W•E•E•K•E•N•D PREVIEW DEAUVILLE YEARLING SALE BEGINS TODAY Today, Sarntoga: L' Agence Francaise's 1997 Deauville Yearling Sale TRAVERS S.-GI, $750,000, 3yo, 1 1 /4m opens today in Deauville, France and runs through PP HORSE TRAINER JOCKEY ODDS Thursday, Aug. 28. A total of 509 yearlings have been 1 Blazing Sword O'Connell Boulanger 15-1 catalogued including Hip 63, a full brother to G1 Prix 2 Behrens Bond Bailey 5-2 Lupin winner Cloudings by Sadler' s Wells--lspahan; Hip 3 Twin S1Pires Lukas Bravo 20-1 75, a half-brother by Saumarez to Japan Cup runner-up 4 Deputy Commander Dollase Mccarron 4-1 Fabulous La Fouine; and Hip 95, a half-sister by Zafonic 5 Affirmed Success Schosberg Chavez 5-1 to MGSW Titus Livi us. In 1996 and 1997, 1 2 Deauville 6 Awesome Again Hofmans Smith 9-5 graduates have won 1 6 Group 1 or Grade I races. These 7 Cryptocloser Frostad Antley 8-1 Deauville stars include Helissio--the third Deauville-sold 8 Affairwithpeaches Marino Migliore 30-1 winner of the Prix de I' Arc de Triomphe in five years; Awesome Again (Deputy Minister), hero of the French champion Shake the Yoke; and Breeders' Cup Queens' Plate and Gii Jim Dandy S. in his last two Sprint and Eclipse Award winner Lit de Justice. starts, is the 9-5 morning line favorite for the 1 28th Travers. "He drew a good post with speed inside him COX'S RIDGE PENSIONED Top racehorse and and rain will not hinder him," jockey Mike Smith said. stallion Cox's Ridge (Best Turn) has been retired from California invader Deputy Commander (Deputy Minister) stallion duty, a Claiborne Farm spokesperson confirmed wired the field in the Giii Affirmed H. June 15 before yesterday. He was pensioned due to declining fertility finishing second to Free House in the July 20 Gii Swaps and health problems due to old age. On the racetrack, S. "He appears to be fit and this is the best I've ever Cox's Ridge won 11 stakes including the GI Metropoli­ seen him," trainer Wally Dollase said. Affirmed Success tan H. for earnings of $667, 172. Upon conclusion of his (Affirmed) set the pace and held on for third in the Jim racing career he entered stud at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Dandy S. to suffer his first career loss. Kentucky, where he stood through the 1997 breeding NOTE: A severe thunderstorm hit Saratoga Springs season. He is the sire of more than 40 stakes winners Friday evening, bringing hail and lightning and causing and the earners of over $33 million, including champi­ trees to fall in the track's infield. Due to the heavy pre­ ons Life's Magic, Cardmania and Vanlandingham and cipitation, it is probable that today's Travers will be run Grade I winners Sultry Song, De Roche, Lost Mountain, over a wet track. Twilight Ridge, Scuffleburg, Pine Circle, Little Missouri, Dream Team and Trapp Mountain. Today, Monmouth: PHILIP H. !SELIN H.-Gll, $250,000, 3yo/up, 1 1 /16m PP HOHSE TRAINER JOCKEY ODDS FAVORITE TRICK'S SCHEDULE SET Undefeated 1 Skip Away Hine Sellers 6-5 two-year-old colt Favorite Trick (Phone Trick), who 2 Formal Gold Perry Desormeaux 8-5 counts the Gii Saratoga Special, Giii Bashford Manor S. 3 Foolish Pole Croll Gryder 8-1 and Kentucky Breeders' Cup S. among his five career 4 Distorted Humor Walden Day 2-1 victories, will start next in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga Skip Away (Skip Trial) and Formal Gold (Black Tie Aug. 30, trainer Patrick Byrne confirmed yesterday. "We Affair) will go at it again in today's lselin. The four-year­ are looking at a championship for this colt, and champi­ olds have built up quite a rivalry in '97. In their four ons come out of Saratoga," Byrne said. "Favorite Trick head-to-head battles this year, each has finished in front will have only three more races this year: the Hopeful, of the other twice, with Skip Away winning the Giii the Keeneland Futurity (Oct. 1 8) and the Breeders' Cup Mass 'Cap and Gii Suburban H. and Formal Gold taking Juvenile (Nov. 8 at Hollywood Park)." the GI Donn H. and finishing second to Skip Away's third in the GI Whitney H. at Saratoga Aug. 2. Foolish STAKES CLOSINGS • Pole (Polish Number)'s trainer Jimmy Croll is realistic TODAY, SATURDAY, AUGUST 23: • about his colt's chances. "We are the longshot in the 9-6 $100/100,000 Belmont Breeders' Cup H.- I t race, but I know one thing for sure," Croll said. "We'll Gil/, Bel, 3yo/up, 8.5fT ($100) be no worse than fourth." 9-7 $200,000 Gazelle H.