By ED GOLDEN

All I want for Christmas . . .

BARRY ABRAMS -- "A Kentucky Derby horse, and more live people at the races. How do we do that? I don’t know. I’m just a trainer. If I had the answer, I’d be a millionaire. I’m a millionaire anyway, so I’m a liar."

BOB BAFFERT -- "I want to win the Kentucky Derby again next year."

DAVID BERNSTEIN -- "A good winter at Santa Anita with fair weather, and a superstar horse coming along, like another The Wicked North."

RANDY BRADSHAW -- "Happy holidays to all. I hope this year is better than last for racing, and I hope the NTRA works."

VINCE De GREGORY -- "Health and happiness to everyone, which is more important than all the success we can attain winning races, because if you don’t have good health, you’re in bad shape and money doesn’t do us any good. I hope we have some great horses coming up and we make racing better than it is today, because we need some stars."

EDDIE DELAHOUSSAYE -- "I hope the racing industry unites next year instead of worrying about casino gambling and every other thing. They should be worrying about their own industry, horse racing."

KENT DESORMEAUX -- "I’ve got a life-long Christmas wish: (winning) the Kentucky Derby. That’s all I’ve got left to accomplish in my career, besides maintaining my position as a contentious jockey in the standings. For racing, we have to think about creating seasons, like other sports. Racing needs excitement, like when Del Mar opens. To do that, racing needs 30 days off after each meet, so when a new meet starts, the fans can look forward to it. My Christmas wish for racing would some time off between meets."

MATT GARCIA -- "I just hope to do better and be a better person."

DAN HENDRICKS -- "Continued success and good health for everyone. For racing, I hope the little whiners quit whining and everyone gets together and gets a national thing going."

DAVID HOFMANS -- "Less racing. Less would be better. That’s what I wish for--less racing in Southern California."

D. WAYNE LUKAS -- "It would help us all out if there was uniformity in racing regulations, medication and administration throughout the country."

RICHARD MANDELLA -- This will be a holiday of gratitude for the world-class trainer and his family. Mandella’s perspective on life came into even greater focus when his daughter, Andrea, a freshman at Kenyon College in Ohio, was seriously injured an a car accident last week. "It looks very good (for a complete recovery)," Mandella said. "It’s almost a miracle, with what she went through. She broke the third lumbar in her lower back. The vertebrae was shattered so doctors had to remove it and fuse her back during 8 1/2 hours of surgery. But Saturday, before I left, she was in rehab and already walking, and moving everything perfectly, so it’s almost like a miracle."

BRIAN MAYBERRY -- Jeanne Mayberry, wife of the 59-year-old trainer, says he is "doing great" in his battle with lung cancer. Mayberry has undergone experimental treatment at Hogue Hospital in Newport.

CHARLIE McCAUL (Clerk of Scales) -- "That racing continues to have stars, and that they stay sound. We need to return to the glory days, and we had a good run this year with Silver Charm and the Breeders’ Cup."

PETE PEDERSEN (Senior steward) -- "More people on-track to witness what has been outstanding racing in Southern California. How long it can continue without live support, we don’t know, but, hopefully, it will present itself in 1998."

LAFFIT PINCAY JR. -- "I hope I can ride more horses and more winners. For racing, I hope things get better and wish people get more into the business and start breeding more horses so racing will be better for the people who bet. They like big fields."

JENINE SAHADI -- "I hope for a good year and that all my horses stay healthy and happy. I hope more people come to the races and enjoy the animals. And I hope I make my wedding date (to Ben Cecil) on March 14."

JOY SCOTT -- "Everyone should reach for their greatest expectations. While it’s still a struggle for me in this game, I’m very grateful for what I have and to be part of this great business. The horse is a wonderful animal and the business is getting more empathetic towards the horse, and I’m very grateful for that."

ALEX SOLIS -- "Just that we have a safe year."

GARY STEVENS -- "I hope everybody has a safe 1998 and I’m looking forward to the NTRA accomplishing its goals."

MEL STUTE -- "I would like Score Early to be as good as I think he is, and I would like to win the Kentucky Derby."

OCTAVIO VERGARA -- "Happy holiday to everyone and I hope I have another good year like I did this year."

. . . And to all, a good night.

GOLDEN PICKS

FRESHMAN -- French-bred was rank and will benefit from first race in 10 weeks and first start in U.S. Tab on Santa Anita grass.

PRISM -- Slow starter rallied 10-wide in turf route. Can win with good break.

VARLEY -- Mid-priced claimer was squeezed back after start and rallied from 15 lengths last to finish third, beaten just two lengths.

THE HOMESTRETCH: Baffert says his big horse, Silver Charm, is ready for Friday’s comeback on opening day in the Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. "It was a hell of a work," Baffert said of the Kentucky Derby winner’s 1:10 4/5 gate move under Stevens last Thursday. "He really got a lot out of it. He’s doing better now than he ever has. This horse has a great mind and he knows what he has to do. He needed the time off (after the Belmont). He was thin and just didn’t look right. We worked him and noticed the power just wasn’t there. He didn’t want to go. My instincts told me ‘no mas.’ He’s put his weight back on and then some." . . . Wayne Lukas had planned to run Sharp Cat in the La Canada series, starting with the La Brea Stakes on Saturday, after her 1 1/16-mile walkover win in the Bayakoa Stakes. But the daughter of Storm Cat has gone to Wally Dollase, now the private trainer for Prince Ahmed Salman, whose Thoroughbred Corp. owns the speedy filly. "She went a bit too fast, considering," Lukas said of her 1:42 3/5 clocking in the walkover. "You have to understand, we didn’t realize it would be a walkover when we shipped her over." . . . Thunder was so powerful during Thursday’s rainstorm, it set off car alarms in Hollywood’s stable area . . . Kent Desormeaux bashers who knock him for not riding out his horses had no gripes Saturday. He finished in the money on all seven mounts . . . Add Golden winners: Heptathlon, $7.40, Availability, $5.20.