By ED GOLDEN

If there is no agreement on a new contract between Thoroughbred Racing Association member tracks and the Jockeys� Guild by Dec. 31, and the riders go on strike, Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye is just as likely to be riding as usual as he is to be walking a picket line.

"If the same issues are involved as three years ago and the Guild hasn�t resolved anything, I�ll continue to ride," said Delahoussaye, who quit the Guild two years ago.

"But if the issues we�re seeking to resolve were (to be) handled properly and legally, I would back the riders 100 percent," the 46-year-old native of New Iberia, Louisiana, said. "But if the issues aren�t properly researched, then no, I wouldn�t back them."

Delahoussaye said he resigned from the Guild "because I think it can be managed a lot better than what it is. I think they�re behind the times and ought to change their rules on some topics, and maybe they are -- I haven�t been to any meetings.

"But before I did quit, I researched a lot of stuff and I didn�t like what I found. There were things I thought could have been done better by (Guild) management, such as the insurance policies, for example.

"The jocks have no IRA�s (Individual Retirement Account), yet (national manager of the Guild) John Giovanni and Guild representatives have retirement plans. But the rank and file jocks who comprise the Guild have no retirement plans, so there�s something wrong there . . . I just think they should have had something better than what they have. They don�t have anything still, to this day."

Delahoussaye admitted that since he has been critical of the Guild, he has been asked why he didn�t remain a Guild member and taken an active part in forming policies. He cited his lack of executive and administrative skills, opting to leave the driving to more erudite individuals.

"I back the riders 100 percent if the Guild goes through the right channels and presents the issues in the right way," Delahoussaye affirmed. "But the Guild can�t present itself like it did before, not knowing there was a loophole for the TRA. That jeopardized everybody."

Delahoussaye was referring to 1994, when TRA member tracks planned to replace any striking jockeys with exercise riders and others who did not honor the Guild�s stance.

Meanwhile, in my column in Gaming Today�s editions of Nov. 25-Dec. 1, Guild president Gary Stevens was not optimistic of a settlement by the Dec. 31 deadline. He was hopeful, however, that progress would be made at the Guild�s annual convention at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Stay tuned.

GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE -- Could not save ground from outside post and jock and horse seemed to lose interest. Deserves another chance against claiming maidens.

SAVE THE MONEY -- Ran winning race in defeat. Similar effort versus $40,000 sprinters should be good enough.

THE HOMESTRETCH: Hollywood Park, which had hoped to build off a smashing 51,000-plus on-track attendance on Breeders� Cup day four days into the meet, instead is taking an El Nino hit. "It�s been frustrating and depressing," said vice president of marketing and publicity Rick Baedeker. "It was pouring rain all last night (Friday, Dec. 5), so instead of 13,000 (fans), we had 5,000 (5,511). And it wasn�t much better on Saturday (7,361)." Still, thanks to the Breeders� Cup, there were increases in total handle and attendance. "We�re still up about six percent in attendance and 25 percent in handle," Baedeker said. "But we had hoped to have residual benefits after the Breeders� Cup, and with this weather, it�s not happening, and that�s unfortunate. We had the best laid plans, but there�s nothing you can do about Mother Nature." . . . Grand Slam, winner of three of his four starts including the Belmont Futurity and the Champagne Stakes before suffering severe cuts on his left hind leg in the Breeders� Cup Futurity, is expected to make it back to the races, trainer D. Wayne Lukas says. "He�s beyond what we�d hoped for at this point," Lukas said of the son of Gone West, who is recovering at Westerly Stud.. "He didn�t get any infection, no swelling. The stitches are almost all out and we�re very optimistic." . . . Bob Baffert, sans paparazzi, can�t wait for Silver Charm�s return in the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. "He�s better than ever," the white-haired wonder gushed of his Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner . . . Matt Garcia takes little credit for his present ranking among Hollywood�s leading riders. "Horses," the 27-year-old San Jose native responded, when asked the reason for his "overnight" success. "I�m the same person I was 10 years ago and I�ve been riding the same way since I started. I�m just more conscious of what�s happening around me and more aware out on the track." Does this mean he gets more respect from his fellow riders, some of whom have been critical of his riding tactics? "I don�t know. I just think they�re used to me." Matt�s business is handled by former trainer Gary Stute, son of trainer Mel Stute, who�s mellower than the oldest bottle of wine in the Napa Valley. "Gary and I are doing well together," Garcia said. "He�s very personable and fun to be around. He�s a great person and a great agent." . . . Pacificbounty, who missed the Triple Crown and has been out since early spring with a myriad of injuries, had his first workout since returning to the track for Walter Greenman, going three furlongs in :37 4/5 at Santa Anita . . . Games agents play: Scott McClellan, who handles business for Chris McCarron and Alex Solis, once had stakes mounts booked for his riders in a New York race, but knew of an open horse and, nice guy that he is, tried to contact fellow agent Jim Pegram, who had Pat Valenzuela at the time. But the corpulent Pegram, who was then and still is no lightweight, could not be located. "I asked everyone where Pegram was," McClellan says, "and somebody told me he was at the gym. Believe me, that�s the last place I would have looked."