-GI, Bel, 3yo, f, 9f ($200} Weekend Preview Continued, p. 3. PAGE 2 • THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS • 8-23-97 SUFFOLK MAY HOST HARNESS RACES After a RESULTS 24-year absence, harness racing could return to Suffolk • • Downs next month. According to the Harness Tracks of Yesterday, Saratoga: America newsletter, the Massachusetts Racing Commis­ JOHN A. MORRIS H.-Gl, $350,000, SAR, 8-22, 3yo/up, sion has granted Suffolk permission to hold Massachu­ f/m, 1 1 /4m, 2:03 3/5, sy. setts Sire Stakes races for standardbreds. The races 1--CLEAR MANDATE, 115, m, 5, Deputy Minister--Dream need a home after Foxboro Raceway was forced to Deal (GISW, $215,222), by Sharpen Up (GB). 0-G close. The races would be held Sept. 2 and Sept. 9. Watts Humphrey Jr; B-G Watts Humphrey Jr & Pamela According to track spokesman Chip Tuttle, Suffolk is H Firman (KY); T-George R Arnold II; J-M E Smith; "exploring the possibility" of holding the races. Accord­ $210,000. Lifetime Record: 28-9-5-4, $699,238. ing to HTA records, harness racing was last conducted 2--Shoop, 111, m, 6, Double Sonic--Noble Dream at Suffolk in 1973. Maker, by An Eldorado. 0-Davis Barbara J; B-Petrucione Joseph (FL); $70,000. TRF AUCTION AT BELMONT SEPTEMBER 21 3--Power Play, 11 7, m, 5, Fast Play--Spinnaker Sal, by The annual Racing Memorabilia Auction to benefit the Fast Hilarious. ($67,000 yrl '93 KEESEP). 0-Robert A. Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation will be held Leonard; B-Nancy M Leonard Living Trust (MD); trackside at Belmont Park on Super Sunday, Sept. 21 at $38,500. 1 O a.m. Seventy lots will be offered including two Margins: 5, 2 3/4, 2 1 /4. Odds: 3.05, 9.30, 8.50. Breeders' Cup tickets for Nov. 8 at Hollywood Park and Also Ran: Golden Bri, Gold N Delicious, My Flag. the official winner's circle photo from Northern Dancer's Scratched: Briarcliff. 1964 Kentucky Derby. Proceeds from the auction pro­ Clear Mandate was third behind Hidden Lake in the GI vide funds for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Go For Wand at Saratoga in her last outing July 27. The which for 1 5 years has been offering a safe haven for second choice raced just off the early leaders prior to retired racehorses. Catalogs are available at the Belmont advancing along the rail to take the lead on the far turn lnformatiion Booths or by mail at P.O. Box 153, and drawing away in the stretch under a hand ride. "It Albertson, NY 11 507. Absentee bids will be accepted. was a great race," winning jockey Mike Smith said. "I knew when I went to the paddock she was going to run JIM BOLUS AND BOB BAFFERT HONORED BY well, but I didn't know if we would win. She was just The late racing writer Jim Bolus and trainer Bob skipping across the mud." Winning trainer George NTWA Baffert have won awards from the National Turf Writers "Rusty" Arnold added, "If she comes out of the race Association, it was announced Friday. For the first time, good, we'll go to the (Sept. 20 GI) Ruffian and then the NTWA members bestowed two awards upon the same (Oct. 19 GI) Beldame." 5-2 favorite GOLD N DELICIOUS person in the same year, choosing Bolus to posthu­ (Gold Alert), second in the Gill Delaware H. in her latest mously receive the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious outing July 13, was never a factor, finishing fifth. service to racing and the Walter Haight Award for excel­ News Continued. lence in turf journalism. Baffert will be honored with the Mr. Fitz Award for exemplifying the spirit of horse rac­ NTRA NAMES NICHOLSON INTERIM CHIEF ing. ThEl awards will be presented at the organization's OPERATING OFFICER The National Thoroughbred 38th annual dinner Nov. 5, 1997 in Santa Monica, Racing Association yesterday announced the appoint­ California. ment of Nick Nicholson as interim Chief Operating Offi­ cer. Nicholson, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club, will work closely with © Cop~fright Thoroughbred Daily News. NTRA President D.G. Van Clief Jr. in moving ahead with This newspaper may not be reproduced in any form or recently-unveiled plans to compete with other profes­ by anv means, electronic or mechanical, without prior sional sports through a national office which will coordi­ written permission of the copyright owner, Media Vista. nate, promote and market Thoroughbred racing. "We Information as to the races, race results and earnings are delighted to have Nick's invaluable assistance on a was obtained from results charts published in Daily day-to-day basis and particularly grateful to The Jockey Racing Form and utilized herewith with the permission Club for making him available to devote virtually 100 of the copyright owner, Daily Racing Form.