News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by Thoroughbred Racing Communications, Inc. (TRC) (212.371.5911..)

FOREIGN COLTS HAVE KENTUCKY HOPES

With a seven-length win in Thursday's Atlanta Maiden Stakes at 1 1-4 miles over the all-weather track at England's Lingfield Park, Running Stag's next race may be in the April 12 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, with an eye towards the May 3 Kentucky Derby. Now owned by Derek Crowson, Running Stag failed to win in three tries on turf last year in France for Juddmonte Farms but has apparantly taken to his new home and a new racing surface.

'It's a bit of an adventure,' said trainer Philip Mitchell, 'but Running Stag is a lovely, big horse with plenty of speed.'

In Japan, Brave Tender won the Arlington Cup at Hanshin and is being pointed towards the Kentucky Derby. 'I look forward to heading to Churchill Downs with this horse,' said jockey Mikio Matsunaga.

FASIG-TIPTON CALDER SALE ENDS ON HIGH NOTE

The trend of increased prices for Thoroughbreds continued as the Fasig-Tipton Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale ended at Calder Tuesday. Prices were up 16 percent from 1996, topped by a $780,000 bid by television mogul Roger King for a son of Storm Cat. The top filly sold was a daughter of Gone West, who will go East, to Japan. She cost $600,000. Eight horses brought bids of more than 400,000, with an average of $120,635.

DEBARTOLO RACING CHALLENGE ANNOUNCED

DeBartolo Racing, which runs Thistledown in Cleveland, Ohio, Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. and Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., announced Thursday that it would provide a $1 million bonus to any horse that can sweep the major three-year-old races at its tracks. The series will consist of the June 22 Ohio Derby at Thistledown), the Aug. 10 Remington Park Derby and Sept. 28 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. A $300,000 participation bonus, open to horses who compete in all three races, will also be given.

BREEDERS' CUP FOAL NOMINATIONS SHOW A MARKED INCREASE

Breeders' Cup officials announced the greatest increase in foal nominations to the Breeders' Cup program in the past nine years, and an increase in stallion revenues from 174 new stallions in the program. A total of 11,959 foals sired by Breeders' Cup-nominated stallions were Breeders' Cup-registered in 1996. That represents a 13.4 percent increase over the previous year and is the highest number of foals nominated since 1987, when 12,183 foals were registered. Nominators paid $500 per foal, generating revenues of $5,979,500. Foals so nominated are eligible to the Breeders' Cup program for the duration of their racing careers.

Of the total number of foals nominated, 907 were sired by European Breeders' Fund stallions, who became eligible for the program through the new Breeders' Cup cross-registration agreement with the EBF, which was inaugurated in 1996.

'We are extremely pleased with the substantial increase in foal nominations this year,' said D. G. Van Clief Jr., Breeders' Cup president. 'The nomination of the European foals far exceeded our expectations. We will continue to build European nominations through an aggressive marketing campaign while maintaining our solid North American base.'

A total of 1,131 stallions were nominated for the 1997 breeding season, generating revenues of $6,178,662.45-an increase of 2.08 percent. That represents the highest revenue figure since 1992. Stallion nominations are made annually, based upon a fee equal to the stallion's advertised stud fee. Foals of nominated stallions are then eligible to be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program. Among this year's Breeders' Cup stallions are the newly nominated Cigar and Lit de Justice.

Revenues from foal and stallion nominations fund the purses and awards for the Breeders' Cup Championship races and the Breeders' Cup National Stakes program.

VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINALS TO NEW YORK TRACKS?

A bill to introduce video lottery terminals at racetracks in New York State was introduced Tuesday by Republican Assemblyman David Townsend, whose district includes the upstate Vernon Downs harness track as well as an Indian casino. Off-track betting parlors would not be eligible for the machines. The outlook for passage of the bill is not good, since both Senate Majority Leader, Republican Joseph Bruno, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, indicated that passage of the bill was unlikely. Slot machines are also illegal in New York, a problem Townsend hopes to circumvent by paying off winners with receipts rather than cash.

'I just don't blow away,' Townsend said. 'This is something I believe in. I believe in the racing industry in New York.'

Townsend's bill calls for a three-year experimental program of allowing all of New York's tracks to operate VLTs with wagers of a minimum of 25 cents and a maximum of $2. Payoffs would not exceed $500.

AUSTRALIAN BOOKMAKERS GO DECIMAL

Bookmakers in the Australian state of Victoria will switch to a fully decimalized odds display within the next 12 months. Prices in the results will read like tote odds and gone will be such exotic prices as 11-5. Victorian Bookmakers Association president Gavan Marantelli said, 'There are many people out there who have grown up with the TAB (track-run tote system) and they don't know how to place a bet with a bookie. They don't know the difference between 6-4 and 13-8 and they're afraid to ask.'

