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

DESORMEAUX ON TRACK TO BECOME YOUNGEST $100 MILLION MAN

Jockey Kent Desormeaux has been a record-setting rider from the start of his career 11 years ago and he is on track to set another record, as the youngest rider to surpass $100 million in purse money won. As of Wednesday, Aug. 6, the 27-year-old Louisiana native is just $536,966 away from the $100 million mark. When Desormeaux passes the $100 million mark, he will break Chris McCarron's hold on the distinction, which he earned at the age of 32. A win aboard River Keen in Saturday's $1 million Pacific Classic would catapult Desormeaux over the $100 million mark.

Desormeaux holds the record for most races won in a single year, 598, and is the youngest rider to reach 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 victories. The winner of three Eclipse Awards, Desormeaux is one of only three riders to win Eclipse Awards as both an apprentice and journeyman jockey.

MANDELLA CAN'T LOSE MGM GRAND CLASSIC BONUS

With a sweep of both the Santa Anita Handicap and the Hollywood Gold Cup behind them, Richard Mandella's trio of Gentlemen, Siphon and Sandpit figure to capture the top three places in the MGM Grand Classic Crown and earn the $500,000 bonus money. The Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic, all $1 million Grade 1 races, comprise the MGM Grand Classic Crown which awards the bonus to horses who compete in at least two of the races and earn the most points. Siphon leads the series with 17 points, followed by barn mate Gentlemen with 15 points and Sandpit with 12.

A win in Saturday's Pacific Classic by a Mandella trainee will give the conditioner an unprecedented five consecutive victories in $1 million races. His horses have won the 1996 Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic and the 1997 Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup.

CALUMET TROPHY COLLECTION APPRAISED AT MORE THAN $5 MILLION

Less than two years after Sotheby's estimated the value of the Calumet trophy collection to be between $826,015 to $1,090,108, another New York auction house, Guernsey's, appraised the collection at $5 million. The court-ordered reappraisal of the 524 trophies increased their potential value by as much as 400 percent.

The Lexington, Ky.-based Committee to Save the Calumet Trophies will step up their fund-raising efforts to keep the collection housed at the Kentucky Horse Park, where it has been displayed since 1982. So far the group has raised $1.09 million. A private collector has offered $1.2 million for the entire collection which must be sold to settle debts of the Wright family, once owners of the legendary Calumet Farm.

James E. 'Ted' Bassett, chairman of the committee said they will continue to solicit private and public donations in their efforts to save the trophies despite the apparent increase in value.

No court date has been set to review the latest appraisal and determine a course of action on the possible sale of the collection, but a motion was filed in bankruptcy court on Monday requesting a hearing to do so.

FEDERAL GRAND JURY PROBES FORMER CALUMET OPERATIONS

Federal officials in Houston, Texas, are investigating the operation of Calumet Farm under the direction of former president J.T. Lundy and the 1990 death of the stallion Alydar. Former Calumet employees and at least one veterinarian who treated Alydar appeared before the grand jury last month. Additional testimony has been scheduled this month.

The Calumet bankruptcy was the largest in the history of the Thoroughbred industry and the death of Alydar resulted in a record- setting insurance claim.

ATLANTIC CITY FORMALLY APPLIES FOR AUTO RACING

Representatives from Atlantic City Race Course formally applied on Tuesday, Aug. 5, to bring NASCAR and Indy-sanctioned auto racing to the New Jersey racetrack. The officials filed the application to local government offices in Hamilton Township, where the track is located, and to the state Pinelands Commission, an agency that regulates development in an environmentally pristine region of the state. The application for a general development plan, if approved, will enable construction of an auto racing facility on the 250-acre property. Both the Hamilton Township and the Pinelands Commission must approve the application before the track can begin to take steps to build an auto racetrack.

President and Chief Operating Officer Jim Murphy noted, 'When completed, this project will be one additional piece in the puzzle allowing Atlantic City to reach its potential as a destination resort.'

NYRA FRANCHISE RENEWAL IS STALLED

A bill that would have extended The New York Racing Association's franchise to operate Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga racetracks has been delayed by New York Governor George Pataki. NYRA's franchise expires December 31, 2000. The Governor indicated that he would not sign the bill, which passed the State Assembly on Aug. 4, unless changes were made to increase the state's oversight of the company. Pataki's move will likely delay the vote on the bill until after Sept. 1. If NYRA's franchise is not extended by that date, Pataki is mandated to create a nine-member committee to solicit proposals from interested parties.

Patrick McCarthy, a Pataki spokesman told the Daily Racing Form, 'It is our belief the governor must abide by the statute. The governor does not want to see that bill pass without some government oversight. That is what he was concerned about, that NYRA did not have enough accountability.'

Aug. 8, 1970: Jockey Bill Shoemaker won his 6,000th career race, aboard Shining Count at Del Mar.

August 10, 1982: Mary Russ became the first female rider to surpass the $1 million mark in earnings when she finished third aboard Bammer in the fourth race at Saratoga.

