TRC THOROUGHBRED NOTEBOOK

June 29, 1995

News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by Thoroughbred Racing Communications, Inc. (TRC).

KENTUCKY RACING FANS CAN WATCH AND WAGER ON RACES AT HOME

In-home wagering will be coming to Louisville, Ky., this summer, after an agreement was

reached between Churchill Downs and ODS Technologies to test a system via TKR Cable of Greater Louisville. Fans will wager via a standard television and remote control by highlighting on-screen displays.

Jeffrey Smith, Churchill Downs' senior vice president of planning and development, observed

that the test 'represents a marriage of the advancements in computer technology and interactive television with existing Kentucky law that allows in-home telephone account wagering.' The test will commence mid-summer and conclude at year's end.

United Video Satellite Group, Inc., parent company of ODS Technologies, has been acquired

by Tele-Communications, Inc. in a stock swap valued at approximately $200 million. United Video and Tele-Communications plan cooperative ventures in satellite technology and interactive TV program listings.

JOCKEYS ACROSS AMERICA DAY VII SET FOR JULY 1

Jockeys Across America Day VII, the annual national fund-raiser for the Don MacBeth

Memorial Jockey Fund, will be held Saturday, July 1 at approximately 80 racetracks throughout the country. The MacBeth Fund was established by Tim Conway and Chris and Judy McCarron in 1987 to aid injured and disabled exercise riders and jockeys. Since then, more than $2 million has been distributed to some 600 riders. The aid has covered expenses that include renovations of homes to accommodate wheelchairs; conversion of vans; wheelchairs; physical therapy; ophthalmological and dental care; as well as rent and basic living expenses.

Participating racetracks throughout the country will raise money for the MacBeth Fund

through poster signings, autograph sessions, baked goods sales, cap and T-shirt sales, and golf tournaments and fashion shows, among other events. In addition to seeking donations from jockeys, Hall of Fame rider Chris McCarron is hopeful that racing fans across the country will make a donation of at least $2 to the fund on Jockeys Across America Day.

Tax-deductible donations may be sent to: The Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund, 505

So. Beverly Dr. Suite 1019, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90212.

For additional information call Tony DeFranco at (818) 789-2419.

BACHARACH FEATURED SPEAKER AT HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

Burt Bacharach, the Academy Award-winning song writer and entertainer, will be the guest

speaker at the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on August 7. The event will take place on the lawn of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame at 10:30 a.m.

Bacharach, an owner and breeder, has been involved in Thoroughbred racing for 25 years.

He has campaigned Champion filly Heartlight No. One, as well as 1994 Hollywood Futurity winner Afternoon Deelites and Soul of the Matter, winner of the 1994 Super Derby.

The individuals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame are: trainer Bobby Frankel; jockey Jerry

Bailey; and horses Foolish Pleasure, La Prevoyante and Crusader.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

A racing oddity occurred at River Downs racetrack, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Seven-year-old Jolly

Jimmy D., making his first career start, went wire-to-wire to break his maiden. It's not every day a seven-year-old makes his racing debut, let alone win the first time out. The horse, though, is no stranger to the racetrack, as he has been stabled there for the past year.

Jolly Jimmy D., who is owned by Judy and James Darring and trained by Carl Stones, was

originally the family pet. 'The owners have always had show horses, and they just had him as a pet all this time,' explained Stones. 'I'm just glad we finally got to run him.'

According to James Darring, Jolly Jimmy D. didn't even start training until he was three.

'He was big and clumsy, and we just waited, then he got hurt, so we backed off again,' he said. 'He's pretty much been a pet, he's had no real problems.'

Although it took him longer to get to the races, Jolly Jimmy D. has no plans to rest on his

laurels. Stones plans to continue racing the seven-year-old. 'If he runs as good as he looks, I think he'll end up being a good one,' his trainer said.

MY FLAG, DAUGHTER OF CHAMPIONS, WINS FIRST START

My Flag, a daughter of champions Easy Goer and Personal Ensign made her racing debut a

winning one Wednesday, June 28 at Belmont Park. The two-year-old filly, ridden by Jerry Bailey, won the five-and-a-half furlong race by a nose after a stretch duel with Launch at Dawn.

TRF AUCTION RAISES $27,470 FOR RETIRED THOROUGHBREDS

The auction of racing memorabilia to benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF)

raised $27,470. The event, held Monday, June 26 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, was buoyed by a $10,000 donation from Caesars.

'The auction was unbelievably wonderful,' said Elinor Penna, a TRF board member and its

chief fund-raiser. 'The money we raised will ensure a safe and secure home for many more horses. I'm overwhelmed.'

