FLORIDA DERBY TO AIR THIS YEAR ON SPORTSCENTER

The $1,000,000 Florida Derby, a major prep race for the Kentucky Derby, will air during a special segment on SportsCenter Saturday, March 10, on ESPN2. Airtime for SportsCenter on March 10 is 6:00-7:00 p.m. (ET), with wire-to-wire coverage of the Florida Derby scheduled to be shown approximately one hour after the live running of the Grade I race for three-year-olds from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla. More

ANNOUNCER JIM KELLY TO HOST KENTUCKY DERBY SERIES

Popular ESPN host/commentator Jim Kelly has been selected to host the 2001 Citgo Racing to the Kentucky Derby series, it was announced today by NTRA Productions. Kelly will join Randy Moss on all eight episodes of the series, with Charlsie Cantey and Jeannine Edwards also providing commentary during the series. More

Kentucky DERBY FUTURE WAGER IS SET TO OPEN TODAY

Stronach Stable's Macho Uno, the champion 2-year-old of 2000, has suffered an injury that will prevent him from running in Kentucky Derby 127, prompting his removal from the list of wagering interests for Pool 1 of Churchill Downs' 2001 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Macho Uno's spot among the 24 wagering interests in Pool 1 of the Future Wager will be taken by Songandaprayer, a colt owned by former National Basketball Association star Bobby Hurley and the DJ Stable and trained by John Dowd.

Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is set to open today, Feb. 15 and continue through Sunday, Feb. 18. The Future Wager allows racing fans to place wagers on contenders for the Kentucky Derby months or weeks in advance at odds that may be more attractive than those they would receive on Derby Day. The Kentucky Derby Future Wager is a $2 minimum wager and is a win bet only. The list of 24 wagering interests for each pool includes 23 horses and a mutuel field that includes all other 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. Pool 1 opens at Noon (EST) and wagering will continue until 11:00 p.m. The same schedule will be in place on Friday and Saturday, but the pool's final day of wagering on Sunday, Feb. 18, will open at noon (EST) and close at 4:30 p.m. The odds that are in place at the close of wagering on Feb. 18 will be the official odds for the four-day pool.

Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is scheduled for March 8-11 and Pool 3 is set for April 5-8.

Here is the 2001 Kentucky Derby Future Wager official field with odds:

# Name Odds
1 A P Valentine 10-1
2 Buckle Down Ben 20-1
3 Burning Roma 20-1
4 City Zip 30-1
5 Dollar Bill 10-1
6 Early Flyer 20-1
7 Global Gait 30-1
8 Gold Trader 30-1
9 Hero's Tribute 30-1
10 Holiday Thunder 15-1
11 Invisible Ink 30-1
12 Meetyouathebrig 30-1
13 Millennium Wind 10-1
14 Monarchos 20-1
15 Mongoose 30-1
16 Ommadon 30-1
17 Outofthebox 30-1
18 Palmeiro 30-1
19 Point Given 6-1
20 Songandaprayer 30-1
21 Startac 15-1
22 Street Cry 20-1
23 Talk Is Money 30-1
24 All Other 3-Year-Olds 5-1

FUSAICHI PEGASUS MEETS CUPID

Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 Kentucky Derby winner who is now a $60 million freshman stallion, resumed training on Valentine's Day -- in the stud barn. Four-year-old 'Fu Peg' had his first date, with the six-year-old stakes-winning Irish mare 'Name of Love,' at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. Fusaichi Pegasus covered the mare -- a mother of two fillies -- with no problems. The young stud's 'book' is filled with at least 100 more dates in the 2001 breeding season.

FORTNER WINS THE LUV ME LUV ME NOT RACE

Jockey Joddie Fortner captured Wednesday's all-female race, the Luv Me Luv Me Not at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. Patricia Cooksey finished second, while Turfway's current leading rider Kris Prather was fifth. For the Luv Me Luv Me Not and all the other races won by a female jockey on the Valentine's Day card, Turfway donated $500 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Turfway will donate a total of $2,500 to the Foundation.

DESORMEAUX AWARDED AN ESPY FOR TOP JOCK

Jockey Kent Desormeaux was presented the ESPY Award for outstanding jockey on Monday, Feb. 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Originally from Louisiana's Cajun country, the Southern California resident became the youngest jockey to reach the 3,000-wins mark, which he achieved in 1995, at the age of 25. Desormeaux, who piloted 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, now has two Derby victories to his credit. Real Quiet and Desormeaux teamed up to win the Run for the Roses in 1998. In addition to the ESPY Award, Desormeaux has amassed three Eclipse Awards (1987,1989,1992)and is the recipient of the 1993 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.

RACING ON THE AIR (all times Eastern)

February 17 Racehorse Digest, 5:30-6:00 a.m., ESPN
February 18 "Citgo Racing to the Kentucky Derby," Risen Star Stakes (Fair Grounds), Fountain of Youth Stakes (Gulfstream), 5:00-6:00 p.m., ESPN2
February 21 Racehorse Digest, 1:00-1:30 p.m., ESPN
February 24 Racehorse Digest, 5:30-6:00 a.m., ESPN
February 25 "NTRA 2Day at the Races," Las Flores Handicap (Santa Anita), John B. Connally Breeders' Cup Turf (Sam Houston), Jersey Lilly (Sam Houston), Sam Houston Turf Cup Sprint (Sam Houston), 1:00-1:30 a.m., ESPN2
February 28 Racehorse Digest, 1:00-1:30 p.m., ESPN

RACING TO HISTORY

Feb. 8, 1941: Whirlaway began his three-year-old season with a win in a six furlong allowance race at Hialeah.

