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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. As the time for the opening of the spring meeting of the Arkansas Jockey Club draws near the trainers at Clinton Park, Little Rock, are giving their horses all of the fast work that is possible, and when they are called to the post on the opening day, March 23, there will be few that are not ready At a number of tracks this winter the trainers have been handicapped to a great extent on account of the severe weather and frozen ground. In the Arkansas capital such has not been the case this year, for during the whole month of January the mercury has hovered in the neighborhood of 70 degrees, and last month it was practically the same with the exception of one or two days. Some of the best two-year-olds the west has ever had were trained and wintered at Clinton Park. Miss Bennett, probably the best filly the b!g Memphis bookmaker ever owned, was given her early training at Clinton Park by Henry McDaniel. Bannockburn, winner of a number of big stakes, was taught to race there when "Umbrella Bill" McGuigan owned him. Ben Eder and Lady Inez were also wintered and trained there as two-year-olds. The .English Derby nominations for this year show a total of two hundred. In the opinion of some of the best authorities in England, it is therefore believed that the far-famed blue ribbon of the turf this year will have attracted more than ordinary interest. A notable feature of the entries is that only six fillies have been named, chief among these being Baroness La Fleche. Rock Sand, the present favorite, is down for all four engagements, and so are Flotsam, Chaucer, Rebelais and Mead. Other notable colts entered in the Derby as well as the other three races are, Comptroller, Fairfield, Gilbert, Handley, Martinet, Merry Saint, . Morgendale, Omar Khayyam, Per-silleur, Persistence, Playbill, Post Obit, St. Gerald, Songeraf, Uncle Reggie, Wag, William Rufus and Alceus. Acefull, the Dur-yea candidate, is nominated for the Derby only.
