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

'SUNDAY MORNING' TO PROFILE FRED HOOPER MAY 5
CBS News' 'Sunday Morning' show will include a feature on 99-year-old Thoroughbred owner Fred Hooper when it airs Sunday, May 5. Hooper won the 1945 Kentucky Derby with Hoop Jr., the first Thoroughbred he ever owned. The segment will include footage of that race as well as recent interviews in Florida with Hooper and Eddie Arcaro, who rode Hoop Jr. The segment was produced by E.S. 'Bud' Lamoreaux III.

'Sunday Morning,' which won Eclipse Awards for national television achievement in 1991 and 1993, is hosted by Charles Osgood and airs from 9-10:30 a.m. EDT. (check local listings)

DERBY SEATS ARE HARD TO COME BY
Although the Kentucky Derby has drawn as many as 163,000 fans (for the 100th running in 1974), most of those who attend don't have reserved seats: the seating capacity at Churchill Downs is 48,500. Last year, the attendance was over 141,000, the second largest in the 121-year history of the event.

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO KENTUCKY RACING
First-time visitors to the Bluegrass State and/or the Kentucky Derby might want to pick up a copy of the recently published 'Jockeys, Belles and Bluegrass Kings, an 'official guide to Kentucky racing.' The paperback book, written by Lynn Renau, a racing historian and former curator of the Kentucky Derby Museum, is an updated version of 'Racing Around Kentucky,' which Renau wrote and published in April, 1995. 'The book is designed to meet the needs of visitors coming to Kentucky who want to be in the know about racing,' Renau said .

In addition to a condensed history of Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky, the books also includes chapters on: black legends of the bluegrass; farriers, vets and trainers; pronunciation guides to Kentucky talk; authentic Kentucky recipes (burgoo, bourbon balls and mint juleps, among others); and questions and answers about going to the races and going to the Kentucky Derby. The last chapter provides a listing of Thoroughbred publications, libraries, museums and gift shops. 'Jockeys, Belles and Bluegrass Kings' sells for $9.95 and can be ordered by calling (800) 422-5169.

MUHAMMAD ALI TRAINED AT CHURCHILL IN 60S
While many famous four-legged athletes have trained at Churchill Downs, the track was also used for training by the most famous Louisville native ever.

Muhammad Ali, known then as Cassius Clay, was born and raised in Louisville and often jogged on the track in the early 1960s. The 'Louisville Lip' frequently stopped to sign autographs for children who were visiting the track.

DERBY PURSE HAS GROWN QUICKLY IN RECENT YEARS
The 1996 running of the Kentucky Derby will mark the first time one of the Triple Crown races carries a guaranteed minimum gross purse of $1,000,000. In 1985, the purse was $250,000; it jumped to $4350,000 in 1986 and to $500,000 in 1991. All of which is a long way from the first running of the race (1875) when the purse was $1,000.

RYERSON KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT AS TRAINER OF DERBY FAVORITE
Jim Ryerson, the trainer of Derby favorite Unbridled's Song, is running a horse in the Derby for the second time in his career, but the experience will be a lot different this time around. In 1994, he saddled a longshot named Meadow Flight, who finished 11th. But more importantly, his horse was stabled in the same barn as that year's Derby favorite, Holy Bull, and Ryerson saw first-hand the demands made on trainer Jimmy Croll. Holy Bull finished 12th, right behind Meadow Flight.

SHANE SELLERS' TO RIDE AGAINST HIS ROLE MODEL
Shane Sellers, who will ride Blue Grass Stakes winner Skip Away, looks up to every jockey who will be alongside him in the starting gate. 'Every rider that puts a pair of white pants on is my hero,' he said. But one jockey has had a major influence on Sellers, as both a rider and a person. 'The best thing that ever happened to me in my career was to go to ride with Pat Day, day in and day out. He's a model for the young riders and a great role model for me. He changed my life on and off the racetrack. I learned so much from Pat.'

The Running Horse (https://www.isd1.com/alauck)