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

TOP U.S. HORSES AWAIT SELECTION FOR RICH DUBAI RACES

Seven U.S. horses are on a list of 24 - pared down from 115 - who have been chosen to run in either the $4 million Dubai World Cup or its reserve race, the $500,000 Dubai Duty Free, both to be held at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, March 29. The selection committee will poll the connections involved to see if their plans still include Dubai and will release a final list of the fields for both races within 7-10 days.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has three of the U.S. seven: 1996 Belmont Stakes winner Editor's Note; Strub Stakes champ Victory Speech; and turf specialist Marlin. Also invited from the U.S. are two from Richard Mandella's barn, Gentlemen (ARG), who is five-for-six in the U.S., and Siphon (BRZ). The other two U.S. horses are Donn Handicap winner Formal Gold and Mecke, a Grade I winner on both dirt and turf.

Leading foreign contenders include: Helissio (FR), runaway winner of last year's Arc de Triomphe; Singspiel (IRE), who won an Eclipse Award as North America's top male turf horse; Doriemus (NZ), winner of the 1995 Melbourne Cup; and Japan's Hokuto Vega (JPN), a winner of 10 straight races and nearly $8 million.

The complete list follows: Annus Mirabilis (FR), Bijou d'Inde (GB), Carling (FR), Doriemus (NZ), Editor's Note, Even Top (IRE), Flemensfirth, Formal Gold, Gentlemen (ARG), Gothenberg (IRE), Helissio (FR), Hokuto Vega (JPN), Juggler (AUS), Key of Luck, Luso (GB), Marlin, Mecke, Needle Gun (IRE), Singspiel (IRE), Siphon (Brz), Sorbie Tower (IRE), Tamayaz, Tamhid, Victory Speech.

CESARE HAILED FOR RESCUE NEAR GULFSTREAM

Former National Football League player Bill Cesare retired in 1984 to pursue a career as a Thoroughbred trainer, but the 41-year-old still has the reflexes that served him so well as a defensive back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions. He proved that on Feb. 5th when he climbed a seven-foot barbed-wire-topped fence adjacent to his barn at Gulfstream Park and rescued a 65-year-old woman trapped in her car, which had rolled into a canal behind the barn.

'I went to get the stopwatch from my car at 7:15 a.m. and I heard the muffled screams of a woman,' he said. 'At first, I thought it was coming from the condominiums across the canal, but then we saw a car almost totally submerged in the water.'

Cesare climbed the fence, slogged into the water and broke a car window. Inside, with the water just inches from the top of the car, was Inez Lou of Hallandale. Cesare pulled the frantic woman out and away from the water to the side of the embankment. She was later treated and released at Aventura Hospital.

'I don't think it's any big deal,' he said. 'I was just reacting to a situation and I hope someone would do the same for me.'

NEW BIG 3 PICK 3 WAGER ON THREE TRIPLE CROWN PREPS

Officials at Aqueduct, Oaklawn and Keeneland announced the formation of a new national wager on their major April 12 Triple Crown prep races, to be called the Big 3 Pick 3. The races will all be televised, Aqueduct's Wood Memorial on ABC while Oaklawn's Arkansas Derby and Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on ESPN. Post times for the three races will be 4:37 (Wood), 5:20 (Arkansas Derby) and 5:45 (Blue Grass) (EDT). Each is a Grade II race at 1 1-8 miles. The purse for the Blue Grass is $700,000 while the Wood and Arkansas Derby are each worth $500,000. All wagers will go into a common national pool.

'The Big 3 Pick 3 represents Aqueduct, Oaklawn and Keeneland on a day when each track will enjoy its biggest crowd of the season,' said Bill Nader, Director of Simulcasting at Aqueduct. 'Simulcasting will be the vehicle to take this wager across the nation.'

The three races always have had a major effect on the Triple Crown, especially last year. Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone was second in the Arkansas Derby while Wood victor Unbridled's Song was the Derby favorite. The first three in the Blue Grass, Skip Away, Louis Quatorze and Editor's Note, were, respectively, Three-year-old Champion, winner of the Preakness and winner of the Belmont.

SUFFOLK DOWNS GIVING AWAY A HORSE

Suffolk Downs, in East Boston, Mass., will continue its popular 'Great Racehorse Giveaway' promotion on Feb. 17, when the winner of a designated race will be 'adopted' by the fans in attendance. Each time the horse subsequently runs, its new 'owners' will receive free admission, parking and programs. The payoff comes after Memorial Day when all the money won by the horse will split among the fans who were in attendance for all of 'their' horse's races.

