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

CNN TO PROFILE THE STORY OF THE TWO SERENA'S SONGS SATURDAY
The heartwarming story of Serena's Song the filly and Serena's Song the hot-air balloon, will be told on CNN's 'Sporting Life' hosted by Jim Huber on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Unknown to each other at the start, the horse and her owners, Bob and Beverly Lewis, now help keep the balloon -- the only handicapped-accessible balloon in the world -- aloft with their financial support.

BREEDERS' CUP GOES ON-LINE
The Breeders' Cup has taken out a 'home page' on The Jockey Club-AQHA web site, http:(slash, slash)www.equineonline.com(slash)breederscup. The site debuted Oct. 2 and features Breeders' Cup trivia, history, points, past winners, future sites, race schedules, facts and figures, leading sires and breeders, future book odds from linesmaker Roxy Roxborough, trainer and jockey statistics, Breeders' Cup Pick-7 wagering information, a directory of information for visitors to Belmont and its surrounding area plus an assortment of notes and news about the Oct. 28 Championship Day at Belmont Park. Pre-race news, in the form of 'Racing to the Breeders' Cup' notes and a section on the Oct. 7 Breeders' Cup Preview Day at Belmont, appears on the site as well. When the Breeders' Cup pre-entries are announced on Wednesday, Oct. 18, the Breeders' Cup jockey, trainer and owner biographies will be added to the web site, as will the list of pre- entered Breeders' Cup horses and press conference notes. Past performance data is furnished by Equibase Company.

Material assembled by the Breeders' Cup notes team during Breeders' Cup week will be available on the web site, as will edited comments made by Breeders' Cup jockeys, trainers and owners during TRC's Breeders' Cup teleconferences, which began Tuesday, Oct. 3 and continue on Oct. 10 and Oct. 18.

CROWN ROYAL TO SPONSOR HOLLYWOOD DERBY
Hollywood Park officials have announced next month's Hollywood Derby will be renamed the Crown Royal Hollywood Derby. An agreement has been reached with The House of Seagram, a division of Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Inc. to sponsor the $400,000 Grade I race.

'Crown Royal's Sponsorship of the Hollywood Derby is a natural extension of our involvement with major equine events,' said Jim Schleifer, director of marketing for Crown Royal. 'We presented the American Turf Classic Race at the Kentucky Derby this past May, and have been sponsoring rodeos and show jumping events for years. The Hollywood Derby is one of the premier events in horse racing. It's an outstanding addition to the Crown Royal family of sponsorships.'

'We are pleased to add the prestige of the Crown Royal name to the Hollywood Derby, one of the richest grass races in the country for three-year-olds,' said Rick Baedeker, Hollywood Park's vice president of marketing. 'Crown Royal will be increasing its exposure as a major sponsor of racing, and we will be able to better showcase the race. It's a great partnership.'

'EUROPEAN RACING DAY' CLOSER TO REALITY
The European Pattern Committee has reaffirmed its support for a European Racing Day, which will likely consist of four Group 1 races and two handicaps. The committee will decide at its December meeting which country from among England, Ireland, France, Italy and Germany will host the event, which will commence in 1997. The races will be rotated yearly through the five countries.

European Racing Day will most likely be run in September and serve as a prep for the Breeders' Cup and the Arc de Triomphe. The meeting will carry a minimum purse of 2 million pounds and the European Breeder's Fund will play a substantial part in financing the races.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED FIRES TRAINER HENRY CECIL
A rift between Europe's leading owner, Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, and trainer Henry Cecil, reached the breaking point as the Sheikh has removed 40 horses from Cecil's care. Bad feelings have been building up for some time and were driven up after the Sheikh took Vettori, Moonshell (IRE) and Classic Cliche from Cecil and sent them to Dubai under the banner of Godolphin Racing, the Sheik's new racing partnership based in the United Arab Emirates. The final straw was a contention from the Sheikh that Cecil had hid an injury to two-year-old Mark of Esteem from him. Cecil and Sheikh Mohammed enjoyed considerable success in the 1980's when the duo won several classics together.

