SUFFOLK DOWNS SOLD TO PARTNERSHIP

Suffolk Downs, in East Boston, Mass., has been sold for a reported $40 million to James B. Moseley and John Hall, who head a partnership which reopened the track in 1992, by a group headed by Edward G. 'Buddy' Leroux. The purchase price includes the assumption of a $10- million mortgage. Moseley and Hall have leased the track from Leroux since its reopening.

The sale removes an obstacle to casino gambling at Suffolk Downs, as Leroux remains in bankruptcy proceedings. Also, one of his partners was convicted of fraud in an unrelated case. Both of those factors could prevent regulators from granting any license for casino gambling.

CHAMPAGNE MAKER TOASTS CORNELL'S EQUINE PROGRAM WITH $10,000

Champagne makers Moet & Chandon have presented a check for $10,000 to Dean Franklin M. Loew of Cornell University for use in its Equine Sports Medicine program. The donation is the result of a charity drive at Saratoga Racecourse and more than 50 participating area restaurants in which Cornell would receive $2 from each bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne purchased between July 26 and Aug. 27.

SARATOGA JOCKEYS MAKE CHARITY DONATION

On behalf of the Saratoga riding colony, jockey Julie Krone made a $1,500 donation to representatives of the Saratoga Center for the Family. The center helps fight child abuse in the region.

TRF WILL HOLD ANNUAL AUCTION SEPT. 14 AT BELMONT

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation will hold its annual Racing Memorabilia Auction Saturday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. at the trackside breakfast area of Belmont Park.

Approximately 60 items have been listed in the auction catalogue and there will be additions in coming weeks. There will be a tag sale after the auction. Items may be inspected starting at 9:15 a.m. Bids by mail will be accepted until midnight, Wednesday, Sept. 11 at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, P.O. Box 153, Albertson, N.Y. 11507. Parking and admission are free. For additional information, call (516) 294-4668 or (908) 957-0182.

MONMOUTH PARK HONORS ITS HORSEMEN

Monmouth Park, in Oceanport, N.J., has established the Virgil 'Buddy' Raines Distinguished Achievement Award to honor Monnouth's trainers and owners for 'professionalism, integrity and service to the sport.' The first winner, who will receive his award Sept. 2, Monmouth's closing day, is trainer J. Willard Thompson, leading trainer at the seaside oval from 1975-77. He has saddled more than 10, 000 horses in his career and has long been a fixture in New Jersey racing.

Raines has been training horses for 65 years, winning the 1962 Preakness with Greek Money. He is still winning at Monmouth, capturing the Sorority Stakes this year.

'We already honor horses at Monmouth Park with our Hall of Champions, ' said Hal Handel, chief operating officer for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. 'We thought we'd honor those horsemen who have contributed greatly to racing in general, and New Jersey racing in particular.'

BOY MAKING MIRACULOUS RECOVERY FROM BACKSTRETCH ACCIDENT

Nine-year-old Tommy White is making a miraculous recovery from skull injuries suffered when he was apparently kicked by a horse at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H., Aug. 19. White's mother Julie trains horses for her father at Rockingham. Ridgeof Demolition, a two-year- old walking in the barn area, became spooked after hearing ice rattling in a bucket and kicked out. He either kicked Tommy in the head or hit a board which struck him. Tommy was airlifted to New England Medical Center in Boston where a team of five surgeons tooke 3 1-2 hours to repair Tommy's skull. He has since regained all of his muscular and neurological functions, except speech, which is progressing quickly.

Ridgeof Demolition came back to win the Floyd Duncan Memorial Stakes at Rockingham, Aug. 25.

EMERALD'S $100,000 DERBY MAY BE WORTH MORE TO FANS THAN HORSES

When the $100,000 Eagle Hardware & Garden Derby is run at Emerald Downs, in Auburn, Wash., Sept. 1, the winning owner will receive $55, 000 but 10 fans chosen at random will get the chance to take home the whole pot if they can pick the top five finishers in correct order.

'The Derby is one of our biggest races of the year and this adds to the excitement of the day,' said Emerald's vice president, Ben Cambra. 'We are rooting for somebody to win it.'

DALLAS COWBOYS RIDE INTO SAN ANTONIO Six former members of the Dallas Cowboys: Drew Pearson, Tony Hill, Billy Joe Dupree, Ed 'Too Tall' Jones, Robert Newhouse and Jethro Pugh, will celebrate Labor Day, Sept. 2, at Retama Park in San Antonio, Tex. The first 4,000 fans attending the races Sept. 2 will receive a mini-football, and patrons are invited bring them or other memorabilia for autographs.

PARTY TIME TIMES 10 AT TURFWAY

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Turfway park, in Florence, Ky., is throwing a party on opening day, Sept. 7. Tens are wild at Turfway, with prizes to include $10 phone cards, a chance to win $10,000 and $1.10 hot dogs and Cokes. Fans who bring 10 bottle caps from 20 oz. Coca-Cola products will receive free admission and reserved seats. On the first four Fridays in September, patrons who vote for their all- time favorite Turfway Park performer can win $10 betting vouchers, John Eisenberg's book 'Lil E. Tee: The Longest Shot,' trips to Jonabell Farm with Steve Cauthen to see 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed, season passes to Turfway, parking vouchers and Kentucky Cup baseball caps.

RACING TO HISTORY

Aug. 30, 1981: Bill Shoemaker became the first jockey to win a $1 million race when he rode John Henry to a nose victory over The Bart in the inaugural Arlington Million at Arlington Park.

Aug. 31, 1955: In an East versus West showdown, Nashua, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, went wire-to-wire to defeat Swaps, ridden by Bill Shoemaker in a match race at Washington Park. Nashua's victory avenged his second-place finish, behind Swaps, in the 1955 Kentucky Derby.

