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

SUPER BOWL INSPIRES NAMES
It's no surprise that the people who name Thoroughbred racehorses are fans of other sports as well. Since all sports fans are turning their attention to Sunday's Super Bowl game, TRC took a glance to see how many horses' names were inspired by the big event. The following is a list of what was determined to be the best, as found in the 'Registered Thoroughbred Names' book, a compilation of Thoroughbred names presently in use.

All of the following words and phrases are names of real Thoroughbreds. In no particular order they are: 'Super Bowl Sunday,' 'Super Bowl Shuffle,' 'Arizona Bound,' 'Sundevil,' 'Dallas Attack,' 'Cowboy Cheerleader,' 'Super Bowl Widow,' 'Halftime Show,' 'Coach,' 'Switzer,' 'Quarter Back,' 'Aikman,' 'Steeler,' 'Pittsburgh,' 'Tackle, ' 'Defensive Play,' 'Kicker,' 'Running Back,' 'Offensive Line,' 'Full Back,' 'Official,' 'Fumbled Snap,' 'Running Game,' 'Hail Mary,' 'Rushing,' 'Two Minute Warning,' 'Touchdown' and 'Aikman to Emit' (sic).

CIGAR MAY SKIP THE BIG 'CAP AT SANTA ANITA
Trainer Bill Mott said Wednesday that he may keep Cigar, the probable Horse of the Year for 1995, at Gulfstream Park for two engagements rather than sending him to California after he has competed in the Feb. 10 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream.

The decision to ship hinges on whether representatives from three California racetracks can ensure the payment of a $1.8 million bonus to the horse that wins the Santa Anita Handicap, the Hollywood Gold Cup and the Pacific Classic. Progress on obtaining the bonus has stalled recently and the plan may have to be shelved.

If the bonus does not materialize, Mott says he may run Cigar in the Gulfstream Park Handicap instead of the Santa Anita Handicap. Both races are run on March 2, but the purse for the Gulfstream race is half that for the Santa Anita race -- $500,000 versus $1 million.

Cigar is slated to run in the March 27 Dubai World Cup, the world's richest race at $4 million. Mott would prefer to keep Cigar's pre- Dubai travel to a minimum, particularly if the California racing circuit can give him no bonus incentive to move.

ILLINOIS & KENTUCKY TRACKS UNVEIL NEW MID-WEST TURF MARATHON
Arlington International Racecourse, Keeneland and Churchill Downs have announced a new three-track turf racing series for long-distance runners, the $400,000 Mid-West Turf Marathon.

The series begins April 26 at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., with the $100,000 Elkhorn Stakes at 1 1-2 miles. Next is the June 8, $100,000 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., run at 1 3- 8 miles. Concluding the series is Arlington's July 4 Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf, a $200,000 race run at 1 1-2 miles at the Arlington Heights, Ill., racetrack.

AUCTION SATURDAY TO BENEFIT RETIRED THOROUGHBREDS
An auction of stallion seasons and equine memorabilia will be held this Saturday at Herb and Ellen Moelis' Candyland Farm in Middletown, Del., for the benefit of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which provides aftercare for former racehorses.

The seasons (one-time breedings) that are being auctioned are for such stallions as champion sprinter Housebuster; Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero; Breeders' Cup Classic winner Wild Again; and Breeders' Cup Mile winner Opening Verse. According to Herb Moelis, about 150 seasons for horses in eight states, including Kentucky, Florida and California, will be auctioned.

The 40-50 pieces of memorabilia to be auctioned include a halter worn by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew and shoes worn by probable Horse of the Year Cigar.

Early bidding on seasons closes Friday at 5 p.m. The two highest bidders for each season will go into a live telephone auction on Saturday, from 8 to 10 p.m. Prospective bidders should call Candyland Farm at (302) 378-7192.

