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

SEE THE ROLLING STONES FOR $1

Want to see the Rolling Stones concert in St. Louis Dec. 12 and you only have $1? Hollywood Park will simulcast the Stones' 'Bridges to Babylon' tour to the track beginning at 7 p.m. As part of its 'Friday Night Fever' promotion, beer, soda and hot dogs are just a $1. Mick Jagger will have to pay full price, though, admission is $1 for anyone UNDER 30 years old. Gates open at 5 p.m. and post time for the eight live races is at 7 p.m. The Rolling Stones tribute band, Sticky Fingers, will play live at Hollywood's Longshots Sports Bar following the concert.

ABC SPORTS TO TELEVISE SEVEN RACES IN 1998

ABC Sports will broadcast seven three-year-old races on five telecasts in 1998, starting with with the Florida Derby from Gulfstream Park on March 14. The Wood Memorial Stakes from Aqueduct, Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn Park and Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes will all be shown on April 11--the Wood and Arkansas Derby live. ABC Sports will once again televise the Triple Crown, the May 2 Kentucky Derby, May 16 Preakness Stakes and June 6 Belmont Stakes.

NO NEW GRADE I RACES IN 1998

There will be no new Grade I races in 1998, but 15 races have been moved from Grade III to Grade II with 15 previously ungraded races receiving Grade III status. Churchill Downs has eight stakes being upgraded, with Santa Anita next at five, Belmont Park with four, Gulfstream and Saratoga three each, Hollywood Park with two, and Bay Meadows, Calder, Hawthorne, Aqueduct and Keeneland one each.

Wilson Shirley, the director of information services for the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), said the names of the North American stakes being downgraded for 1998 would be released after their host tracks had been notified. The committee consists of five members of TOBA plus seven racing officials, met on Dec. 8 in Lexington, Ky.

U.S. JOCKEYS COMPETE IN PERU

Panamanian Laffit Pincay Jr. and Peruvian natives Edgar Prado, Jorge Chavez and Julio Pezua represented the U.S. in an international riders' competition, organized by the Peruvian Thoroughbred Owners Association, Monday, Dec. 8, at Monterrico in Lima. A group of 12 jockeys from the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru participated in the three-race event.

Juan Jose Paule of Argentina and Peruvian Edwin Talaverano tied for the lead with Brazilians Jorge Ricardo and Gabriel Meneses tied with another local jockey, David Cora, for third.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED WARNS THREATENS BRITISH DEPARTURE

Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum warned that he and his brothers will pull out of British racing soon and race in Australia, Japan or the U.S. unless there are dramatic changes in the way the sport is financed. His comments were contained in a speech delivered to the annual Gimcrack dinner at York by his advisor, Michael Osborne. 'All that my brothers and I seek to do is to highlight the economic unrealities of racing and to concentrate people's minds as to the inevitable consequences,' he said.

Referring to the percentage of costs recoverable through prize money in 40 countries worldwide, he said, 'Britain ranks 35th, a desperate plight for a nation with the finest racing in the world. Can someone please explain to me how it is that owners would be better off racing in Poland, Mauritius or Greece rather than the birthplace and home of Thoroughbred racing?' He said the the sole concern of bookmakers was 'to squeeze every last pound for their own selfish interests.' He also blamed the government for taking more money from the sport than was justifiable.

Dec. 13, 1986: Jockey Kent Desormeaux had his first career stakes win, aboard Godbey, in the Maryland City Handicap at Laurel.
Dec. 15, 1973: Sandy Hawley became the first jockey in history to win 500 races in a single year when he rode Charlie Jr. to victory in the third race at Laurel.
Dec. 17, 1936: Crooner Bing Crosby announced plans to construct a new racetrack, to be called the Del Mar Turf Club. Dec. 17, 1993: Fire destroyed the 122-year-old grandstand of Fair Grounds, the nation's third-oldest racetrack.
Dec. 18, 1983: Hollywood Park held the first $1 million race for two-year-old Thoroughbreds, the Hollywood Futurity, which was won by Fali Time, ridden by Sandy Hawley.
Dec. 18, 1992: Tampa Bay began using Equibase Company past-performance information in its official track program, which enabled Equibase Company to cap its first year of operation with 25 subscribers using its past-performance data for live race meets.
Dec. 20, 1987: D. Wayne Lukas-trained Tejano became the first juvenile millionaire when he won the Hollywood Futurity with Laffit Pincay Jr. aboard.

Dec. 13, Racehorse Digest, 5:30-6:00 a.m., ESPN
Dec. 17, Racehorse Digest, 3:30-4:00 p.m., ESPN
Dec. 18, Racehorse Digest, 3:30-4:00 a.m., ESPN
Dec. 20, Racehorse Digest, 5:30-6:00 a.m., ESPN

Hollywood Starlet Stakes, 2yo fillies, $150,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade I, Hollywood Park.
Career Collection, winner of four of seven career starts, and second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, heads the field. The field is also expected to include multiple graded stakes winner Love Lock, the only filly to defeat Breeders' Cup winner Countess Diana, and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies fourth-place finisher Marie J.

Boca Raton Stakes, 2yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Calder

Illinois Breeders' Debutante Stakes, 2yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Hawthorne

Louisiana Champions Day, seven races for Louisiana-breds at the Fair Grounds

Paradise Mile Handicap, 3&up, $75,000, 1 Mile Turf, Turf Paradise

Past Forgetting Handicap, 3yo fillies, $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Hollywood Park

Queens County Handicap, 3&up, $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade III, Aqueduct

What a Pleasure Stakes, 2yo, $100,000g, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade III, Calder

Hollywood Futurity, 2yo, $250,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade I, Hollywood Park
Three runners from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Nationalore, Johnbill and Double Honor, are expected for the Hollywood Futurity, the last Grade 1 race for two-year-olds in the United States this year. Nationalore, who has not won any of his nine career races, came from nearly 15 lengths back to run third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He has only been worse than third once. Bob Baffert sends out Johnbill, who was fifth in the Juvenile in his first stakes start; Double Honor, winner of Monmouth Park's Sapling Stakes, and sixth-place finisher in the Juvenile, is also expected to run. Others include: Real Quiet, third in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs; and Artax, who broke his maiden by nine lengths Nov. 16 at Hollywood Park.

Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes, 3&up, $500,000, 1 1/2 Miles Turf, Grade I, Hollywood Park
Eight-year-old Sandpit (BRZ) will be making the final start of his seven-year career. He has raced on four continents, with 14 wins and $3,782,597 in earnings. He has dropped six straight races, though, since opening the year with a win in the the Grade II San Marcos Handicap at Santa Anita. Four starters from the Breeders' Cup Turf will run: Flag Down (third), Big Sky Chester (fifth), Rajpoute (FR) (sixth) and Awad (ninth). Also expected is Prize Giving (GB), winner of the Political Ambition Handicap Nov. 22 at Hollywood Park.

Dahlia Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Grade II, Hollywood Park