Among the items on the auction block which sparked lively bidding were: a 1970 lithograph

of jockey Bill Hartack by Leroy Neiman, which sold for $1,200; a photograph of Secretariat taken shortly before his death in 1989, which brought $1,000; a photo of Babe Ruth at Churchill Downs, $1,000; and Thunder Gulch's Belmont Stakes saddlecloth, which sold for $500.

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation provides humane retirement for horses while teaching

marketable horse-care skills to qualifying individuals in state correctional facilities.

U.S. OPEN INSPIRES WINNING NAME

Hunch bettors may have cashed a ticket at Hollywood Park June 16. While the PGA Tour

golfers were playing the 95th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y., a three-year-old Thoroughbred colt named Shinnecock Hills won a seven-furlong race at the Inglewood, Calif., racetrack. The colt is owned by Oak Cliff Stable, which also campaigned horses named Baltusrol and Oakmont, sites of the U.S. Open in 1993 and 1994, respectively. (Shinnecock Hills' brothers are named Muirfield Village and Kiawah Island.)

Oak Cliff also bred 1989 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sunday Silence

and owned and bred 1986 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Skywalker.

Every year, Oak Cliff selects one of its colts to be named for a future site of the U.S.

Open. Through careful planning, Oak Cliff's choice colt races during the week of the Open that it is named for.

Oak Cliff Stable consists of Tom Tatham and his son Glenn, who are (to no one's surprise)

avid golfers, Glenn boasts a five handicap while Tom sports a seven. (Mike Willis, half-owner of Shinnecock Hills and a few other horses, also is a five handicap.) The stable's name game is about as rewarding as a hole-in-one, it seems. Of the three horses who have been named for the Open, two have won during the golf tournament. In 1993, Baltusrol notched his first victory on June 20, about an hour after Lee Janzen's eight-foot putt on the 18th hole clinched his Open victory and Shinnecock Hills won on opening day of this year's tournament.

NUNS FIND RACING'S HABIT-FORMING

Heavens, is racing getting a dose of divine intervention? First, Aqueduct Racetrack

announced that the Pope will be visiting the S. Ozone Park, N.Y., racetrack this fall. Now Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., plays host to a pair of nuns -- identical twins -- who 'own' a racehorse. What's next, an angel on horseback?

When Ragucci Clan ran second in the 10th race at Monmouth on June 14, Sisters Caroline

and Marilyn were trackside to cheer the five-year-old gelding to his second-place finish. It's not often that nuns, in full habit, attend the races. But the Sisters have a stake in the horse because owner Bill Martucci has pledged 75 percent of the gelding's earnings to the retreat where Marilyn and Caroline live in Bedminster, N.J.

Martucci, who owns more than 50 horses, refuses to sell his Thoroughbreds when their racing

careers are over. Instead, the 53-year-old advertising executive likes to find 'good, deserving homes where I know they'll be well-cared for.' The Sisters Caroline and Marilyn were an inspired choice.

The Sisters, both of whom have doctorates in computer science, do computer work for

Martucci, who learned about the animals the Sisters care for at the Northern New Jersey retreat. When Ragucci Clan injured a knee as a two-year-old, the nuns agreed to care for the gelding and did so for three years. When the gelding had recovered from his injury, however, he made it clear he was still a racehorse.

'I got a call from one of the sisters who told me Ragucci Clan had gotten loose during a

thunderstorm,' explained Martucci. 'He ran so fast and so far, the only way the sisters could catch him was in a car. They caught him right before he got to the highway. I got a call the next morning and was told, 'this horse can run. Let's race him.'' Martucci divined the horse was indeed able to compete again, so, he says, 'we brought him back.'

The Sisters, who are 57, received quite a bit of attention at Monmouth. 'Everybody wanted to

talk to them, shake their hands,' said Martucci. 'It made me think 'did all these guys go to Catholic school?' Or did they just hope the Sisters would bring them luck?'

Sisters Marilyn and Caroline are from Ohio, according to Martucci, where they were born

into a family of 15 children. They joined the order in their late teens and became school teachers. Later they received their degrees in computer science and now do freelance work for Martucci's advertising firm and many local parishes.

Surprisingly, the trip to Monmouth last week was not the Sisters' first trip to the races.

'Their father took them to a small track in Ohio when they were younger,' explained Martucci. 'But they had a lot more fun here. They were all excited. They said they never had so much fun in their lives. They really got into it.'

Since his return to the races, Martucci Clan has earned $2,325. In his last start on

June 27, the horse ran fourth, of which the Sisters' convent received more than $1,743.