GIRLS' THOROUGHBRED CAMPAIGN MOVES ON TO THE KENTUCKY SENATE
House Bill 149, which designates the Thoroughbred the official horse of Kentucky, has one more hurdle to clear before it becomes part of Kentucky law. The House of Representatives passed the bill 93-1 on Jan. 22, much to the delight of the two fourth grade students who are responsible for it.

Lauren Willdeboer, 9, and Leah Holmes, 10, students at Liberty Elementary School in Goshen, Ky., wrote to State Representative Jim Zimmerman as a class project. The girls were studying how a bill gets signed into law and were encouraged to write to Rep. Zimmerman following a visit he made to the classroom. After doing research in the school library, Lauren and Leah were surprised to learn Kentucky did not have a breed of horse officially designated, considering the impact the horse industry has on the state.

After sending their letters to Rep. Zimmerman, the girls and thought the story would end there. It didn't. Zimmerman agreed with Lauren and Leah and presented their idea to his committee last week where it passed. At Monday's session of the House, the bill sailed through. Now it's on to the State Senate, where Tom Schmitt, principal at Liberty Elementary, has it on good authority it will pass.

Lauren and Leah will continue to follow bill 149. So far the pair and their parents, Principal Schmitt and teacher Kathy Bockelman have seen first-hand how government works, having been invited as a guest of Rep. Zimmerman every step of the way. In addition the girls will make the trip to the State Senate next week for the vote. And, should the Senate approve the measure, the girls and their fourth grade classmates will trek to Governor Patton's office to see him sign Bill 149 into law.

SARATOGA SEAT LOTTERY BEGINS
The New York Racing Association will hold its annual reserved seat lottery next week for the 1996 Saratoga Race Course meet. The 1996 Saratoga meet runs July 26 through September 2 with Tuesdays dark. Seat applications must be postmarked by Jan. 31, 1996 to be eligible. Clubhouse seats are $6 and grandstand seats are $4, limit four tickets per day per household. Tickets can be ordered by sending a check or money order payable to New York Racing Association, 'Saratoga Reserved Seats,' P.O. Box 030257, Elmont, N.Y. 11003.

NYRA will divide and process the applications into four categories in the following order of preference: requests for every day of the meeting; requests for complete weeks of the meeting (Wednesday through Monday); requests for every weekend on either a Friday- Saturday-Sunday or Saturday-Sunday-Monday basis; all other requests.

All applications postmarked after the Jan. 31 deadline will be processed in the order each was received after the original drawing is complete.

NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE ASSOCIATION APPROVES USE OF LASIX
The National Steeplechase Association today announced it will allow the use of the diuretic furosemide, tradenamed Lasix, at its sanctioned race meetings, beginning this year. The final decision about whether to permit the medication, which is an aid in controlling pulmonary bleeding in exercising horses, remains with the individual NSA-sanctioned meets. Forty NSA meets are held each year in 11 states.

Most steeplechasers are retrained racehorses from flat-racing circuits where Lasix is commonly used. The approval of Lasix, according to Bill Gallo, the NSA racing secretary, 'will enable us to remain competitive within the racing industry.'

GRAYSON FOUNDATION SPONSORS WORKSHOP ON EQUINE DISEASE
On March 5-8 in Lexington, Ky., the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation will hold a workshop and conference on Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), a disease of the central nervous system that can cause acute incoordination in horses. EPM is carried by possums and as such poses a ready threat to the horse population.

The workshop will consist of two days of closed meetings between researchers from the University of California-Davis, Ohio State University, the University of Kentucky, Kansas State University, the University of Florida, Purdue University, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, the University of Tennessee and Oregon State University, as well as four clinical equine practitioners: Drs. William Bernard, Larry Bramlage, Doug Byars and Gary Lavin. The meeting is expected to produce a consensus on the key issues relating to EPM and a viable plan for future research into the disease.

An open-to-the-public conference will be held on March 8 at the Fasig-Tipton Sale Company Pavilion.

