Keeneland

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainers continue to ship horses out of Palm Meadows, the training center for Gulfstream Park, as an outbreak of strangles received national attention yesterday during a teleconference call supposedly featuring the Florida Derby. The $1 million Florida Derby on Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach in South Florida is one of the premier races leading to the Kentucky Derby. But yesterday, during a teleconference call sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the race took a backseat to strangles, the bacterial infection confirmed in five horses (with a sixth possible)

Jimmy Croll minced few words yesterday in describing the condition of his horse, Holy Bull, going into tomorrow's Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland (Ky.) Race Course."He's at the top of his game," said the 73-year-old trainer, who also owns the horse. "He's doing absolutely great."That's sad news to rival horsemen who might have hoped the horse was shopworn or tired after his awesome front-running performance a month ago in the Florida Derby. But it's good news for a sport that desperately needs a charismatic headliner to help bring it out of the doldrums.

In the fractious sport of horse racing, even dirt can create controversy. The issue is dirt tracks vs. synthetic surfaces, a debate that has come to the forefront since the Eight Belles tragedy at the Kentucky Derby. Many believe synthetic tracks, which include about 80 percent sand and a mixture of fibers and waxes, can reduce injuries and deaths among horses. Others say dirt tracks, if properly maintained, are better for the sport. The evidence, while sometimes conflicting, favors synthetic tracks.

The owner and trainer of Coronado's Quest, the enigmatic horse of the 1998 Preakness, made a decision yesterday about the horse running in the race: They're going to decide later, perhaps today."

HALLANDALE, Fla. -- Orchids, bagels and indecision.These components made up the post-race Florida Derby scene yesterday morning at Howie Tesher's barn at Gulfstream Park.The center of attention was the big roan colt, Bull Inthe Heather, surprise winner of the race and one of two legitimate Kentucky Derby contenders to emerge from the stakes on Saturday. The other is the fast-closing Wallenda, who finished third.The owners and trainers of runner-up Storm Tower are re-considering their plans and might opt to bypass the Derby and aim for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 15.Bull Inthe Heather surveyed the scene outside Tesher's barn yesterday with one slightly swollen eye, received no doubt from the impact of a lot of mud being kicked into his face after his come-from-behind victory the previous afternoon.

Today: Several recent stakes winners are among nine entered for the 15th running of the $200,000 Baltimore Breeders' Cup Handicap. The Grade III event, to be contested at 1 1/8 miles, heads the weekend cards that focus on turf racing. Twelve of the 21 races - including the Breeders' Cup and tomorrow's Riggs Handicap - will be contested over grass. High weight and likely favorite for the Cup is Black Cash, a Stronach Stable 5-year-old trained by Joe Orseno. The son of Deposit Ticket captured the Grade 2 Eclipse Handicap in Canada at Woodbine Race Course last month.

According to Nick Nicholson, the president of Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., the 1938 match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral at Pimlico is the equivalent in racehorse history of "Babe Ruth's 60th home run or Roger Maris' 61st." So why did Gary Ross, who strove for exact detail when he directed the hit film Seabiscuit, restage that race at Keeneland instead of Pimlico? As he said in an interview the week before the movie's opening, the answer is simple: "Pimlico has been modernized to an extent that made it impossible to use for period purposes."

Trainer Reade Baker looked around the Pimlico Race Course barn Saturday morning. What he saw was the rain pounding on the roof and, aside from his Preakness entry Kentucky Bear, a lot of empty stalls. "I'm from the old school," Baker said. "I've been in this a long time, and I've always thought you take a good horse to a big race early. "I want my horse here. I want to take him to the track and breeze him and see how he likes it. I want to take him to the paddock and school him in the gate.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- You're sitting at home, watching TV.You get all teary-eyed when the Derby field parades onto the track and the band starts playing "My Old Kentucky Home."Gosh, wouldn't it be great to be at Churchill Downs and actually have a horse in the race?What does it take to get there on the first Saturday in May and experience such a thrill?Basically, a lot of money.Of the 19 horses that were entered in this year's race, none were bargain-basement buys, although some careful shopping might have uncovered a starter or two in the $20,000 range.

Out-of-town shippers continued their recent domination of stakes events at Laurel Race Course yesterday when lightly regarded New Jersey invader Our Royal Blue led from start to finish and won the $31,750 Notches Trace Stakes.The 21.60-1 long shot, ridden by Rick Wilson, turned back challenges from a pair of heavily favored fillies, Pleasant Dilemma and Lady Reiko.Pleasant Dilemma, winner of the Marshua Stakes at Laurel last month, finished second, followed by the previously unbeaten Lady Reiko, who faltered in the stretch after racing into contention going into the turn.