LONE STAR PARK AND FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST REACH AGREEMENT

Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, the new racetrack near Dallas, Texas, scheduled to open for live racing April 17, has signed a three-year agreement with Fox Sports Southwest to televise 16 races during eight one-hour telecasts each year.

'We believe in selling the sport of horse racing through television,' said Lone Star's general manager, Corey Johnsen. 'Fox Sports Southwest has an excellent reach to the sports fans in the Mid-South area and their viewers are potential horse racing fans.'

The first telecast will be opening day, April 17 at 4:30 p.m. (CDT), with the running of the $50,000 Premiere Stakes.

FILLY RACES IN MEMORY OF SLAIN FRIENDS

When Lisa's Lil Devon won the seventh race at Philadelphia Park, Feb. 9, it was bittersweet victory for owner-breeder Betsy Gambone. The three-year-old filly was named for Gambone's friend Lisa Marie Manderach and her 19-month-old daughter Devon Marie, who were murdered in Sept. 1995. Friends of the Manderach's established a playground fund last summer and have so far raised $75,000 of the projected $200,000 needed. Gambone has pledged a share of her filly's earnings, which reached $21,092 after the win, her first in seven tries.

RACING TO HISTORY

Feb. 14, 1966: Buckpasser suffered the only defeat of his three-year-old season when he finished second in a non-betting race, the Black Caesar Purse, at Hialeah. He went on to post 13 consecutive victories in 1966 (12 of them in stakes races), but was unable to compete in any of the Triple Crown races because of a hoof injury.

Feb. 14, 1990: Ladbroke at Golden Gate Fields inaugurated co-pooling of its wagers with those of a sister organization, Ladbroke Racing Wyoming. The co-pooling of wagers across state lines, made possible by California legislation that had gone into effect Jan. 1, was a first in U.S. racing.

Feb. 15, 1974: Future Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew was foaled at White Horse Acres, Lexington, Ky.

Feb. 16, 1891: At the urging of Pierre Lorillard, the Board of Control, composed of seven representatives of the racing industry, was formed to govern Thoroughbred racing. The Board's powers extended to matters of licensing; allotment of racing dates; and the regulation of purse payments. The Board, as the governing body for racing, was succeeded by The Jockey Club, formed in 1894.

Feb. 17, 1985: Laffit Pincay Jr. had his 6,000th career win, aboard Doria's Delight in the fifth race at Santa Anita Park.

RACING ON THE AIR

Feb. 14, Racehorse Digest, 3:30-4:00 a.m., ESPN
Feb. 15, Racehorse Digest, 6:00-6:30 a.m., ESPN
Feb. 19, Racehorse Digest, 3:30-4:00 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 20, Racehorse Digest, 3:30-4:00 a.m., ESPN

Gulfstream Park B.C. Handicap, 3&up;, $150,000, 1 3-8 Miles Turf, Grade II, Gulfstream
Diplomatic Jet and Awad head the field. Diplomatic Jet won three Grade I stakes last year, all at Belmont Park, and won the Grade II William L. McKnight Handicap at Calder in his last race. Awad won an allowance race at Gulfstream, Jan. 24, breaking a 14-race losing streak that began after he won the 1995 Arlington Million. Also expected to run is Montjoy, winner of the Grade III Appleton Handicap, Jan. 4 at Gulfstream.

Las Virgenes Stakes, 3yo fillies, $150,000, 1 Mile, Grade I, Santa Anita
Sharp Cat will be favored in the first Grade I race for three-year-olds of either sex this year. Also expected are the first three finishers in the Jan. 26 Santa Ynez Stakes, Queen of Money, Goodnight Irene and High Heeled Hope.

Barbara Fritchie Handicap, 3&up; (f&m;), $200,000, 7 Furlongs, Grade II, Laurel

Essex Handicap, 4&up;, $75,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade III, Oaklawn

Santa Maria Handicap, 4&up; (f&m;), $150,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Grade I, Santa Anita
Eclipse Award winner Jewel Princess makes her 1997 debut against Hidden Lake, who won the Grade II La Brea Stakes, Dec. 29, at Santa Anita; multiple graded stakes winner Cat's Cradle, who is coming off an allowance victory on Jan. 31; and Alpride (IRE), trying dirt for the first time and looking to return to the form that won her the Grade I Yellow Ribbon Stakes in 1995.

Deputy Minister Handicap, 3&up;, $75,000, 6 Furlongs, Gulfstream

Rare Treat Handicap, 3&up; (f&m;), $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade III, Aqueduct

Whirlaway Stakes, 4&up;, $75,000, 1 1-16 Miles, Fair Grounds

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