RACING ON THE AIR Jan. 27 'Racehorse Digest' 3:00-3:30 a.m., ESPN
Jan. 27 'Racehorse Digest' 6:00-6:30 a.m., ESPN
Jan. 31 'Racehorse Digest' 4:30-5:00 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 1 'Racehorse Digest' 1:30-2:00 a.m., ESPN
Feb. 3 'Racehorse Digest' 6:00-6:30 a.m., ESPN
Feb. 4 Strub Stakes, Santa Anita and Hutcheson Stakes, Gulfstream, 4:30-5:30 p.m., ESPN

RACING TO HISTORY
Jan. 26, 1950: Citation's 16-race win streak came to an end in the La Sorpresa Handicap at Santa Anita. Despite giving 16 pounds to the winner, Miche, Citation, carrying 130 pounds, lost only by a neck.

Jan. 27, 1973: Penny Chenery accepted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year on behalf of Secretariat, who was also voted champion two- year-old of 1972.

Jan. 29, 1960: Future Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Carry Back finished tenth in his first start ever, a three-furlong race for two- year-old maiden runners at Hialeah. Sired by Saggy, the only horse to defeat Citation during his three-year-old season, out of an undistinguished mare named Joppy, Carry Back became a popular runner and was dubbed 'the people's horse.'

Jan. 29, 1973: Forego, eventual three-time Horse of the Year, 1974- 76, broke his maiden by eight lengths in his second career start, at Hialeah Park.

Jan. 30, 1981: Jockey Julie Krone rode in her first race ever, finishing second by three lengths in a six-furlong sprint for $3,500 maiden claimers at Tampa Bay Downs. Her mount, a 22-1 shot trained by Jerry L. Pace, was named Tiny Star.

Jan. 30, 1992: For the second time in one month, jockey Mike Smith won six races in one day at Aqueduct Racetrack. His first six-winner day at Aqueduct occurred Jan. 13.

Jan. 31, 1958: Jockey Bill Shoemaker notched his 3,000th career win, aboard Eternal Pere, in the eighth race at Santa Anita Park.

Feb. 1, 1941: Golden Gate Fields opened for its inaugural race meet. After a five-day 'season,' the track was forced to close because severe rainstorms washed out the racing surface. The advent of World War II prevented the facility from reopening until Sept. 9, 1947.

SATURDAY
Santa Monica Handicap, 4&up; (f&m;), $150,000, 7 Furlongs, Grade I, Santa Anita
Serena's Song, champion three-year-old filly of 1995, kicks off her 1996 campaign with a confrontation with undefeated Exotic Wood. Serena's Song last ran in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, Oct. 28, finishing a distant fifth. She won six Grade I races in 1995 and has career earnings in excess of $2.1 million. Exotic Wood made five starts last year, her first season of racing. Her last race was her closest, a 2 1-2-length win in the Grade II La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita, Dec. 30. Others entered are: Klassy Kim, winner of the Grade III Monrovia Handicap, Jan. 6 at Santa Anita; Top Rung, seventh in the Breeders' Cup Distaff; Ballerina Gal; and Morepheme.

Canadian Turf Handicap, 3&up;, $100,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Gulfstream
The Vid and Wekiva Springs highlight a field of seven. The Vid has won 11 stakes races in his five-year career and is 10-for-22 on the turf. He won the Grade III Appleton Handicap Jan. 6 at Gulfstream. Wekiva Springs has never run on turf and has been running well lately. Seven-year-old Older But Smarter was fifth in the Appleton; Homing Pigeon was a distant eighth in the Appleton but won four ungraded stakes in 1995; Warning Glance; and Gone for Real and Country Coy, first and second in a Gulfstream Park allowance race Jan. 11.

Maryland Racing Writers' Handicap, 4&up; (f&m;), $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Laurel

SUNDAY
Santa Ynez Stakes, 3yo fillies, $125,000, 7 Furlongs, Grade III, Santa Anita

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