MEDIA ECLIPSE NOMINATIONS DUE DECEMBER 1
Entries for the 1995 Eclipse Awards for Media must be submitted to the offices of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations and postmarked no later than Dec. 1, 1995. The awards will be presented in six categories: newspaper writing; magazine writing; photography; national television; local television; and radio. Entries will be judged for outstanding achievement in the coverage of Thoroughbred racing.

Submissions must have been published or aired for the first time between Dec. 1, 1994 and Nov. 30, 1995 in a paid circulation publication or on a commercial or public television or radio station. Fiction pieces are not eligible in any category. Entries should be mailed to: TRA, 420 Fair Hill Dr., Suite 1, Elkton, Md, 21921.

The 1995 Eclipse Awards will be presented at the 25th annual Eclipse Awards Dinner, to be held Feb. 9, 1996 at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, Calif. For a complete list of rules, please call the TRA at (410) 392-9200.

'TODAY AT KEENELAND' TO REACH BROAD AUDIENCE
'Today at Keeneland,' a 30-minute television show which recaps the daily races at Keeneland Race Course, will reach a broader audience when the Lexington, Ky., racetrack opens this Saturday, Oct. 7. The show will be televised for the first time by SportsChannel Ohio, which is available to more than 2.8 million viewers in Lexington and Louisville, Ky., as well as throughout Ohio. The show will air in the evenings daily (except Mondays and Tuesdays when the track is dark). Keeneland's 16-day fall meet runs from Oct. 7 through Oct. 28.

LEGISLATION TO PROTECT SLAUGHTER-BOUND HORSES
INTRODUCED Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has reintroduced federal legislation on the transportation of horses to slaughterhouses. The bill, the 'Safe Commercial Transportation of Horses for Slaughter Act of 1995' (S. 1283), was introduced on Sept. 28. Bill Goodling, a Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania, introduced companion legislation in the House.

McConnell's bill contains some modifications to the legislation he introduced late last year, which he said 'will provide greater oversight.' Under the provisions of the bill, horses must be rested off the vehicle after 24 hours and have access to food and water. The trucks used to transport slaughter-bound horses must be of adequate size with sufficient headroom, offer protection from extreme temperatures, have interiors that are free of sharp edges, and be well-ventilated and kept sanitary. Stallions are to be segregated from the other horses in transit, who will be positioned by size. A licensed veterinarian must certify that all horses are fit to travel.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is charged with enforcing the legislation. The USDA currently regulates the slaughter process itself, under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. To ensure enforcement, the USDA would be authorized to work in concert with state and local authorities.

The legislation is supported by the American Horse Council, the American Horse Protection Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Humane Association, the Society for Animal Protective Legislation, the Humane Society of the United States and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

POPE JOHN PAUL II TO HOLD MASS AT AQUEDUCT FRIDAY
Pope John Paul II will celebrate Mass at Aqueduct Racetrack, S. Ozone Park, N.Y. Aqueduct was chosen over other New York sites, such as Shea Stadium, because it could accommodate more people. Aqueduct's gates will open at 5:00 a.m. that morning and the Pope will celebrate Mass at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

New York Racing Association officials have made arrangements to provide a shuttle service to Belmont Park, which began Wednesday and will continue through Saturday for those horses which are stabled at Aqueduct. Horses are being transported the day prior to their scheduled races and will be stabled at Belmont in a tent with stall accommodations for 60 horses.

HOLLYWOOD PARK'S PLAYERS' CLUB RENOVATIONS
Renovations are completed at Hollywood Park's Players' Club and Hollywood Bar, the Inglewood, Calif., racetrack's on-site simulcast outlets. Additional seating and a new rubber floor have been installed. The Hollywood Bar and adjoining Study Hall have been equipped with additional seating and television monitors.

RACING ON THE AIR
Oct. 5 'Racehorse Digest' 1:30-2:00 a.m., ESPN
Oct. 6 'Racehorse Digest' 1:00-1:30 p.m., ESPN
Oct. 7 Breeders' Cup Preview Day, Belmont 4:30-6:00 p.m., NBC
Oct. 11 'Racehorse Digest' 3:30-4:00 p.m., ESPN
Oct. 12 'Racehorse Digest' 1:30-2:00 a.m., ESPN
Oct. 14 'Racehorse Digest' 6:00-6:30 a.m., ESPN
Oct. 14 '2Day at the Races' 6:00-6:30 p.m., ESPN2

RACING TO HISTORY
Oct. 5, 1933: Jockey Gordon Richards concluded a 12-race winning streak that had begun on Oct. 3 when he won the last race at Nottingham, followed by a six-for-six day at Chepstow on Oct. 4 and five wins at Chepstow on Oct. 5.

