By ED GOLDEN

A New Year�s resolution for 1998 that will never come true, but could revive what is left of racing as we know and love it:

Wishing the National Thoroughbred Racing Association nothing but the best, but all the money, marketing, massaging and magic won�t bring racing close to what it once was (and never can be again because of simulcasting).

Neither will repetitively monotonous giveaways of T-shirts, mugs and umbrellas. Better to take $50,000 from the T-shirt budget, and, every time there is no pick six carryover, throw the 50 grand into the pick six pool. I�m no exotics devotee, but if pick six carryovers attract the gluttonous fans, then give it to �em.

Here�s what could return racing to a semblance of its glory days, and I�m not even charging a consultation fee: chop at least three weeks each from the Santa Anita and Hollywood Park racing dates. It�s basic high school economics. It�s the point of diminishing returns, or call it You Can�t Get Blood from a Stone 101. Ten percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing, and nothing is what will be left of racing if its continues on its greedy, live-for-today, to-hell-with-tomorrow path.

Racing has to regain significance, purpose, meaning, and not just on Kentucky Derby day or Breeders� Cup day. Racing in its purest form is exciting. It boasts animals of universal beauty, dedicated trainers, resourceful owners and courageous riders, who put their lives on the line each time they and their mounts stride regally onto the track.

More fans and more betting money would help resuscitate the game, and trying to increase the fan base to that end is noble. But more racing is not. In the most rudimentary of terms, if a person goes to the track with $100 to bet, whether there are three races or 30, that�s all he or she has to bet -- $100.

Racing�s powers and the beancounters in state capitals don�t seem to get it. Or if they do, they don�t want to acknowledge it. But everyone from chairman of the board to hot walker knows in his heart of hearts that horsemen, jockeys, horses and fans are suffering from battle fatigue, even though they are passionately committed to the war.

What will win that war is a major purge of racing dates, not just token elimination of a single race every weekday. The time to bite the bullet is long overdue .

Now who will be the first brave soul to step forward?

Don�t hold your breath.

GOLDEN PICKS

FAIR MIMS -- Favors Arcadia oval and is competitive at $20,000 level.

FREGY�S -- South American invader ran too good to lose at 15-1 in U.S. debut.

CELSIUS -- Showed speed in debut but was a tad short. Won�t be maiden long at $32,000 level.

HOGANS ALLEY -- In hunt throughout before fading late. Should find a field he can handle in turf route.

I�M HISTORY -- Rallied six wide for second. Consistent filly just needs a clean trip versus $20,000 types.

R BOUNTY -- Rapid filly won with speed in reserve for clever Cliff Sise in first route try, should extend unbeaten streak to three next out.

THE HOMESTRETCH: Full fields were the welcome norm during the first four days of Santa Anita�s 85-day session, and racing secretary Tom Knust was hopeful they could be maintained. "Weather will have a lot to do with it," Knust said. "During a normal winter meet, if we have good weather, we have the horses. We have a lot of horses coming back from layoffs right now, so the horse population is really solid. The weather will dictate what happens the rest of the meet. We know we�re going to get rain. It�s just a matter of how much and when we get it." On drawing a major horse from the east for the March 7 Santa Anita Handicap: "I do know that Sonny Hine is thinking about bringing Skip Away," Knust said. "I talked to Sonny about two weeks ago and he definitely has the Big �Cap under consideration. It�s a matter of timing and how his horse is doing. Last year, it didn�t seem like we had very much chance, but this year, Hine seems like he�s really contemplating the race." . . . Think Laffit Pincay is headed north soon? Of 100 horses entered on opening day, Pincay was named on only three. Two were scratched . . . Despite a published headline that said Darrell Vienna will "give up his law practice," the 51-year-old trainer says he definitely will continue to barrister, but restrict his efforts to the most challenging causes. "I�m going to re-focus the practice on cases that I only really want to do rather than take every horse-related case that comes in," Vienna said. "I�m going to take cases that look very, very difficult to prevail in. I don�t want to take cases for jockeys appealing suspensions. I�ve done that. I don�t want to have my whole life tied up in it like it is right now, because I�ve got too many things going on. I�m still going to practice, but it will be much more limited and I�ll be much more selective. I will take racing cases in which I think there�s something to prove." Vienna has a number of thoroughbred imports purchased in England, "all training really well. I�ve got about 25 new shooters that nobody�s even seen yet." Vienna already has won with Elakik and still likes Marran, who faded after leading in Elakik�s race. "And I don�t think either is the top end of what we�re running," Vienna added . . . Bob Baffert says Silver Charm would have beaten Lord Grillo in the Malibu Stakes if he had clear sailing. "Needing the race (his first since the Belmont), he was going to be vulnerable," Baffert said of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, "but I thought he would beat them anyway. He would have with a clear trip. He was short, but this isn�t the end of his career. It�s the start of a long career. At least he ran second. He could have run fifth or sixth. But when we go two turns, it�ll be a different story. He�ll have enough time to circle around and get a position. It�ll be Silver Charm and Lord Grillo in the San Fernando." Baffert on Santa Anita�s opening-day on-track crowd of 39,480, who wagered an opening-day record $18,091,169: "It was great to see them out here. I watched the races as a fan." A three-day break in racing, ideal weather, the traditional calendar giveaway, and heavy promotion of Silver Charm�s return accounted for the big numbers . . . Free House co-owner John Toffan says the Santa Anita Derby winner will make his comeback in the 1 1/8-mile Strub Stakes on Feb. 7. "The San Fernando (Jan. 17) is just too close and we lost too much training time due to bad weather," Toffan said. "I don�t know if we can find a race for him before the Strub. They�re not going to write races for him, and he�s out of conditions. It�s tough to come back going a mile-and-an-eighth, but I don�t think he�ll be ready for the 1 1/16-mile San Fernando. We�ll have to treat the $500,000 Strub as a prep for the $1 million Big �Cap."