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

IT'S MILLER TIME AT COLONIAL DOWNS

Colonial Downs, the nation's newest racetrack, signed a four-year sponsorship and promotional agreement with the Miller Brewing Company, which will make Miller products the only brands available at the Virginia track. Miller is also expected to sponsor several promotions and will receive on-track signage and advertising in the track's program.

FIRST WOMAN RIDER STILL WINNING

Diane Crump, the first woman rider in America, won the third race at The Meadowlands, Sept. 24, aboard 22-1 longshot Deerman, who is also trained by Crump. On Feb. 7,1 969, she became the first woman jockey in America to compete in a parimutuel race when she finished 10th of 12 aboard a 48-1 shot, Bridle 'n Bit, in the seventh race at Hialeah Park.

On March 20 of that year, Crump rode her first winner at Gulfstream Park. She went on to become the first female jockey to win a stakes race after capturing the Spring Fiesta Cup at the Fair Grounds on March 29, 1969 and the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, when she was aboard Fathom in his 15th-place finish in 1970.

BRITISH RACING LOOKS TO TELEVISION

The British Horseracing Board released a proposal designed to increase racing's exposure on television. A committee said that racing needs to schedule at least one meeting at a top-class racecourse each Saturday, a move it feels would make racing more attractive to both television stations and bettors.

The committee also recommended that the BHB create a position within its planning department for an executive who is responsible for improving the product for television and working with other BHB staffers in planning the fixture list to mesh with broadcasters' schedules. Feature races should have a minimum of eight runners because studies have shown that bettors are more attracted to races that have a large number of runners. Thirty percent of televised races last year had fewer than eight entrants while eight percent had four entries or less.

Sept. 26, 1942: The Jockey Club stewards revoked Eddie Arcaro's license for one year after his display of "rough riding" aboard odds-on favorite Occupation in the Cowdin Stakes on Sept. 19. In the Cowdin, Arcaro deliberately drove his horse into another, Breezing Home, knocking his jockey, Vincent Nodarse, into the infield. Nodarse and his mount had crowded Arcaro at the start of the race, almost causing him to be unseated.

Sept. 27, 1894: Aqueduct Racetrack opened its doors. The building was torn down in 1955 and the new Aqueduct was reopened on Sept. 14, 1959.

Sept. 27, 1947: Armed, then the world's leading money-winning Thoroughbred, met 1946 Kentucky Derby winner Assault in the first $100,000 winner-take-all match race, held at Belmont Park. Armed earned an easy victory over Assault, who was not in peak racing condition.

Sept. 28, 1983: Atlantic City Racecourse and The Meadowlands became the first U.S. tracks to engage in simulcasting. The previous year, Woodbine and Fort Erie in Canada had been the first to experiment with simulcasting.

Sept. 28, 1996: Jockey Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori won seven-of-seven races at Ascot, a single-day wins record in England. His win streak was estimated to have cost English bookmakers 30 million pounds and to have caused the closing of as many as 40 bookmaking shops, which suffered heavy losses after paying off winning punters.

Sept. 28, 1996: Jockey Dave Gall won his 7,000th career race, at Fairmount Park aboard A. J. Onray. He was the fourth rider to attain 7,000 wins.

Sept. 29, 1973: Prove Out, trained by Allen Jerkens, beat the 3-10 favorite Secretariat in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. Another Jerkens trainee, Onion, had defeated Secretariat in the Whitney Stakes on Aug. 4 at Saratoga.

Sept. 30, 1898: Jockey Tod Sloan, whose life was the basis for Yankee Doodle Dandy, rode five consecutive winners at England's Newmarket Racecourse.

Sept. 30, 1922: After a 17-year hiatus, racing returned to Chicago when Hawthorne Park opened with a 13-day meet. The popular gelding Exterminator, winner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby and the then-second-leading money winner of all time, made a special appearance, racing against the track record time of 2:04 3-5 for 1 1/4 miles. He completed the distance in 2:10.

Sept. 30, 1969: Jockey Kathy Kusner won her first career race, at Pocono Downs. Kusner, a former rider with the U.S. Equestrian Team, had sued to obtain a jockey's license in Maryland in 1968. She won her case but was subsequently sidelined by a broken leg suffered in a training accident.