Oct. 5, 1973: In his final workout for his first grass race, the Man o' War Stakes, Secretariat went five furlongs on the turf in :56 4-5 at Belmont Park.

Oct. 5, 1983: Jockey Jorge Velasquez won his 5,000th career race, riding Banquet Scene to victory in the fourth race at Belmont Park.

Oct. 6, 1949: Col. Matt J. Winn, generally credited with making the Kentucky Derby the greatest horse race in America, died at the age of 88. He witnessed all of the first 75 Derbies.

Oct. 6, 1979: In their only race together, champions Affirmed and Spectacular Bid met in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Odds-on favorite Affirmed, ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr., won by 3-4 lengths and became the first horse ever to earn more than $1 million in a single racing season. Affirmed was later voted Horse of the Year off this convincing victory over Spectacular Bid, who was named champion 3-year-old.

Oct. 6, 1989: Parimutuel racing returned to Texas with a meet held at G. Rollie White Downs. Racing had been banned in the state since 1937.

Oct. 7, 1956: In his final start of his career, four-year-old Ribot won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for the second consecutive year and retired a perfect 16-for-16.

Oct. 8, 1973: Secretariat made his grass-racing debut in the Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park, winning the 1 1-2-mile race by five lengths in a time of 2:24 4-5. He overran the finish line by another furlong, running 1 5-8 miles in a world-record-equalling time of 2:37 4-5.

Oct. 10, 1974: With female riders still a novelty, Lincoln Downs staged a $5,000 match race between jockeys Denise Boudrot and Mike Lapensee. The race, dubbed the 'contest of the sexes,' was won by Boudrot. In a rematch one week later, in which the riders switched their mounts from their previous encounter, Boudrot again prevailed.

Oct. 12, 1920: In the final race of his career, 3-year-old Man o' War defeated 1919 Triple Crown winner Sir Barton in a match race, the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup, at Kenilworth Park. Sent off at odds of 1- 20, Man o' War won by seven lengths in his 14th consecutive victory.

Oct. 12, 1966: Damascus, owned by Edith W. Bancroft, broke his maiden at Aqueduct Racetrack, winning by eight lengths.

Oct. 12, 1991: Morley Street (IRE) won the Breeders' Cup Steeplechase for the second consecutive year, becoming the third horse to win two Breeders' Cup Championship races.

Oct. 13, 1956: At age four, 1955 Horse of the Year Nashua won his last race, the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Belmont Park.

Oct. 13, 1984: At age nine, odds-on favorite John Henry won his last race, the Ballantine's Scotch Classic at The Meadowlands, to earn the richest purse of his career, $740,000, which included a $500,000 bonus for winning both the Turf Classic, run at Belmont Park on Sept. 22, and the Meadowlands' race. John Henry retired as America's then-richest horse with earnings of $6,597,947.

Oct. 13, 1988: In the track's first riding fatality, jockey Mike Venezia, age 43, was killed at Belmont Park after he was thrown from his mount, Mr. Walter K., which had broken its leg and was later humanely destroyed. Track officials canceled the remainder of the day's races.

Oct. 14, 1952: Jockey Bill Hartack rode his first career winner, at Waterford Park.

Oct. 14, 1968: Sandy Hawley won his first race aboard a two-year- old gelding named Fly Alone, riding at Woodbine Racecourse.

Oct. 14, 1972: After finishing first in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, Secretariat was disqualified and placed second, after bearing in on Stop the Music, who was declared the official winner.

Oct. 15, 1977: In the fifth of their 10 meetings, Alydar won his second victory over Affirmed in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park.