Feb. 9, 1940: After a year's absence from competition, seven-year-old Seabiscuit, champion handicap horse of 1937 and 1938, returned to racing at Santa Anita, where he finished third in a handicap race. Seabiscuit ran three more races in 1940, concluding his career with a win in the Santa Anita Handicap.

Feb. 9, 1974: Jockey Chris McCarron rode his first winner, a five-year-old gelding named Erezev, at Bowie Racecourse. By year's end, McCarron had established a then-record number of winners for a single season: 546. Fifteen years later, on Nov. 30, 1989, jockey Kent Desormeaux eclipsed that mark.

Feb. 10, 1998: Undefeated Two-Year-Old Champion Favorite Trick was named 1997 Horse of the Year.

Feb. 11, 1933: The Jockey Club released data showing that as of 1932, the U.S. had surpassed Great Britain and Ireland in foal production for the first time, to become the world's leading producer of Thoroughbreds.

Feb. 12, 1981: Julie Krone rode her first career winner, a $3,500 claimer named Lord Farkle, which was owned and trained by Les St. Leon, in the sixth race at Tampa Bay Downs.

Feb. 14, 1966: Buckpasser suffered the only defeat of his three-year-old season when he finished second in a non-betting race, the Black Caesar Purse, at Hialeah. He went on to post 13 consecutive victories in 1966 (12 of them in stakes races), but was unable to compete in any of the Triple Crown races because of a hoof injury.

Feb. 14, 1990: Ladbroke at Golden Gate Fields inaugurated co-pooling of its wagers with those of a sister organization, Ladbroke Racing Wyoming. The co-pooling of wagers across state lines, made possible by California legislation that had gone into effect Jan. 1, was a first in U.S. racing.

Feb. 15, 1974: Future Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew was foaled at White Horse Acres, Lexington, Ky.

Feb. 16, 1891: At the urging of Pierre Lorillard, the Board of Control, composed of seven representatives of the racing industry, was formed to govern Thoroughbred racing. The Board's powers extended to matters of licensing; allotment of racing dates; and the regulation of purse payments. The Board, as the governing body for racing, was succeeded by The Jockey Club, formed in 1894.

Feb. 16, 1999: Jockey Julie Krone became the first female jockey to win 3,500 races, taking the third race at Fair Grounds.

Feb. 17, 1985: Laffit Pincay Jr. had his 6,000th career win, aboard Doria's Delight in the fifth race at Santa Anita Park.

Feb. 22, 1969: Barbara Jo Rubin became the first woman jockey to win a parimutuel race in America when she rode Cohesion to victory at Charles Town.

Feb. 23, 1935: Seven-year-old Azucar, a former steeplechaser, won the inaugural Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita Park.

Feb. 24, 1947: Acting upon an earlier recommendation by The Jockey Club stewards, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations unanimously approved lip tattoos as a method of identifying Thoroughbred racehorses.

Feb. 24, 1979: Trainer J.C. Williams saddled eight winners in 12 attempts at Waterford Park. Williams also owned seven of those eight winners.

Feb. 25, 1990: The 11th race at Charles Town was declared a no-contest because the starting gate could not be removed from the track after the race had begun. The track announcer warned the jockeys to pull up their mounts, and the track subsequently refunded all wagers on the race.

Feb. 25, 1998: The purse of the Breeders' Cup Distaff was increased from $1 million to $2 million, effective with that year's Breeders' Cup Championship at Churchill Downs.

Feb. 25, 1999: Jockey Robbie Davis got his 3,000 win aboard Inevitably Private in the fourth race at Gulfstream Park.

Feb. 26, 1973: With Secretariat having been named Horse of the Year for 1972 and champion two-year-old, it was announced by Claiborne Farm that the colt had been syndicated for a then-record $6,080,000-equivalent to 32 shares at $190,000 each.

Feb. 27, 1982: Florida apprentice Mary Russ became the first female jockey to win a Grade I stakes in North America when she captured the Widener Handicap aboard Lord Darnley at Hialeah.

Feb. 28, 1957: John Longden became the first jockey in history to reach 5,000 victories.

WEEKEND STAKES RACES (unrestricted stakes worth $75,000 and up)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Fountain of Youth Stakes, 3yo, $200,000, Grade I, 1 1/16 M, Gulfstream Park
San Luis Obispo Handicap, 4&up, $200,000, Grade II, 1½ M (T), Santa Anita Park
Barbara Fritchie Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $200,000, Grade II, 7F, Laurel Park
Silverbulletday Stakes, 3yo fillies, $125,000, Grade III, 1 1/16 M, Fair Grounds
Dearly Precious Stakes, 3yo fillies, $75,000, 6F, Aqueduct

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Santa Maria Handicap, 4&up (f&m), $200,000, Grade I, 1 1/16 M, Santa Anita Park
Risen Star Stakes, 3yo, $125,000, 1 1/16 M, Fair Grounds
Suwannee River Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $100,000, Grade III, 1 1/8 M (T), Gulfstream Park
John B. Campbell Handicap, 4&up, $100,000, 1 3/16 M, Laurel Park

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19
General George Handicap, 3&up, $200,000, Grade II, 7F, Laurel Park
Buena Vista Handicap, 4&up (f&m), $150,000, Grade II, 1M (T), Santa Anita Park
Palm Beach Stakes, 3yo, $100,000, Grade III, 1 1/8 M (T), Gulfstream Park
Rare Treat Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $100,000, Grade III, 1 1/8 M, Aqueduct
California Oaks, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1 1/16 M (T), Golden Gate Fields