THIS WIN INCLUDED A VICTORY SWIM

When Dancing for Beans won the Puss N Boots Stakes at Fort Erie Racecourse in Fort Erie, Ont., Monday, owner Robert Elkins posed for photos in the winner's circle and answered a slew of questions from the media. Then he said,'Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I have something to do now.'

With that, he walked across the track to the infield lake and jumped in. When he came out, soaking wet, he laughed and said, 'This is the greatest feeling in the world! Everyone should own a winning racehorse!'

Elkins' swim in the lake actually has some history behind it. In 1962 the racehorse Puss N Boots was entered in a race at Fort Erie. Turning for home, Puss N Boots, the favorite, had a clear lead. Just before the wire, jockey Ronnie Behrens hit the horse right-handed, causing Puss N Boots to veer to the left. Spotting a hole on the inside hedge, Puss N Boots drove through it and galloped toward the infield lake.

Behrens bailed out. About the same time, Puss N Boots tried unsuccessfully to stop and slid into the lake in a sitting position. Once in, Puss N Boots went for a swim. A long swim. Not until track maintenance workers rowed out in a boat 40 minutes later did Puss N Boots return safely to shore.

Mike Robitaille, the general manager of Fort Erie, was thrilled with the widespread television coverage of Elkins' dip, but quickly added, 'I just hope he hasn't started a new tradition.'

ANTI-GAMBLING BACKLASH IN ARKANSAS

The effort by Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs, Ark., to develop an on-site casino has drawn the wrath of Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who says he will vote for an anti-gambling amendment, which, if passed in November, would shut down Oaklawn and the Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis.

Huckabee acknowledged the state collected more than $3.6 million in taxes from horse racing last year and another $3.5 million from dog racing, plus $221,607 in charity money, but said he is unhappy about Oaklawn's proposed gambling amendment to get slots and other types of betting at the track. The governor said he would find other sources to make up the revenues lost from racing.

A spokesman from Oaklawn observed that the track provides 4,000 jobs directly or indirectly and added, 'I don't think we've ever had a situation in Arkansas where we have Arkansans voting on whether other Arkansans should be put out of work.'

TRINITY MEADOWS CLOSES ITS DOORS -- FOR GOOD?

Trinity Meadows Racetrack, located in Willow Park, between Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, closed suddenly last week, a month earlier than scheduled. According to a Texas Racing Commission spokesman, the track is not expected to reopen for its Thoroughbred meet, scheduled for Oct. 4 through Dec. 8, 1996. The track closed Tuesday, Aug. 6, five years after parimutuel wagering returned to Texas for the first time in 60 years. More than 350 employees were affected by the closing. A track representative cited competition from nearby simulcast facilities, which caused a 40 percent decline in parimutuel handle at the track. Horsemen received no advance warning of the closure, and were given only three days to get nearly 1,000 horses off the grounds.

ARLINGTON, UNABLE TO REDUCE RACE DAYS, LOWERS PURSES 20 PERCENT

The Illinois Racing Board voted unanimously Tuesday, Aug. 13 that Arlington International Racecourse, Arlington Heights, Ill., must race six days, not five as the track had hoped. Arlington had requested that the change take effect immediately and remain in place for the remainder of the meet, which concludes Oct. 13. On Aug. 14, Arlington Racing Secretary Frank Gabriel Jr. announced that Arlington will slash its stakes and overnight purses by 20 percent starting on Saturday.

The proposal to race a five-day schedule won the support of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, but the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association was in opposition because of a projected loss of $150,000-$300,000 in simulcast revenue at Sportsman's Park and Balmoral Park. Arlington's premier race, the Arlington Million Stakes, to run on Aug. 25, will not be affected by the cuts.

SARATOGA GOES TO THE DOGS TUESDAY

One of the track's most popular summer events, the annual Saratoga Pet Parade for Dogs Only, will be held Tuesday, Aug. 20 in the paddock at Saratoga Racecourse, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., beginning at 12:30 p.m. The event is an opportunity for those in the upstate New York racing community to have some fun for a good cause; proceeds from the show benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Jockeys, trainers, owners and track employees enter their outrageously costumed dogs according to an annual theme. This year's motif is the Olympics. Judging this year's show will be jockey Julie Krone, jockey-turned-trainer Angel Cordero Jr. and Ed Seigenfeld of Triple Crown Productions. The grand prize winner will receive a Calvin Klein shopping bag filled with donated goodies. All entries are winners, according to event coordinator Elinore Penna.

'We usually have about 100 dogs entered in the show, so we plan to have 100 winners,' she explained. Some of the judging categories are: 'the dog who looks most like his or her owner,' 'most beautiful legs,' and 'most athletic.' 'We make up some of the categories as we go,' explained Penna.

