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! I I I i GOSSIP OF THE TURF. W. C. Whitneys four-year-old colt. Slipthrift, which is nominated for several of the big handicaps, has begun stiff work with tho Huggins string at Newmarket and will no doubt bo in right good fettle long before the real racing season begins. Ballantrao, which will also carry the Whitney colors, is one of the samo combination and even this early the pair have baen treated to some smart six-furlong canters on tho Side Hill tan track. Both horses fignro among the sixty-three subscribers for the Kempton Park Great "Jubileo" Handicap of 3,0C0 sovereigns on Saturday, May 9. The course is one mile and a quarter, and, judging from the list of nominations tho race should bo a veritable smasher. Prominent among the lot are Ard Patrick, last years Derby winner, and Port Blair and Rose Blair of the samo stable; Sceptre, the great Ally, and a stable companion, Labengro, aro also named, and other cracks are St. Macion, Water Shed, Glass Jug, Floriform, Friar Tuck and Cupbearer. Foxhall Keeno has nominated Conroy II., and J. R. Keeno, KearEarge, and Richard Croker will be represented by a throe-year-old named St. Patricks Day. Mr. Whitney has also subscribed to the Gatwick spring meeting with Baliantrae and Ayrshire Bounty in the Alexandria Handicap of 1,0C0 sovereigns to be run Friday, May 15. Slipthrift is also clown for the Coronation Cup of 1,C09 sovereigns, at tho Epsom spring meeting, May 18. There are thirty-three subscribers, among them being tho top-notchers Sceptre, Ard Patrick, Caravel, Rising Glass, St. Macion and King Edwards three-yoar- old Persistence. John Huggins has begun hard work on H. B. Duryeas American-bred Acofull, which was sent to England to run for this years Derby, together with the other horses in his stable. For some time past English turf writers have kept a close eye on tho neighborhood of Huggins training ground in order to get a good square look at the American, and on account of the mild waath6r recently had a capital opportunity. Without a single exception so far, tho opinion regarding tho Yankee has been unfavorable. Mr. Whitneys horse Nasturtium, they say, who crossed for tho event last year, was a powerful galloper with fine action, but the impression created by Acef all seems to be totally the opposito. The turf expert of Sporting Life, who saw tho American colt in one of his speedy canters, has tho following criticism: "No greater contrast could be imagined than that between Nasturtium, sent over to win our Derby last year, than Acefull, sont over this. The former was a very grand horso in every respect, big and powerful and ono of tho finest gallopers I ever remember to have seen. This year wa have a little, muscular, closely coupled horse, with action as quick and scrappy as the five-furlong sprinter, Grig, and wo shall require to see it lengthen oat considerably beforo we shall cry peccavi to such a horso as that, oven though tho Americans are con-i tent that ho was about tho best over thore." Ace-j fulls first appearance on tho English turf will probably occur in tho City and Suburban, to be run on April 22. It is a handicap of 2,000 sovereigns, about ono milo and a quarter.
