The evening times., 1895-09-10
CLIFFORD is DANGEROUS
Noted Turfmen Say He Will Beat
Henry Of Navarro.
Some Interesting Gossip About the
Great Horse and His Last
Fast Race.

IL is now tne uupTessiou uihohS hoiSS
men that If Clifford starts in the race
with Henry of Navarro, Domino, and Rey
ell Santa Anita tomorrow and 1t is
pretty generally believed that he will
lie is likely to beat the trio.
Clifford was never in as good shape as
he is no W and it is said he hehasshown greater
speed. lately than ever before. Orlando
Jones. Of this city, who saw the defeat or
game Sir Walter on Saturday, is credited
with declaring that n horse never went
through the stretch at Sheepshead as fast
as Clifford did in that race, and other
good Judges of race horses and speed say
the same thing.
1t is, of course but natural that each OF
the eminent turfmen who have horses in
this very interesting event feels pretty
sure that he has named the winner, but
the POPULAR belief among horsemen here, as
elsewhere, us stated in The Times yester-
day. seemed to be that Henry of Navarro
would win.
The naming of Clifford, however, with
the stories of the greatness OF his per
formance on Saturday, seems to have
turned many admirers OF the Belmont
crack all around, nd made them extremely
dubious as to his ability to beat the Rose
horse in his present form.
In fact, while Domino's great sprinting
qualities are not forgotten, and 1t is like
wise borne in mind that Rey el Santa
Anita is not to be overlooked in any COM
pany, the prevailing feeling now seems TO
be that the struggle will narrow down to
Navarro and Clifford, and that 1t is
toss-up as to witch will land first.
Speaking of the possibilities OF this race,
a dispatch to The Times says that new
track record for a mile and furloSg may
be one of the results. When Clifford can
stay at the post half an hour, get away in
the ruck, run und n big field Of horses,
and then finish within one-fifth of second
of Terra Cotta's champion mark, he should
be capable of still greater things with only
two or three competitors and compara-
lively no delay at the start. Domino VIII
see to il that the pace Will be all that could
be desired, for it has been demonstrated
that the black champion likes 20 go to the
front and make his own running without
being choked up AID yanked off his stride
Domino can put in the first mile better
than 1:4O. VIII the others be able to
come and take him? Tomorrow will
tell the tale.
To-day race is to be run at Sheepshead
Bay that win interest every lover of the run
ming horse in the country. 1t is that for the
FIatbush stakes. The distance is seven
furlongs and some of the most famous 2
year -olds in the land will try for it. Among
these Will be Requital, winner OF the fu
n California
colt; Ben Brush and One Love. Hastings
and Handspring are also entered for this
race, but neither will start.
This will be the first chance the Western
colt, Ben Brush, has had to go against any
of the really strong youngsters of the East,
and it Will serve to test his merit, which his
owners and many who have watched him
closely believe-to be superior to that of any
other 2-year-old OF the year. There are
many predictions, however, that neither
Requital, Brush or Crescendo will be in
this race If One 1 Love is herself and goes
to the post
This clever fflly is credited with having
worked three quarters OF mile around the
turn at Sheepshead the other day in the
quick time OF 1:14 IA, performance that
is looked upon as quite good enough to set
tne " l6eSl OIL tne OTdCles W SueesSiuS WHctucE
any of the cracks can cope with her.
The subject Of a race under the old con-
ditions, with q high-wheel sulky on an el-
liptical track, to beat the record OF Maud g..
2:Os 3-4, is again up. 1t has been up rVgu-
larly for the past five years, but no ct
tempt has been made up to this time to
equal or outdo the famous old mares per
formance.
1t is now suggested that Azote is the horse
capable Of doing the trick, and it may be
that he will shortly be started to try it.
A turf expert says that Azote is commonly
believed to be faster than either Alix or
Nancy Hanks, although he has yet to beat
their records, and his enormous size and
power, together with his peculiarly easy
gait, fit him to handle the heavy, vibrating
old dstyle sulky with less draw back than al
most any other horse that could be named.
GENERAI SpnRTUNG NOTES