Apart from the decimal odds boards, which will allow bettors to make an instant comparison with the tote board, all bookmakers will be encouraged to use a computerized system that will issue printed tickets instead of the traditional crayon scrawl on a piece of cardboard.

RACING TO HISTORY

Feb. 28, 1957: John Longden became the first jockey in history to reach 5,000 victories.

March 1, 1969: Tuesdee Testa, 27, became the first female jockey to win a race at a major American Thoroughbred track when she won the third race at Santa Anita Park aboard Buz On.

March 1, 1991: Pat Day, 37, became the sixth rider in history whose mounts earned $100 million when he rode Wild Sierra to a second-place finish in the first race at Oaklawn Park.

March 2, 1940: Beaten by a nose in both the 1937 and 1938 Santa Anita Handicaps, Seabiscuit finally won the Big 'Cap in his final race. He retired the then-leading money-winning horse in the world.

March 2, 1966: Kelso, Horse of the Year 1960-64, ran his last race, finishing fourth at Hialeah Park.

March 3, 1966: Ogden Phipps' Buckpasser won the Flamingo Stakes by a nose, under the guidance of Bill Shoemaker. The colt was such a prohibitive favorite among the field of nine that the race was declared a non-wagering contest and was dubbed 'The Chicken Flamingo.'

March 3, 1985: Bill Shoemaker became the first jockey in history to win $100 million in purses after he won the Santa Anita Handicap aboard Lord at War (ARG).

March 3, 1993: Russell Baze had his 4,000th career win, with Frank Musso, at Golden Gate Fields.

March 5, 1988: Carl Gambardella had his 5,000th career winner, aboard John's Goldenapple, at Suffolk Downs.

RACING ON THE AIR

Feb. 27, Racehorse Digest 3:30-4:00 a.m. ESPN
March 1, Racehorse Digest 6:00-6:30 a.m. ESPN
March 2, Santa Anita Today 6:00-7:00 p.m. FOX Sports West Santa Anita Handicap, Santa Anita
March 4, Racehorse Digest 3:00-3:30 p.m. ESPN
March 6, Racehorse Digest 3:30-4:00 a.m. ESPN

Arcadia Handicap, 4&up, $150,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade II, Santa Anita
Multiple graded stakes winner Rainbow Blues meets Unfinished Symph, returning from an injury which has sidelined him since Sept. 1995, and Atticus, who has been running on dirt recently, finishing eighth in the 1996 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Gulfstream Park Handicap, 3&up, $500,000, 1 1-4 Miles, Grade I, Gulfstream
Skip Away makes his second start of 1997, facing six rivals. Skip Away finished second to Formal Gold in the Donn Handicap, Feb. 8, at Gulfstream. Victory Speech, who was beaten twice last year by Skip Away, in the Ohio Derby and Haskell Invitational Handicap, won the Grade I Strub Stakes, Feb. 2, at Santa Anita. Also entered are 1995 Kentucky Derby runner-up Tejano Run, and last year's Canadian Horse of the Year, Mt. Sassafras. Laughing Dan, Devil's Honor and Suave Prospect complete the field.

Southwest Stakes, 3yo, $100,000, 1 Mile, Grade III, Oaklawn

SANTA ANITA HANDICAP DAY AT SANTA ANITA
Buena Vista Handicap, 4&up (f&m), $125,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade II

San Carlos Handicap, 4&up, $150,000, 7 Furlongs, Grade II

San Rafael Stakes, 3yo, $200,000, 1 Mile, Grade II
Despite the defections of juvenile champion Boston Harbor, as well as Mud Route and Silver Charm, the San Farael features a possible Kentucky Derby contender in Hello (IRE), who won the Santa Catalina Stakes, Feb. 2, at Santa Anita, in his dirt debut.

Santa Anita Handicap, 4&up, $1,000,000, 1 1-4 Miles, Grade I
Five of the seven U.S. hopefuls for the $4 million Dubai World Cup, March 29, meet in the biggest race of 1997 thus far. Gentlemen (ARG) heads a trio of Richard Mandella-trained stakes winners, which includes Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup winner Siphon (BRZ) and turf specialist Sandpit (BRZ) (who is not a Dubai hopeful). Other Dubai nominees will contest the Big 'Cap, including: Formal Gold, who defeated three-year-old champion Skip Away, Feb. 8, in the Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park; multiple Grade I winner Marlin, who hasn't raced on dirt since finishing fifth in an allowance race Aug. 13, 1995, at Saratoga; and Editor's Note. Other probable entrants include: Chequer, Just Java, Kingdom Found, The Barking Shark and Zanferrier.

Palm Beach Stakes, 3yo, $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade III, Gulfstream

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