NTRA ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR ECLIPSE AWARDS

KENTUCKY HORSEMEN REAFFIRM SUPPORT OF NTRA

The Board of Directors of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has voted to renew its membership in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) for another year, joining the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, which previously reaffirmed its support of the NTRA for 2001.

RACING ON THE AIR (all times Eastern)
January 6 Racehorse Digest, 4:30-5:00 a.m., ESPN
January 10 Racehorse Digest, 1:00-1:30 p.m., ESPN
January 13 Racehorse Digest, 4:30-5:00 a.m., ESPN
January 17 Racehorse Digest, 3:00-3:30 a.m., ESPN

RACING TO HISTORY

Jan. 4, 1946: Canadian-born jockey George Woolf, known as "The Iceman" for his coolness in the saddle, died after falling head first from his mount, Please Me, during a race at Santa Anita Park the previous day. He was 35. During his career, (1928-1946) Woolf had 3,784 mounts, 721 wins, 589 seconds and 468 thirds, with earnings of $2,856,125. Since 1950, Santa Anita Park has annually presented the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award to a rider who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.

Jan. 5, 1944: A bill permitting off-track betting was introduced in the New York State Assembly. Over the next several decades, a series of bills would be introduced in favor of OTB, which finally gained legal sanction in New York in 1970.

Jan. 5, 1980: Spectacular Bid began his undefeated four-year-old season, winning the Malibu Stakes by five lengths at Santa Anita. The gray colt finished his 1980 campaign a perfect nine-for-nine.

Jan. 11, 1950: Five-year-old Citation returned to racing at Santa Anita Park, having been sidelined by injury since December 1948. Sent off at odds of 3-20, he won easily over a sloppy surface to log his sixteenth consecutive victory. His winning margins for those races totaled 59½ lengths.

Jan. 13, 1978: Seattle Slew, in training for his four-year-old seasonal debut at Hialeah, first displayed symptoms of the deadly virus Colitis X. The colt was sidelined until May 14, when he won an allowance race at Aqueduct Racetrack as the 1-10 favorite.

Jan. 13, 1989: Jockey Brian Peck was injured when his horse, Top Booking, collided with a deer in the fourth race at Turfway Park. The deer jumped onto the track from the infield, where it gone to drink from a man-made lake. Top Booking was unharmed, but Peck suffered a broken arm.

Jan. 14, 1932: Jockey Eddie Arcaro rode his first career winner, at Agua Caliente.

Jan. 14, 1953: Pimlico's Preakness Stakes, originally slated for May 16, was put back to May 23, allowing a three-week layover after the Kentucky Derby for the first time.

Jan. 14, 1989: Jockey Kent Desormeaux scored his 1,000th career win in the tenth race at Laurel Racecourse, aboard Eesee's Taw, in the Francis Scott Key Handicap.

Jan. 15, 1932: Australian champion Phar Lap arrived in San Francisco. He was shipped by steamship to the U.S., en route to Agua Caliente in Mexico, where he was to make his North American racing debut in the March 20 Agua Caliente Handicap, the continent's then-richest race.

Jan. 15, 1969: Barbara Jo Rubin was named to ride in a race at Tropical Park. Thirteen male riders subsequently boycotted the race rather than compete against a female, and were fined $100 each.

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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4
Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap, 4&up, $75,000, 1 1/16 M (T), Fair Grounds

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5
Truly Bound Stakes, 3&up (f&m), $75,000, 1 1/16 M, Fair Grounds

SATURDAY, JANUARY 6
San Pasqual Handicap, 4&up, $200,000, Grade II, 1 1/16 M, Santa Anita
Appleton Handicap, 3&up, $150,000, Grade II, 1M (T), Gulfstream Park
Thelma Stakes, 3yo fillies, $75,000, 6F, Fair Grounds

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7
Honey Fox Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $100,000, Grade III, 1M (T), Gulfstream Park
Santa Ysabel Handicap, 3yo fillies, $100,000, Grade III, 1 1/16 M, Santa Anita
Black Gold Handicap, 3yo, $75,000, 7½ F (T), Fair Grounds