace and Pimlico eliminating 2-year-old stakes in the spring, the exception being the series of breeders stakes run in conjunction with the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. President Henry A. Parr III of Pimlico and Charles J. McLennan, general manager of Havre de Grace, took this action after a series of conferences; a general consensus was that spring stakes for juveniles never meant much, either in money or prestige, and on occasions, victory in one of these early fixtures at short distances resulted in undue penalties for the winner.
- Nearly 40 trainers, including the conditioners of a number of top-flight stables, wintered at Pimlico, Bowie, Laurel and Timonium despite a “New England winter” of snow-covered racetracks and severe cold. Among those at Pimlico were Henry Clark, who took over the Christiana string following the death of John A. Healey; and F.A. Bonsal, with H.L. Straus runners. Ed Christmas had 20 horses at Bowie for William Brann including top-class 3-year-old Escadru and renowned racemare Gallorette. Hirsch Jacobs was also at Bowie with a string of 22.
- A pictorial visit to William L. Brann’s Glade Valley Farm included photos of the stallion barn, home to national leading sire *Challenger II; Brann-bred yearling fillies; and a couple of early *Challenger II foals.
