GOLDEN GLIMPSES #79

It will be nine months on Aug. 6 that there has been no simulcast signal from California race tracks to Nevada casinos. Sticking points in the deadlock have included percentage fees paid by the gaming establishments to the tracks, duration of the contracts, and rebates offered by casinos to preferred players.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, which begins its 43-day sun and fun romp on July 23, would be the third major Southern California track to withhold its signal during this fruitless gestation period. The stalemate began last Nov. 6 at Hollywood Park, and has run through Santa Anita's 86-day winter/spring meeting and the 66-day Hollywood Park session which concludes on Monday.

What seemed readily resolvable issues have developed into a complex can of worms that has camouflaged the original points of dispute and spawned finger-pointing, face-saving and legal action.

But Del Mar President Joe Harper and John Van De Kamp of the Thoroughbred Owners of California are cautiously hopeful there is light at the end of the tunnel and someone will soon blink, once again creating a win/win scenario for all parties.

"The NPMA (Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association) had two recent meetings," said Harper. "All I can tell you is that the atmosphere seems more productive on both ends and hopefully we can get this thing resolved. I don't know if we can or not, but we sure want it. I know Nevada sure wants it, and I know the TOC wants it, also. Many people here are much more actively involved than they have been."

Regarding the NPMA's legal action against Santa Anita for alleged contract violations, Harper said even though Del Mar had also signed a pact with the NPMA before the TOC interceded and nullified the simulcasts, that didn't mean the NPMA would take similar action against Del Mar. Fact is, Harper is bent on a solution, not a law suit.

"They sued Santa Anita," Harper said. "I don't know whether they're going to sue us or not. But I'm negotiating, I'm not suing," he added, chuckling. "Our contract is very clear. Actually, our contract is not the same as Santa Anita's. We have an agreement letter stating that Nevada was aware that they had to be authorized by the TOC. I don't think Santa Anita had that in the letter. I don't know that."

Harper said Nevada generated somewhere between $500,000 and $600,000 in daily handle for Del Mar last season, "a little more than Santa Anita and Hollywood . . . it's close to $600,000."

Van De Kamp is president and general counsel of the TOC, which has acted on behalf of horsemen in the dogged dispute with the NPMA, which represents the casinos.

"I know the Nevada Legislature passed a bill (Bill 318) on July 5 that would make rebates illegal," Van De Kamp said. "And I've been trying to stimulate dialogue between the NPMA and the tracks now for the last 50-60 days . . . any discussion is a positive step forward."

Despite encouraging signs, Harper was not naive enough to believe there would be an "overnight" settlement. "Sometimes," Harper said, "these things take a long time because there are so many people involved."

But as Confucius said: "The longest journey begins with the first step." So far, however, not in this case.

Maybe they should just flip a coin.

BRIGHT TITLE -- Useful mare ran too good to lose in $18,000 route, leading into stretch despite being pressed every yard for the lead.

COSMIC REEF -- Lost many lengths and trailed early with slow start, but made up ground with eye-catching rally to come within two lengths of lead turning for home before being shut off on fence at eighth pole and almost going down. En route to apparent victory at 8-1 before worst trip since Touch Gold's Preakness. Tab in turf route for $50,000 or higher.

THE HOMESTRETCH: Perhaps the July 10 election of friendly Bob Lewis as Chairman of the Board of the TOC will spur resolution of the simulcast stalemate. The extroverted Lewis, who along with his wife, Beverly, owns Silver Charm, succeeds Ed Friendly. Van De Kamp describes Lewis as "the embodiment of the owner who cares about the welfare of the sport and the people in it." Meanwhile, Hollywood GM Eual Wyatt Jr. sees little if any progress. "We haven't had any movement," he said. "We just keep going back and forth. I don't know where it stands, frankly." . . . Trainer David Hofmans wasn't thrilled with Touch Gold's five-furlong drill in 1:04 1/5 on Wednesday, but he still plans to run at Monmouth on Aug. 3. "He worked a little slower than I thought," Hofmans said of the Belmont winner, "but I missed some time with him, so he was tired. We're going to the Haskell. The only thing that would slow us down would be the foot (quarter crack on his left fore), but I think we're OK. We patched it before the work." Hofmans plans to work the son of Deputy Minister "twice, maybe three times," before leaving for Monmouth . . . Bob Baffert, meanwhile, will ship Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm to the Haskell the week of the race. Silver Charm worked five furlongs Saturday at Santa Anita in :59 3/5, with Gary Stevens aboard. Stevens was expected to resume riding Wednesday following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on June 30 . . . Pacificbounty, a longshot Triple Crown candidate before a hoof problem knocked him out of the Derby, is recovering at San Luis Rey Downs from a slight fracture to his left knee. "We put a pin in the knee and he's doing some swimming there,' said trainer Walter Greenman. "It'll be six months before he's back in training." . . . Move over Mike Tyson: An ugly scene took place in the racing office recently, when clerk of scales Charlie McCaul and Carole Gil, secretary of racing secretary Martin Panza, tangled in an arm-biting, face-slapping, hair-pulling tussle. According to one eye-witness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the incident started after McCaul took one of Gil's tissues--apparently the last one -- from her tissue box, and after blowing his nose, accidentally hit her with the tissue while attempting to toss it in a trash can. An exchange of words, including "no class" and "bleeping mad cow" -- led to a slap by Gil to McCaul's face, knocking off his glasses, and retaliatory hair-pulling by McCaul on Gil, who, ala Tyson, bit McCaul on his right forearm in the ongoing battle. Reportedly, each combatant was suspended two days without pay by Hollywood Park . . . Santa Anita's backstretch will be closed for renovations from July 23 to Sept. 8.

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