Aug. 31, 1985: Angel Cordero Jr., 42, became the third rider in history-behind Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr.-to have his mounts earn $100 million.

Sept. 1, 1881: The Dwyer Brothers' three-year-old Hindoo won his 19th consecutive race, a purse event at Sheepshead Bay. His winning streak was snapped six days later in the September Handicap at Sheepshead, in which he finished third.

Sept. 1, 1924: A French colt, Epinard, headed the field for the first of three Internationals, of progressively longer distances, to be run at Belmont Park, Aqueduct and Latonia. Epinard finished second in the six-furlong race, which was witnessed by the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII.

Sept. 1, 1947: With a victory by Armed in the Washington Park Handicap, Calumet Farm became the first stable to surpass $1 million in annual earnings. Calumet led all owners for 1947, with total earnings of $1,402,436.

Sept. 2, 1901: Seven-year-old Ogden won two races in a single day at Coney Island.

Sept. 3, 1956: Swaps ended his racing career with a victory in the Washington Park Handicap at Washington Park. He was subsequently named Horse of the Year.

Sept. 3, 1956: Jockey John Longden surpassed Sir Gordon Richards's then-record number of wins when he rode Arrogate to victory in the Del Mar Handicap at Del Mar Racetrack to attain his 4,871st victory.

Sept. 3, 1960: Kelso, ridden for the first time by Eddie Arcaro, won the Jerome Handicap.

Sept. 4, 1920: Man o' War won the 1 5-8-mile Lawrence Realization Stakes at Belmont Park by 100 lengths, the largest winning margin in modern racing history. His time for the race, 2:40 4-5, shattered the world record by 6 4-5 seconds and was his fifth record-setting performance of that year.

Sept. 4, 1959: Allaire du Pont's two-year-old Kelso won his maiden race by 1 1-4 lengths at Atlantic City. The following year, Kelso was voted the first of his record five consecutive Horse of the Year titles.

Del Mar Handicap, 3&up, $250,000, 1 3-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Del Mar
The Del Mar Handicap is the second start of the year for Talloires, who earlier won the Grade I Caesars Palace Turf Championship at Hollywood Park. Windsharp defeated males earlier this year in the Grade I San Luis Rey Stakes and the Grade II San Luis Obispo Stakes. Dernier Empereur won the Escondido Handicap at Del Mar. Draco (IRE) won a listed stake at Del Mar last time out.

Hopeful Stakes, 2yo, $200,000, 7 Furlongs, Grade I, Saratoga
The Hopeful is one of the most famous races for two-year-olds and can often times put a colt on a path to the Triple Crown. Nobody has been able to catch Kelly Kip who is three-for-three lifetime. He won a pair of Grade III stakes, the Tremont and Sanford, by a combined 15 lengths. Smoke Glacken won the Tyro Stakes and the Grade II Sapling Stakes at Monmouth.

Isle of Capri Casino Alabama Derby, 3yo, $250,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade III, Louisiana Downs
The Alabama Derby is a prep for the Grade I Super Derby, Sept. 22. Victory Speech won a pair Grade II stakes on both coasts in the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood and the Dwyer Stakes at Belmont. Zarb's Magic won the Grade II Arkansas Derby over eventual Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone and beat Louisiana-breds last time over the track. The filly Vivace tries the boys after winning five stakes races at Louisiana Downs.

Col. R.S. McLaughlin Handicap, 3yo, $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade IIIC, Woodbine

Longfellow Handicap, 3&up, $100,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Monmouth

Chula Vista Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $300,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade II, Del Mar
The Chula Vista features the fleet Exotic Wood who was able to stretch out her speed to win the Grade I Go for Wand Stakes at Saratoga to run her career record to eight-for-nine. Different (ARG) is a champion in her native Argentina and won the Grade I Beverly Hills Handicap on grass in her last start. Borodislew won the Grade II Hawthorne Handicap this year at Hollywood and is the race's defending champion.

Diana Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $200,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Saratoga

Eagle Hardware & Garden Derby, 3yo, $100,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Emerald Ontario

Colleen Handicap, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade IIIC, Woodbine

Sussex Handicap, 3&up, $100,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Delaware

Del Mar Derby, 3yo, $300,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Del Mar
The Del Mar Derby is a wide open grass test. Ambivalent won the Grade III La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar last out. Matty G won an allowance on grass at Del Mar and last year's Grade I Hollywood Futurity on dirt. Optic Nerve won the Grade III Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont. Woodborough is a Group 3 stakes winner in Ireland. Rainbow Blues (IRE) and Mystic Knight (GB) have been unable to beat Group 1 horses in Europe.

Forego Handicap, 3&up, $150,000, 7 Furlongs, Grade II, Saratoga
The Forego features horses looking towards the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Last year's Eclipse champion, Not Surprising, won last year's Forego. Prospect Bay won the Grade II A Phenomenon Stakes at Saratoga in his last start. Lite the Fuse won the Grade II De Francis Dash. Kayrawan rallied to take the Grade II Tom Fool at Belmont. Top Account won last year's Grade II King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga.

Pennsylvania Derby, 3yo, $200,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade III, Philadelphia
The Pennsylvania Derby is the highlight of the Philadephia Park meeting. Prince of Thieves has been running with the best horses in the country. Undefeated Formal Gold is an emerging star after impressive allowance victories at Belmont and Monmouth. Devil's Honor is a multiple stakes winner and unbeaten at Philly Park.

Calder Breeders' Cup Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $150,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Calder

El Joven Stakes, 2yo, $100,000, 1 Mile Turf, Retama

Seneca Handicap, 3&up, $100,000, 1 5-8 Miles Turf, Grade III, Saratoga

Yearling Sales Stakes Day at Woodbine, six $100,000 races

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