Penna's favorite costume was last year's winner. Trainer Jonathan Sheppard and his wife, Cathy, staged a remake of Julie Krone's wedding, with dogs filling in for the bride and groom. 'That was wonderful,' recalled Penna. 'They had a chihuahua as Julie and an Afghan hound as Matt (the groom), which was fitting as Matt is so tall compared to Julie. They also had all of the wedding attendants and Marylou Whitney as a guest of honor. It was terrific.'

There is a $15 entry fee per dog. Spectators are asked to make a donation to the TRF, which provides permanent homes for retired Thoroughbred racehorses.

GUESS WHEN ROMERO REACHES 4,000, WIN A SKY BOX FOR THE DAY

Patrons at Arlington International Racecourse who can correctly guess which horse jockey Randy Romero will ride to his 4,000th victory can win a day in one of the track's luxurious Sky Suites. Romero is just three wins away from victory number 4,000 and has five mounts on Thursday's race card at the Arlington Heights, Ill., racetrack.

Every patron who enters the track will receive a printed form with Romero's daily mounts listed. Patrons must write in the name of the horse Romero will ride to the milestone. All those who correctly choose the winning horse will win two Breakfast at Arlington coupons. They will then be entered into a drawing for the use of a Sky Suite for a day. The winner will receive a complimentary luncheon, dessert and soft drinks for 10 of their nearest and dearest friends. The contest will continue until Romero reaches the milestone.

SOCIALITE MARYLOU WHITNEY TO WED

Marylou Whitney, the Saratoga socialite and widow of C.V. 'Sonny' Whitney, hasn't set a date, but has confirmed that she will marry John Hendrickson, a native of Alaska. According to a report in the Lexington (KY.) Herald-Leader, Whitney is 70 and Hendrickson is 'thirty-something.'

Said Hendrickson: 'She's the youngest person I've ever dated -- in spirit. It doesn't bother me and it shouldn't bother anyone else.'

Hendrickson, a former assistant to Gov. Walter Hickel, recently became a vice president of Whitney Industries.

RACING ON THE AIR

Aug. 15 'Racehorse Digest' 2:30-3:00 a.m. ESPN
Aug. 17 'Racehorse Digest' 6:00-6:30 a.m. ESPN
Aug. 17 Sapling Stakes, Monmouth, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Sportschannel New York
Aug. 20 'Racehorse Digest' 3:30-4:00 p.m. ESPN
Aug. 22 'Racehorse Digest' 2:30-3:00 a.m. ESPN
Aug. 24 Travers Stakes, Saratoga, (live) 3:30-6:00 p.m., ABC's Wide World of Sports
Aug. 24 Beverly D Stakes, Arlington, Travers Stakes (recap) Saratoga, 6:00-7:00 p.m., ESPN
Aug. 25 Arlington Million, Arlington, Iselin Handicap, Monmouth, 6:00-7:00 p.m. ESPN

RACING TO HISTORY

Aug. 15, 1972: The 15-race winning streak of England's Brigadier Gerard was ended by John Galbreath's American-bred Roberto, ridden to a three-length victory by Braulio Baeza in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at York Racecourse. Brigadier Gerard, who finished second in the Gold Cup, went on to post two more victories before retiring with a record of 18-17-1-0.

Aug. 15, 1987: Kent Desormeaux began his career as a journeyman jockey.

Aug. 16, 1930: Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox was beaten by 110-1 shot Jim Dandy in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

Aug. 16, 1954: Native Dancer concluded his 22-race career with a victory in the Oneonta Handicap, a non-betting exhibition race at Saratoga Racecourse that he won by nine lengths while carrying 137 pounds. Although he raced only three times in 1954, Native Dancer was subsequently voted Horse of the Year, partly because he had been denied that honor in the previous year, despite having won nine of 10 races, all of them stakes. Tom Fool, 1953 Horse of the Year, had had a perfect 10-for-10 record.

Aug. 16, 1965: John Longden rode his 6,000th winner, riding Prince Scorpion to victory while at Exhibition Park.

Aug. 16, 1972: Secretariat won his first stakes race, the Sanford Stakes, at Saratoga Racecourse. The time for the six-furlong race was 1:10, the fastest time of the Saratoga meet that year.

Aug. 17, 1977: Jockey Steve Cauthen rode Affirmed for the first time, winning the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse by 2 3-4 lengths.

Aug. 18, 1961: Trainer Dale Baird saddled his first winner, New York, at Ellis Park.