MATCHMAKER SALE FEATURES THREE CHAMPIONS

A choice of breedings to champions Holy Bull, Housebuster and Cherokee Run is the prize in

the $100,000 Matchmaker Stakes, a distaff stakes event on the turf to be run Saturday, July 22 at Newe Jersey's Atlantic City Racecourse. The connections of the top three finishers receive a breeding to one of the three nominated stallions, in addition to the purse money. The winning owner gets first choice of the stallions for any of his mares; with the second- and third-place finishers selecting next.

LANG RECOVERING AFTER PROSTATE SURGERY

Charles 'Chick' Lang, the former longtime general manager of Pimlico Race Course,

underwent prostate surgery Wednesday at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson, Md. and is 'doing pretty good,' according to his wife Nancy. 'The doctors said it went well and there weren't any suprises,'Nancy said late Thursday afternoon. 'Chick's feeling better and was sitting up in bed today.' Lang will be hospitalized for a couple of days before returning to his Oxford, Md. home.

THE JOCKEY CLUB'S 1995 NAMES BOOK AVAILABLE

The 1995 edition of the 'Registered Thoroughbred Names' book, a listing of more than

562,000 active Thoroughbred names has been issued. The book is published as a means to assist Thoroughbred owners and breeding in selecting horse names by listing those which are active, and thereby, not available for use.

The book may be ordered by sending $30 plus $5 shipping and handling to The Jockey Club

Information Systems, Inc., 821 Corporate Drive, Lexington, KY 40503. Kentucky residents must add six percent sales tax.

TELEVISED RACES July 2 Budweiser Irish Derby, The Curragh, 5:00-6:00 p.m., ESPN
July 2 Hollywood Gold Cup, Hollywood Park, 6:00-7:00 p.m., ESPN

RACING TO HISTORY June 29, 1968: Jockey Eddie Delahoussaye won his first race, at Evangeline Downs, aboard Brown Shill.

June 29, 1968: Gamely, Princessnesian and Desert Law -- all owned by William Haggin Perry and trained by Jim Maloney -- finished first, second and third, respectively, in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park.

June 29, 1969: Jockey Ray Sibille won his first career race, at Evangeline Downs.

June 29, 1983: Jockey Angel Cordero Jr. won his 5,000th career race, aboard Another Rodger, in the ninth race at Belmont Park. He was the fourth rider in history, behind John Longden, Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr., to hit that mark.

June 30, 1973: Three weeks after he won the Triple Crown, Secretariat scored another victory, a nine-length win in the Arlington Invitational Stakes at Arlington Park, where he was sent off at the shortest odds in his career, 1-20. With no place or show wagering on the four-horse race, which was run with a three-horse field against Secretariat, the track had a minus win pool of $17,941. More than 40,000 spectators turned out for the event.

June 30, 1978: Spectacular Bid won his first race, at Pimlico, by 3 1-4 lengths.

June 30, 1990: Retired jockey Bill Shoemaker won his first race as a trainer, sending two-year-old filly Tempest Cloud to her maiden victory at Hollywood Park.

June 30, 1991: One year after his first victory as a trainer, Bill Shoemaker recorded his first Grade I win, with Alcando in the Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park.

July 1, 1966: Jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. won with his first mount in the United States, at Arlington Park, aboard two-year-old filly Teacher's Art, owned and bred by Fred W. Hooper.

July 2, 1989: Jockey Steve Cauthen became the first rider in history to sweep the world's four major derbies after winning the Irish Derby with Old Vic. He had previously won the Kentucky Derby with Affirmed (1978), the Epsom Derby with Slip Anchor (1985) and Reference Point (1987) and the French Derby with Old Vic (1989).

July 3, 1937: Del Mar Racetrack opened.

July 3, 1977: Seattle Slew's nine-race winning streak came to an end in the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, when he finished fourth, beaten 16 lengths by J.O. Tobin.

July 3, 1982: D. Wayne Lukas-trained Landaluce, ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr., won the first of her five consecutive victories at Hollywood Park. The daughter of Seattle Slew, owned by Barry Beal and Lloyd French, died of a viral infection in November of that year, but was posthumously voted champion two-year-old filly of 1982.

July 4, 1954: Two-year-old Ribot won his first race, the Premio Tramuschio. He concluded his career in 1956, with 16 wins in as many starts.

July 4, 1972: Two-year-old Secretariat, ridden by Paul Feliciano, ran fourth to winner Herbull in his racing debut, blocked badly throughout the race, at Aqueduct. It was the poorest placing of Secretariat's illustrious career.

July 4, 1978: Trainer D. Wayne Lukas won his first $100,000 stakes race -- over the turf -- taking the American Handicap with Effervescing, ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr., at Hollywood Park.