WEEKEND STAKES
SATURDAY
BREEDERS' CUP PREVIEW DAY AT BELMONT
Kelso Handicap, 3&up;, $200,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade III A full field of 14 is entered. Fastness (IRE) has been off since his Aug. 6 score in the Grade I Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar at 1 1- 8 miles. He is two-for-two this year. Dove Hunt has won four of his last five starts, three of them Grade III stakes. Caress, a four-year- old filly, beat the boys in the Grade III Poker Stakes, July 4 at Belmont, but has been fifth and second against fillies in her last two. Lightly raced Dowty has won four of his last five but his one failure was in his lone stakes try, the Grade I Secretariat Stakes at Arlington, although he was only beaten two lengths in a fourth-place finish. Kiri's Clown won the Grade I Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga but has been more down than up, being badly beaten in three of his previous four starts. Others entered: Compadre, Gabr (GB), Itaka, Mighty Forum, Pennine Ridge, rare Reason, Wild Zone, Grand Continental and Diplomatic Jet.

Frizette Stakes, 2yo fillies, $250,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade I
Golden Attraction, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, is odds-on took capture the Frizette against four rivals, led by multiple winner Flat Fleet Feet and Ogden Phipps' My Flag.

Beldame Stakes, 3&up; (f&m;), $250,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade I
The best older female, Heavenly Prize, meets the best three-year- old, Serena's Song. Heavenly Prize, last year's champion three- year-old filly, has only been beaten once this year, in her first start, and will be trying to catch the speed of Serena's Song, who has won eight of 11 in 1995. Multiple graded stakes winner Lakeway will try to recapture her form of last year when she won five of seven starts including four Grade I races. She suffered a near-fatal case of pneumonia and was out of action for exactly one year. Incinerate and Unlawful Behavior round out the field of five.

Moet Champagne Stakes, 2yo, $500,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade I
Last year, trainer D. Wayne Lukas watched as his two-year-old colt Timber Country won this race and then the Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to an Eclipse Award. Lukas will send out favored Hennessy, a winner of four of five lifetime starts, to do battle with stakes winner Maria's Mon.

B 3&up;, $500,000, 1 1-2 Miles Turf, Grade I
Ten are set to go, led by Awad, Tikkanen and Hernando (FR). Awad took the Grade I Arlington Million and has been first or second in his last five races, four stakes, three Grade I. He will be closing from far back as usual. Tikkanen won this race last year and the took the Breeders' Cup Turf. His form since has been going downhill, with a second and fourth in England to start the year, followed by a fourth in France and an eighth in the Man o' War to Millkom (FR). Celtic Arms (FR) was 10th in Brazil last out but a good second to Sandpit (BRZ) in the Grade I Caesars International at Atlantic City June 25. Hernando (FR) was seventh in his last start, the Group 1 Guinness Irish Champion Stakes, but took a Group 3 in France beating Freedom Cry (second in the recent Arc de Triomphe) and Millkom (GB). Rifapour (IRE) had been winning in France before running into Celtic Swing in the Prix du Jockey Club, where he finished eighth. King's Theatre (IRE) has been a bust in the U.S., managing two thirds in five starts. A multiple group stakes winner in Europe, King's Theatre (IRE) might be looking at his last chance to prove himself. Next Endeavor was an eight-length allowance winner in his last start at Belmont Park. Privity, a three-year-old filly, was eighth in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille Sept. 10. She has a win and three seconds in the previous four races.

Jockey Club Gold Cup, 3&up;, $750,000, 1 1-4 Miles, Grade I
A field of eight is entered but everyone's eyes will be on Cigar, shooting for his seventh Grade I victory of the year, the most ever by a colt. He will face the second-best horse in the country, three- year-old star Thunder Gulch, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes who is riding a four-race winning streak. He beat older horses in the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park in his last start, although that field was nothing like the one he will face here. Several old faces are back to try their luck, though. Star Standard and Golden Larch, second and third to Cigar in the Woodward Stakes at Belmont, will attempt to do what nobody has been able to do since Unaccounted For on Oct. 7, 1994, beat the big horse. Unaccounted For is entered, but his win over Cigar was on the turf and the Jockey Club Gold Cup is on the dirt, where Cigar has taken 10 straight. Unaccounted For did win the Grade I Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. French campaigner Dernier Empereur returns to the dirt for the second time in his career. His only other dirt race was a last-place finish, beaten 29 1-4 lengths, in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic. Key Contender has yet to meet Cigar but the Suburban Handicap winner was beaten 15 lengths in his last start, the Philip H. Islein Handicap at Monmouth Park, and was sixth to Unaccounted For in the Whitney. Also entered: Jed Forest.