Aug. 19, 1978: In the conclusion of their 10-race rivalry, Alydar scored his third 'success' against Affirmed in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse, when his adversary was disqualified from first place.

Aug. 19, 1990: Jockey Earlie Fires became the eleventh rider in Thoroughbred racing history to win 5,000 victories when he guided Tex's Zing to victory in the ninth race at Arlington International Racecourse. He joined history-making jockeys Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay Jr., Angel Cordero Jr., John Longden, Jorge Velasquez, Larry Snyder, Sandy Hawley, Dave Gall, Carl Gambardella and Chris McCarron.

Aug. 20, 1966: Ogden Phipps' Buckpasser, ridden by Braulio Baeza, became racing's first three-year-old millionaire after he won the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

Aug. 22, 1972: In preparation for his next start, the Aug. 26 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, Secretariat worked a half-mile in :46 2-5.

Aug. 23, 1956: Carl Gambardella had his first career winner, aboard Rollin Warm, at Hagerstown.

Aug. 23, 1974: Frank Whiteley-trained Ruffian won the Spinaway Stakes by 13 lengths at Saratoga Racecourse, ending her two-year-old season with a 5-for-5 record. Ruffian was subsequently voted champion juvenile filly of 1974.

Aug. 24, 1968: Carrying 134 pounds, Dr. Fager set the world record for a mile in the Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park. The time for his 10-length victory was 1:32 1-5. The previous record was 1:32 3-5, set by 3-year-old Buckpasser on June 25, 1966 at Arlington Park.

Aug. 24, 1989: Jockey Larry Snyder won his 6,000th career race, aboard a filly named Speedski, in the first race at Louisiana Downs. Snyder was the sixth rider in history to accomplish that feat.

Aug. 25, 1987: Julie Krone won her 1,000th career victory, aboard Tiger Higgins in the second race at Monmouth Park.

Aug. 26, 1972: Secretariat won the Hopeful Stakes by five lengths at Saratoga Racecourse, for his second stakes win in as many tries.

Aug. 28, 1988: After riding Precisionist in the Cabrillo Handicap at Del Mar Racetrack, 33-year-old Chris McCarron became the fifth jockey to surpass $100 million in career earnings.

Alabama Stakes, 3yo fillies, $250,000, 1 1-4 miles, Grade I, Saratoga
My Flag will be the race favorite in the Alabama at Saratoga. She won the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks last time at Belmont at 1 1-4 miles and also has Grade I victories in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Ashland Stakes to her credit. Listening won the Grade I Hollywood Oaks last time out in her first major stakes test. Yanks Music won the Grade I Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont with a late rally.

Pat O'Brien Handicap, 3 and up, $100,000, 7 furlongs, Grade III, Del Mar
The Pat O'Brien features Lit de Justice, the defending champion in the race who also won the Grade III Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar. Alphabet Soup won the Grade II San Antonio Handicap in February at Santa Anita and hasn't run since finishing off the board in the Big Cap in March. Gold Land won last year's Bing Crosby and was third in this year's running.

Ballerina Handicap 3 and up (fillies and mares), $150,000, 7 furlongs, Grade I, Saratoga
The Ballerina features a group of consistent, speedy and classy fillies. Capote Belle is an emerging superstar after her stakes record-tying victory in the Grade I Test Stakes at Saratoga, and she has won four straight sprints. She also won the Grade II Prioress at Belmont. Twist Afleet won the 1994 Test Stakes and six of her last seven starts, including the Grade III Honorable Miss Stakes earlier in the Saratoga meeting. Chaposa Springs won the 1995 Test Stakes and ships up from Florida with a five-race win streak. D. Wayne Lukas may choose to enter one of his two champion fillies, Serena's Song or Golden Attraction.

Del Mar Oaks, 3yo fillies, $250,000, 1 1-8 miles (turf), Grade I, Del Mar
The Del Mar Oaks is the first Grade I grass stakes of the year for three-year-old fillies. Antespend won the Grade III Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood on grass and is a multiple Grade I stakes winner on dirt. True Flare won the Grade II San Clemente at Del Mar. Gastronomical is a multiple stakes winner on grass. Moody's Cat finished fifth in the Group I English Oaks in her last start. Paranomelody is a stakes winner in France and Hilary is stakes placed in France.

Longacres Mile, 3 and up, $200,000, 1 mile, Grade III, Emerald
The Longacres Mile is being revived during Emerald Downs' inaugural meeting and is the new track's showcase stakes race. Gold and Steel is a graded stakes winner on grass and is stakes-placed on dirt. Cleante (ARG) won the Grade II Bel Air Handicap last month at Hollywood. Final Act won the Budweiser Emerald Handicap last month.

The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com/alauck)