July 5, 1991: Jockey Ray Sibille won his 3,000th career race, aboard Sporting Surf at Pleasanton.

July 6, 1975: Locust Hill Farm's undefeated filly Ruffian engaged Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure in a match race at Belmont Park. Racing on the lead, Ruffian sustained a severe leg injury and was pulled up by jockey Jacinto Vasquez. Ruffian was humanely destroyed the following day.

July 6, 1977: In the second of their 10 meetings, Alydar defeated Affirmed to win the Great American Stakes at Belmont Park. This was the first of Alydar's three victories over Affirmed.

WEEKEND STAKES

SATURDAY
AKsarben Oaks, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade III, AKsarben
Baltimore B.B.C. S., 3&up, $200,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade III, Laurel
Bashford Manor Stakes, 2yo, $100,000, 6 Furlongs, Grade III, Churchill
Bowling Green Hdcp., 3&up, $150,000, 1 3-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Belmont
Dominion Day Handicap, 3&up, $150,000, 1 1-4 Miles, Grade III, Woodbine
Jim Murray Handicap, 3&up, $100,000, 1 1-2 Miles Turf, Hollywood
Lamplighter Handicap, 3yo, $75,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Grade III, Monmouth
Pucker Up Stakes, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade III, Arlington

SUNDAY

Beverly Hills H., 3&up (f&m), $300,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade I, Hollywood

Possibly Perfect has won five straight, four of them stakes, three of those Grade I. She won the Grade I Gamely Handicap, the Grade II Wilshire Handicap and an allowance race in her three starts this year. She will face stiff competition from Wandesta (GB), who won the Grade I Santa Barbara Handicap and the Grade I Santa Ana Handicap. Also scheduled to run are: Aube Indienne (FR), winner of the 1994 Grade I Yellow Ribbon Invitational; Lady Affirmed, second in the Wilshire in her first start of 1995; Morgana, third and second to Possibly Perfect in her last two; Wende; Fondly Remembered; and Alpride (IRE), Italian two-year-old champion filly in 1993 and multiple group winner in Italy

Hollywood Gold Cup, 3&up, $750,000, 1 1-4 Miles, Grade I, Hollywood

An extra $250,000 was added to the purse since both Cigar and Concern are scheduled to enter. Cigar has been the top-ranked horse in the U.S. since the first poll 16 weeks ago and has won eight straight races, five of them stakes, and close to $2 million this year alone. Second-ranked Concern won last year's Breeders' Cup Classic but the telling statistic is this: 17 times first, second or third in stakes races with only four wins. He won the Grade I Californian at Hollywood June 11, laying closer to the pace than usual. He tried Cigar twice this year in the Oaklawn Handicap and Pimlico Special and was third both times. Others in the race are: Best Pal, who has earned $5,556,895 with 16 stakes victories; Del Mar Dennis, fourth on the turf in the Hollywood Turf Handicap but a 5 1-2 length victor the previous race, the Grade II San Bernardino Handicap, April 2; Tinners Way, the last-born son of Secretariat, third to Concern in the Californian in his first start of 1995; Urgent Request (IRE), front-running winner of the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap over Best Pal but 27 1-2 lengths behind Cigar, Silver Goblin and Concern in the Oaklawn Handicap; Tossofthecoin, second to Concern in the Californian; Blumin Affair; and Meadow Flight.

Affirmed Handicap, 3yo, $125,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade III, Hollywood

Debutante Stakes, 2yo fillies, $75,000, 5 1-2 Furlongs, Churchill

Dwyer Stakes, 3yo, $150,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade II, Belmont

Ontario Matron H., 4&up (f&m), $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade IIC,

Woodbine Rockingham B.B.C., 3&up (f&m), $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Rockingham

Victoria Park Stakes, 3yo, $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade IIIC, Woodbine

MONDAY

Arlington Classic 3yo, $200,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Arlington

Colin Stakes, 2yo, $75,000, 6 Furlongs, Grade IIIC, Woodbine

TUESDAY

American Handicap, 3&up, $150,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Hollywood

Firecracker Stakes, 3&up, $100,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade III, Churchill

Fort McHenry Stakes, 3&up, $100,000, 1 1-4 Miles Turf, Laurel

Molly Pitcher H., 3&up (f&m), $150,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade II, Monmouth

Poker Stakes, 3&up, $75,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade III, Belmont

Stars and Stripes H., 3&up, $75,000, 1 3-16 Miles Turf, Grade III, Arlington

Stephen F. Austin Handicap,3&up, $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Retama

Suburban Handicap, 3&up, $350,00, 1 1-4 Miles, Grade I, Belmont