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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. The famous mare Catherine of Navarre, 3am of Terra Firma and full sister to Henry f "Navarre owned by Captain S. S. Brown, of Christiansburg, Ky., was booked Friday to the young sire Hawkswick, owned by H. T. Oxnard. This is the first mare booked to the good son of St. Simon, out of Plaisanterie, and Captain Brown visited "Willamette stud, the place of Colonel John B. Ewing-, to inspect him before mating. Len Marders, the Lexington trainer, has decided to move his racing string to Memphis and put them into training for the early spring racing. He has about ten head, including some promising two-year-olds and a few aged campaigners. He will leave about the 10th. The track at Montgomery Park last Friday morning presented the appearance of a duck pond but trainers took advantage of the middle field and exercised for the first time this year a few prospective candidates for western derbies. Trainer Brazier, who is handling Skilful, Charley Ellisons three-year-old son of Mirthful, had his colt out and gave him strong gallops over the turf and hills that form the Montgomery Park steeplechase course. Skilful s first start will be made at the Memphis meeting in a purse affair. "He will not be prepared for the Crescent City Derby," said Brazier, and as he is not entered in the Tennessee Derby, the indications are that Ellison intends reserving Skilful for the American Derby. Other colts likely to be prominent factors in the betting in the winter book on the Chicago Derby were out and sent over the grass course in strong gallops. Rightful, half brother to Endurance by Right, from John W. Schorrs stable, and three other colts from the same barn, including Janeway and the maiden colt Stromonit, were given gallops. Another American trainer has been engaged to go to Austria. This time it is Frank Van Ness. The nobleman who has secured his services is Baron Blaskovits. The barons string of racers is well known in France, Austria and Hungary. His stud farm is near Buda Pest. Jockey Yancy, who formerly rode for J. Follansbee, will go abroad with Van Ness and ride the barons horses.