August 12, 1943: Representatives of Suffolk Downs donated $625,000 to the National War Fund, the single largest contribution by any sports venue in support of the war effort. Six weeks later, an additional $10,885 was contributed. The track had held an 18-day War Charity meet to fund the donation.

August 13, 1919: Upset scored a win against Man o' War in the Sanford Memorial Stakes at Saratoga. The defeat was Big Red's only loss in 21 starts.

August 13, 1938: Mary Hirsch became the first woman to train a Travers Stakes winner when she sent Thanksgiving to victory for owner Anne Corning.

August 13, 1951: At odds of 2-1, Greentree Stable's Tom Fool won his maiden race by four lengths at Saratoga.

August 14, 1942: One of racing's oddities occurred at Saratoga when Rurales and Joe Burger finished in a dead-heat for first place, giving trainer W.O. Hicks, who saddled both horses, two winners in one race.

August 14, 1939: The record payoff for a $2 Daily Double, $10,772.40, occurred at Washington Park. Joy Bet and Merry Caroline were the two winning horses.

August 15, 1972 The 15-race winning streak of England's Brigadier Gerard was ended by John Galbreath's American-bred Roberto, ridden to a three-length victory by Braulio Baeza in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at York Racecourse. Brigadier Gerard, who finished second in the Gold Cup, went on to post two more victories before retiring with a record of 18-17-1-0.

August 9 Racehorse Digest 5:30-6:00 a.m. ESPN
August 9 Pacific Classic, Del Mar 5:30-6:00 p.m. ESPN
August 13 Racehorse Digest 5:00-5:30 p.m. ESPN
August 14 Racehorse Digest 3:00-3:30 a.m. ESPN
August 16 Racehorse Digest 5:30-6:00 a.m. ESPN

Pacific Classic, 3&up;, $1,000,000, 1 1-4M, Grade I, Del Mar
Trainer Richard Mandella, who has dominated this year's leading races for older horses in Southern California, has scared off most of his competitors for Saturday's $1-million Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar.

Mandella, who saddled the first three finishers in both the Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup, will send the winners of both races, Siphon and Gentlemen, respectively, in the 1 1/4-mile Classic. Sandpit, the third member of Mandella's formidable trio, appears headed back to turf for the Arlington Million on August 24 at Arlington International Racecourse.

Also entered in the Pacific Classic are Bel Air Handicap (G2) winner Crafty Friend, Californian Stakes winner, River Keen (Ire), and French Group 3 winner Percutant (GB), who is 2-for-3 in the United States but never has run on the main track. All starters carry 124 pounds. The field, in post position order with jockeys: 1. Crafty Friend, Alex Solis; 2. Percutant (GB), Corey Nakatani; 3. Siphon (Brz), Chris McCarron; 4. River Keen (Ire), Kent Desormeaux; 5. Lord Jain (Arg), Rene Douglas; 6. Gentlemen (Arg), Gary Stevens.

Rancho Bernardo Breeders' Cup Handicap, 3&up;, $100,000, 6 1-2F, Grade III, Del Mar
Track Gal will attempt to win her third consecutive Rancho Bernardo Handicap when the 6 1/2-furlong event for fillies and mares is run on Saturday.

A winner in 12-of-22 lifetime starts, Track Gal had recorded five losses before outlasting Avenue of Gold by a half-length in the Terlingua on July 16. Track Gal has $541,703 in career earnings and will carry highweight of 120 pounds in the Rancho Bernardo. Avenue of Gold will carry 118 pounds as she goes after her fourth stakes victory of 1997. Her previous three wins came at Golden Gate Fields, in the Soviet Problem Breeders' Cup, Desert Stormer, and Powder Room Handicaps.

Also assigned 118 pounds is Madame Pandit, who finished second in the Soviet Problem before winning the Jim Newman Handicap on June 25 at Hollywood by three lengths.

Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap, 3&up;, $250,000, 1 1-2M (T), Grade I, Saratoga
Influent, who has burst to prominence with four graded stakes victories in 1997, will attempt to win number five when he runs in the 1 1/2-mile Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap on Saturday at Saratoga.

The six-year-old gelded son of Ascot Knight had just one stakes victory from 28 lifetime starts entering this year. But he has been virtually unbeatable in five starts this year, winning the Caesars International, Bowling Green and Fort Marcy Handicaps and the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes, and finishing second in the New Hampshire Sweepstakes Handicap. Lifetime, Influent is 12-6-7 in 33 starts for earnings of $709,101.

The Sword Dancer field is also expected to include 1995 Arlington Million winner Awad, who has not won a stakes since that race and is coming off a third-place finish in the Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap on July 4 at Arlington International Racecourse; and multiple graded stakes winner Flag Down, who finished second to Influent in the Bowling Green Handicap on July 13.

Arlington Heights Oaks, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1-8M, Grade III, Arlington

Ballston Spa Breeders' Cup Stakes, 3&up; (f&m;), $200,000, 1 1-16M (T), Grade III, Saratoga

La Jolla Handicap, 3yo, $125,000, 1 1-16M (T), Grade III, Del Mar

Sweet & Sassy Handicap, 3&up; (f&m;), $100,000, 6F, Delaware

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