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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. E t Oat at the Fair Grounds, despite the cold weather of last week, considerable wan done -in preparation for the coming season. A contract has been let for something like 6,000 loads j of dirt, which will be need in banking the corners. The effect of this will be to materially increase the spied of the track and to do away with the crowding at the turns, which has always been an unpleasant feature of the racing there. When the banked turns were put in at Delmar it was feared that the slope to the inner rail would have a tendency to bunch the horses at each turn, but the reverse was the case, and this undoubtedly had much to do with the big percentage of successful favorites and second choices. A sharp cut off at a turn will ccst a horee from two to twenty lengths, according to itB nature, so it can easily be sean how much an accident can beat a horse which is many pounds the best of his field. With the banked turns, and strict government by tho judges, much of the crowding and rough riding j which has been a feature of racing hereabouts j for years viill be avoided. The jockeys who j have been to England are a unit in calling at- 1 tention to the fact that no crowding is tolerated over there, and they seem highly pleased with it, which would indicate that the average 1 jockey doeB not like Ench tactics and would not adopt them unless forced to do bo by the work . of his rivals. Of course, with their wide, straight tracks, it is much easier to avoid crowding there than here, and, while the satisfactory conditions prevailing in Europe cannot be duplicated on this side, the situation here can be materially improved. St. Louis Sporting News. Wednesdays St. Louis Republic says: "Pros idant Tillee, of the Fair Association, said yesterday that the association stake book for next year would be out by Sunday next. The stakes will be of the usual order, though more valuable as a rule, and in one or two instances tho conditions will be changed. The names of the stakes will be much the same. The Delmar book will be out on Sunday also, said Manager Adler, of that track. Delmar will have anentirely different management and est of stakes, and it is probable that all the Delmar stakes will be of new names and new distances, though they may be deducted from the Fair Grounds moiety. In every way Delmar and tho Fair Grounds will be maintained separate and apart. " After an absence from the track of three years, that grand old race horse, Buckwa, is again in training at Oakland. Since his last appearance under saddle he has been running in pasture, and his owner has decided to Bee whether he will Btand the severe work necessary to put him in shape to repeat some of his famous victories. Some days Buckwa gallops fairly strong and on others he pulls up lame. There is no intention to force the old breadwinner, and if he will not stand up back to the green fields he goes to end his days, for his owner, E. W. Purser, will never Bell him. Picardy, 4, by Albert Luminous, tho horse belonging to J. Dowdell, and which was purchased from M. F. Dwjer, disappeared from view tbis past season. BiB owner has been treating him wth great patience and has now placedlhim in the hands of William Donahue at Gravesend. Picardy is one of the fastest horses in training, and may be expected to show some mora of his ilighta of tpeed when next Beason oommenctB. JuliasJBauer, after a two weeks visit to New York, has returned to Lexington, Ky and taken., up hie duties with the Featherstone tring which ii in winter .quarters at Kenmore E t j Farm. The following is a list of hiB coming two-year-olds: Mary Btroet, ch. f, by Onondaga Bonnie Lee. 4 Pondage, br. c, by Halma Miss Longford. Model Prince, b. c, by Prince of Monaco Middlemarch. Peeper, br. c, by Halma Bo Peep. Uranium, br. c, by Lamplighter Elsie B. Pebble, br. c, by Pirate of Penzance Cicily. Mesmer, br. c, by Albert Hoodoo. I Ingold, b. c, by Ingoldsby Badiance. ! Benefit, b. c, by Fonso Clarissa. ; FavorleBS, gr. c, by Faveidale Gray Bonnet, j Hymettus, b. f, by Sir Dixon Merdin. i Sisone, ch. f, by Onondaga Sis OLee. ; Hanndaga, ch. f,by Onondaga Hannarinda.
