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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. It is a settled fashion with the New York tnrf scri bes to roast Jockey Fred Littlefield. Whether a horse he rides may chance to win or lose makes bat little difference to Littlefield. In either case he seldom escapes harsh criticism. It is a fortnnate circumstance for the rider that his employers, A. H. and D. H. Morris and Wyndham Walden, are not of t li 3 same opinion as his hostile critics. The latest attack on Littlefield was with reference to his rid in? of Filigrane onTaesday, when Half Time beat him. Mr. Morris has made public a letter he has written Littlefield, in which he states that be has no fault to find with Freds riding of Filigrane. If he thought the ride was a bad one he would be the first one to say so. In order to show his confidence Mr. Morris hurls defiance at Littlefields assailants and at the owners of other three-year-olds as well. Here is a proposition he makes: He will race Filigrane against any other three-year-old in the country at equal weights, from one mile to four miles, and will wager ,000 to 0,000 that Filigrane wins. He also stipulates that as every one believes Littlefield handicaps Filigrane by his riding he will ride Littlefield in the match. The challenge, which is formally issued for him by Mr. Walden, reads as follows: I will run Filigrane against any three-year-old in the country, with 120 pounds on each, from one mile to four miles, for 000 or 0 000. Littlefield will ride and weather conditions make no difference, the colt being ready to go, rain or shine." Here is a great chance for the owners of Jean Beraud, Etheibert and Martimas to bring about a sensational contest. Two Oak- winners, Rush and May Hempstead, are to meet again this afternoon at Latonia. Rush defeated May Hempstead decisively in the Kentucky Oaks at Louisville, but the track was very heavy and many attributed her success to the condition of the track, she being very much at hoina in such going, while May Hempstead is not. Their meeting this afternoon has been much canvassed at Cincinnati and yesterdays Enquirer says of the race: "No race of the meeting will attract more attention in turf circles than the Oaks, one of the richest events of the western turf for three-year-old fillies. More than usual interest attaches to to-morrows, big event from the fact that in it May Hempstead and Rush, the best of their age and sex in the west, will again meet. The defeat of May Hempstead by the McDowell crack in the Kentucky Oaks, and the brilliant showing made by the famous Patron filly with much the worst of the weights in the Decoration Handicap, will make to-morrows big event a groat drawing card, and if the weather man will only give Cincinnati a change from the conditions of the past two days to a bright afternoon, a crowd that will fairly rival that of Decoration Day will ba on hand to cheer the winner of the big race. "In the Kentucky Oaks Rush, with 112 pouuds up. to May Hempsteads 117, easily beat Head-ley A; Nortons filly, the track being sloppy. That was th j first race, though, that May Hempstead bud since she had left Memphis several weeks before, while Rush had had several good races to put her on edge. The Patron fiily has undoubtedly improved a lot since the Louisville race, as she showed Tuesday. There are some changes in conditions, too, from the Kentucky Oaks that will add to the uncertainty of tomorrows race. Its distance is three-sixteenths greater, and furthermore the two fillies will ba on equal terms as regards weight, each having picked up a five-pound penalty, making the impost 122 pounds. To-morrow a race will de termine which of the two is the better. It is not to be inferred that they will have the race to themselves. There are several others that will have a try for the valuable purse, and with from five to seventeen pounds less weight than the cracks must carry they may cut a considerable figure in the race. There is certainly no reason now to think that the Oaks will be anything like a walkover. Touching one phase of racing at8t. Louis, the Sporting News says : •The stai ting of Billy Brusn while above the average in point of merit, resulted in more agitation for the abolition of the recall flag. Kit Cbinn, who started last year, favors the retention of the flag, and in a little discusion between him and Sensator OBrien the latter declared emphatically in*favor of no flag." He said : I dont know how you starters look at it, but the great majority of the horsemen want to seethe flag done away with. I have seen some good horses ruined by the long delays at the post, and it gives too much advantage to bad actors. I do not think a bad actor should be shown any favors, for every minute that sort of a horse keeps a field waiting he is injuring properly dispositioned animals. If an owner wants a bad-acting horse, let him have him, but there is no reason why other horses should suffer penalties waiting for one crazy one to get off in a good position. "The wisdom of the Senators remarks was made evident soon after, when Hindoos Dream kept her field at the post nearly a half hour, caused one jockey to be thrown and a horse to run away, with the final result that the horses were sent away one at a time, with the result of the race, as far as first money was concerned, practically settled by the drop of the Hag." A law suit against the aristocratic Ontario Jockey Club is an outgrowth of the recent Toronto meeting. A not uncommon dislike to paying lightly incurred forfeits is at the bottom of it. The case is thus detailed in a dispatch to a Cincinnati newspaper under date of June 1. "A writ against the Ontario Jockey Club to recover 00 was issued this; afternoon by the widely known Canadian horsemau, John Bren-nan. "At the recent Woodbine meeting Brennan won a couple of thousand dollars in purses and stakes, and when it came to a settlement the the 00 was withheld and Brennan was told that he owed the New York Jockey Club that amount in unpaid forfeits on colts bought at the New York sales and entered in the Futurity and that William Hendrio, the backbone of the Ontario Club and owner of Martimas, was entitled to the moDey owed him. The question of collecting these forfeits was under discussion a couple of weeks before the races commenced, and John Brennan, J. W. Burrows, A. M. Orpan agd others were called before the executive. They refused absolutely to pay and stated that rather than do so ihay would leave the track. "Nothirjg farther was said about the matter and the horsemeu went on and raced. The club maintains that the forfeits should ba paid, and the horsemen say that it is entirely unjust, that •the Western Turf Congress refused to collect New York debts, and that if the O. J. C. did intend to make such demands theso should have been made when the horses were entered, and not after they had raced and won. The case is causing intense interest here, as a victory for th9 club will mean the withdrawal of many horsemen who in former years have been prominent at Woodbine. Brennan is being backed by I the shrewdest turfman in Canada, A. M. Orpen." I The remaining stakes to be decided at Graves- end will be ran off in.the following order: Monday, June 5— The Kensington Hurdle Handicap, for four-year-olds, and the Patcho-gue Stakes, for three-year-olds and upward. Tue*day, June 6— The Criterian :|rf, f„-two-year-old fillies, and the Brookot.Je huua:-cap, for three-year-olds and upward. | Thursday, Jane 8— The Manhanset S,hl c-. for two-year-olds, and the May Stakes for fc! roi-year-olds, j Saturday, June 10 — The Great American I Stakes, for two-year-olds, and the Broadway Stakes, for three-year-olds. Monday, June 12— The Falcon Stakes, for three-year-olds, and the Greater New York Steeplechase Handicap, for three-year-olds and upward. Tuesday, June 13— Tbe Hanover Stakes, for two-year-olds, and the Gazelle Stakes, for three-yaer-old fillies. Wednesday, June 14— The Myrtle Stakes, for three-year-olds and upward. Thursday, Jane 15— The Tremont Stakes, for two-year-olds, and the Brooklyn Derby, for three-year-olds. Mr. William Jennings, of Maryland, has again become the owner of the little horse Sailor King. Last fall he parted with him to John McCafferty, who campaigned him with a fair amount of success through the past winter at New Orleans. At Morris Park McCafferty offered him, with some others of his string, for sale by auction. The horse failed to elicit a bid, as he was bowed from having grabbed himself in his last race. Mr. Jennings always had a great partiality for the horse, so later on made McCafferty an offer for him. It will take several months of rest to bring bim around again, so Mac was glad enough to accept the offer and sent him over to Graves-end to his old quarters.