GOODWOOD HANDICAP DAY AT SANTA ANITA
Oak Leaf Stakes, 2yo fillies, $200,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade I
Col. F.W. Koester Handicap, 3&up;, $100,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade II

Goodwood Handicap, 3&up;, $250,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade II
Tinners Way and Soul of the Matter, first and second in Del Mar's $1 million Pacific Classic, Aug. 13. Soul of the Matter had won the Grade II Bel Air Handicap at Hollywood Park previously and has made just two starts in 1995. Following his Pacific Classic win, Tinners Way was switched to the turf and finished fifth in the Arlington Million, although he ran into trouble, as did most of the field. Alphabet Soup has won two of his three 1995 starts, including Del Mar's Grade II Budweiser Breeders' Cup. Lykatill Hil and Luthier Fever were second and third in that race.

Hawthorne Derby, 3yo, $150,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade III, Hawthorne
Indiana Derby, 3yo, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Hoosier Park
Keeneland Breeders' Cup, 3&up;, $175,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade III, Keeneland
La Prevoyante Stakes, 3yo fillies, $75,000, 1 Mile Turf, Grade IIIC, Woodbine
Valley View Breeders' Cup, 3yo fillies, $75,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Keeneland

SUNDAY
OAK TREE INVITATIONAL DAY AT SANTA ANITA
Lady's Secret Handicap, 3&up; (f&m;), $125,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade III
Norfolk Stakes, 2yo, $200,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade II

Oak Tree Invitational, 3&up;, $300,000, 1 1-4 Miles Turf, Grade I
The best turf horse in the U.S., Sandpit (BRZ), should have no problem stretching his speed over the 1 1-4-mile distance. Jockey Corey Nakatani will have to look behind, though, for the late kick of the French star Kaldounevees (FR), who was second in the Grade I Man o' War at Belmont and a troubled fourth in the Grade I Arlington Million in his only two North American starts. Earl of Barking (IRE) has been fifth in his last two starts, both Grade I races, but previously captured the Grade I Hollywood Turf Handicap, defeating Sandpit (BRZ). Northern Spur (IRE) has been close in France but was badly beaten in the Arlington Million. Royal Chariot won the Grade II Del Mar Invitational over River Rhythm in his last start. River Rhythm has been second in his last two starts. Shemaran (IRE) won a minor stakes at The Curragh in his last start, Aug. 19. Cafe Milano (FR) is making his second start of the year.

SPINSTER STAKES DAY AT KEENELAND
Alcibiades Stakes, 2yo fillies, $200,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade II
D. Wayne Lukas saddles Cara Rafaela, second to stablemate Golden Attraction in the Matron Stakes, Sept. 16 at Belmont Park. Colleen Stakes winner Careless Heiress is the main competition although she finished fourth in the Matron.

Breeders' Futurity, 2yo, $200,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade II
The favorite will be D. Wayne Lukas' Honour and Glory, third in the recent Futurity Stakes at Belmont.

Spinster Stakes, 3&up; (f&m;), $300,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade I
Turf Classic, Inside Information, whose only loss in six starts this year came when she went to her knees at the break, faces Mariah's Storm, a 5 1-2- length winner over Serena's Song in the Sept. 23 Kentucky Budweiser Breeders' Cup at Turfway Park. Combined with the Belmont's Beldame Stakes on Saturday, it features the top four females in training. Only outsiders Jade Flush and Night Fax will test the top two.

Gallant Bloom Handicap, 3&up; (f&m;), $75,000, 6 1-2 Furlongs, Belmont
Grey Stakes, 2yo, $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade III, Woodbine
Saratoga Handicap, 3&up;, $75,000, 6 Furlongs, Bay Meadows

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