The evening times., 1896-03-10

! New York, March 1O.-A glance at sew
eral future books on the spring handicaps
| shows that Henry OF Navarro, Clifford,
| Sir Walter and Keenan, are the only horses
| inquired after. Sir Walter is fancied
for the metropolitan Handicap, while
| some very wise gentlemen are betting on
| Clifford for the Brooklyn and Henry OF Ma
| varrc for the Suburban. These look pretty
| good wagers, providing all are well, for
! the following reasons:
Sir Waiter is Il very carly horse and likes
the Morris Park course CliffOrd Is an
| earlier horse than Henry OF Navarre and
| is partial to the Brooklyn going, while
| Henry of Na'Tarrc has always shown up
| well at Shecrshcad Bay. MIR. Belmont S
| candidate may try hard for the Brooklyn,
but he will have TO be at his best TO teat
| Clifford over the course, and it is not
likely he Will be at his best until later in
| the season.
HALMA'S WESTERN FRIEN DIS.
Senator Grady leads the twenty-five in
their work, and he has grown into a lusty
fivc-ycar old. The Senator is not in The
Metropolitan, but he is lcnieDtly treated
in the Brooklyn and Suburban, with 106
| and 100 pounds, respectively. Byrnes has
great hopes that the Old horse will show
in public this season with the speed he has
ITO burn in private trials.
WESTERN HOTseIlltn pun tiIciT ldltH 10 hdi-
ma, who will have big advantage in the
fact that TaraI will ride him. He Is sure to
have a big following. The Caifornians
fancy the chances Of Vinctor. who la Il mile
record of 1889 IA with 119 pounds up.
Eastern racegoers, us a rule. are not partial
to California horses until after they have
been here long enough To become thor
oughly acclimated, so that il Vinctor can
win, his owner. Charles Boots, will no doubt
he enabled TO get a good price about him,
HORSES IN FORWARD CONDITION..
Nearly all the candidates for the spring
handicaps are in forward condition, al
though, of course. no really fast work has
been attempted as yet with any OF them.
Hornpipe, winner of last years Brooklyn,
is going on exceedingly well at Brighton.
1t looks now as though Lakeland intended
to give him a special preparation for the
Metropolitan, To be run on the opening day
Of the Morris Park meeting. While as yet
there does not seem Ia be any great amount
of Out-of-town betting on the handicaps,
still there is n decidedly growing interest,
among horsemcn especially, as to the result
of these events,
Some of the trainers think that Hand
spring, the way he is developing, will be
n hard horse to beat I'm the Brooklyn and
Suburban. Others point TO the fact that no
three year-old has yet won either of these
events.
AJAX AS \ JUMPER.
In looking over the winters work IF the
jumpers there is not one that is showing
as well as Ajax, the property OF Jacob Rup-
pert, jr. He is developing into a wonder
rul crOss-country horse. Nick handler,
who is an expert in the art of schooling.
training and riding cross country horses.
says that Ajax should make the greatest
jumper the country ever saw. He does not
except BOurke Cochran or any OF the other
cracks. There can he no question about
the horses class Two OF three years ago
A iaX WAS one of the very best horses in the
country but, III common with other horses
in the stable he went TO pieces suddenly
and has never been of any account since.
He is a remarkably good jumper. With
his turn OF speed and ability TO carry
weight. he should make a record for himself
over the jumps. That he may do SO Is the
wish of all turfmen. His owner, Col. Rup-
pert. has been liberal patron OF the turf
and has secured but few of its rewards
His stable has always been a large one,
and he had several horses of high class IN
it. but, owing to a series or misiortnncs. he
has always fallen bit short OF the coveted
prizes.