Private Terms

P Day brought back more to Charles H. Hadry than the chance for another paycheck when he rejoined the Hadry stable last fall after a failed foray into New York. The 8-year-old horse whom Hadry bred, trained and owned brought renewal to the veteran trainer at a time when spirit meant more than money. Hadry, 72, perhaps the most respected horseman in Maryland, has cancer. Overseeing the return of his favorite horse, especially under such unusual circumstances, was a boost. "It's the best thing that could have happened to him," said Charles J. Hadry, his son. "Horses are his life, his job, all he cares about outside his family.

Our Peak, a 73-1 long shot with Rosie Napravnik up, charged down the middle of the racetrack to nip Ah Day in the shadow of the finish line and win the $85,000 Private Terms Stakes yesterday at Laurel Park. Napravnik, an 18-year-old apprentice, won her first stakes race last weekend aboard Reckless Ways. Her star continues to ascend as she brought the son of Peaks And Valleys home in 1 minute, 38.66 seconds in the one-mile Private Terms. Katy Voss trains Our Peak, a winner of just a maiden race and an allowance start, both at nearby Charles Town.

Chances of the Laurel-based Toccet representing Maryland in the Kentucky Derby, already slim, diminished further yesterday with the confirmation of a bruise on the colt's right front foot. Toccet's owner, Dan Borislow, flew to Maryland early yesterday from his home in Florida and brought noted veterinarian Steve Allday with him. Allday examined Toccet in his stall at Laurel. Borislow said later that the bruise has forced Toccet out of training for a few days. "Making the Derby's going to be tough," Borislow said.

Charles H. Hadry, one of the most beloved and respected horsemen in Maryland, died yesterday morning of cancer at his home in Westminster. He was 72. At 16, Hadry began working at the Laurel racetrack for Hall of Fame trainer Frank Whiteley Jr. Hadry began training on his own in the 1950s and reached his zenith in 1988 with Private Terms, the favorite in the Kentucky Derby. He had been ill for about a year, but particularly so in recent weeks. It's almost as if he fought to stay alive until his horse, P Day, could run in the $100,000 John B. Campbell Handicap at Laurel Park.

The trainer from New York put his horse and groom on a van, pointed them toward Maryland and sent along instructions for Edgar Prado: Come from off the pace.That simple formula worked for Belmont-based trainer Richard Schosberg and his fast-closing Karly's Harley. The 3-year-old gelding charged from last yesterday to win the Herat Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race worth $54,025 at Laurel Park.Karly's Harley is a son of Harlan, the 10-year-old stallion who died two weeks ago of a ruptured aorta in the breeding shed at Stone Farm in Paris, Ky.Harlan's promising son became the latest New York invader to capture Maryland stakes money when he allowed the three local entrants -- Lead Em Home, Perfect Score and Raire Standard -- to battle on the lead from the break all the way into the homestretch.

"Maryland's Silky Sullivan."That's what writers in the press box at Santa Anita Park dubbed Looming after they read about and saw the video of the horse's performance in the Private Terms Stakes on April 2.In case you didn't catch the action at Pimlico Race Course that day, here's what happened in probably the most thrilling race to be run in Maryland this year: The 3-year-old colt was wiped out at the start, dropped back nearly 25 lengths off the pace and then made such a devastating move in the stretch that he not only won the race, but made the other horses look as if they were standing still.

Because of an editing error, a story in yesterday's editions incorrectly identified the stallion Two Punch as the country's leading thoroughbred sire. He is the leading sire in number of wins by his offspring this year. He ranks 21st in the nation in amount of money earned by his offspring.* The Sun regrets the error.CHESAPEAKE CITY -- Like the campus of some quaint coeducational boarding school, residents are divided by sex at the Northview Stallion Station.The stallions live on one side of the road.

It wasn't Carry Back, but it was thrilling.That's how one fan described the come-from-behind performance of the 3-year-old colt Looming yesterday.After being nearly pulled up at the start, he made up about 25 lengths and won the $53,700 Private Terms Stakes at Pimlico Race Course."

"This is what we've been waiting for!" Trevor Denman, track announcer at Santa Anita Park, yelled into the microphone yesterday when Brocco and Valiant Nature hooked up in the stretch run of the $208,500 San Felipe Stakes.But then, out of the blue, came a little-known colt named Soul Of The Matter bred in West Virginia, sired by a Maryland stallion that ran down the best two 3-year-olds in California and won the race by 2 1/4 lengths over Brocco, winter book favorite to win the 1994 Kentucky Derby.

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.