Sept. 30, 1981: Jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. won his 5,000th career race, aboard Wander in the seventh race at Santa Anita Park.

Sept. 30, 1990: Bill Shoemaker had his first graded stakes win as a trainer when Baldomero (IRE) won the Grade III Golden Harvest Handicap at Louisiana Downs.

Oct. 2, 1943: Belmont Park hosted "Back the Attack" day in support of the war effort. Admission was by purchase of $25 or $100 war bonds. Approximately $25 million was raised.

Oct. 2, 1981: At age 17, Behavin Jerry, the oldest Thoroughbred in racing competition, set the record for most career starts by a Thoroughbred, 307. Behavin Jerry began his career as a two-year-old in 1966 and raced every year thereafter through 1978. He took two years off, 1979-80, and returned to racing at age 17 in 1981.

Oct. 3, 1942: With a victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Whirlaway, ridden by George Woolf, became the first Thoroughbred to amass more than $500,000 in lifetime earnings.

Sept. 27, Racehorse Digest, 5:30-6:00 a.m., ESPN
Sept. 27, W.V. Breeders Classic, Charles Town, 3:30-4:00 p.m.,ESPN2
Oct. 2, Racehorse Digest, 3:00-3:30 a.m., ESPN
Oct. 2, Racehorse Digest, 3:00-3:30 p.m., ESPN
Oct. 4, Racehorse Digest, 5:30-6:00 a.m., ESPN

Vosburgh Stakes, 3&up;, $250,000, 7 Furlongs, Grade I, Belmont
Three-year-olds Tale of the Cat, Partner's Hero and Kelly Kip are scheduled to run in the Vosburgh. Tale of the Cat, who has won three-of-four starts, won the Grade II King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga, Aug. 23, by an easy 5 1-2 lengths. Partner's Hero won his last, the Sept. 13 Grade II Kentucky Cup Sprint Stakes, while Kelly Kip recorded his first win of 1997 with 3 1/2-length victory in an allowance race at Saratoga, Aug. 23. Also expected are: Northern Afleet, winner of three graded stakes this year; and Score a Birdie, who won the Grade II Forego Handicap at Saratoga, Sept. 1.

Arlington-Washington Lassie S., 2yo, $100,000g, 1 Mile, Grade II, Arlington International

Cup and Saucer Stakes, 2yo, $150,000, 1 1/16 Miles Turf, Woodbine

Louisiana Downs Handicap, 3&up;, $125,000, 1 1/16 Miles Turf, Louisiana Downs

Pomona Derby, 3yo, $100,000g, 1 1/8 Miles, Fairplex

Turfway Championship Handicap, 3&up;, $75,000g, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade III, Turfway

William P. Kyne Handicap, 3&up;, $100,000g, 1 1/8 Miles, Grade III, Bay Meadows

Super Derby, 3yo, $500,000g, 1 1/4 Miles, Grade I, Louisiana Downs
Free House and Deputy Commander meet for the second time in two months. Free House won their last meeting by 3 1-2 lengths in the July 20 Grade II Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park. Deputy Commander rebounded to win the Grade I Travers Stakes while Free House finished behind Touch Gold and Anet in the Grade I Haskell Invitational Handicap. Free House was second in the Preakness Stakes and third in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Awesome Again won the Queen's Plate and Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes while Mr. Groush accounted for the Grade III Alabama Derby at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 30.

Damascus Stakes, 3&up;, $100,000, 1 Mile Turf, Colonial Downs

Gottstein Futurity, 2yo, $100,000, 1 1/16 Miles, Emerald Downs

Indiana Oaks, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1/16 Miles, Hoosier Park

Lawrence Realization Handicap, 3yo, $100,000, 1 1/2 Miles Turf, Grade III, Belmont

Mazarine Breeders' Cup Stakes, 2yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1/16 Miles, Woodbine

Ralph M. Hinds Pomona Handicap, 3&up;, $100,000, 1 1/8 Miles, Fairplex Park

Sky Classic Handicap, 3&up;, $100,000, 1 3/8 Miles Turf, Woodbine