Horse Racing / Bill Christine : A Little Derby Trivia at the Turn of a Card

Racing leaders often complain about the sport’s inability to attract young fans, but when the Topps gum company, one of the pioneers in the trading cards that many of today’s baseball fans collected when they were kids, showed an interest in developing racing cards several years ago, the tracks weren’t interested.

Now, finally, racing enthusiasts--and potential fans--can collect horse cards, thanks not to anyone within the industry, but to a retired Navy officer in Louisville.

John Ball, 42, has followed horses since his father took him to the track in Maryland. Through the cooperation of the Kentucky Derby Festival, Ball has printed a set of 114 cards, one for each winner of the Derby.

Ball’s family once lived near Santa Anita, and his retirement ceremony from the Navy was held in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs.

“My dad and I (with their betting) have bought a few benches at Churchill Downs,” Ball said. “And a couple at Santa Anita, too,”

Each of the Derby cards has a cornucopia of information on the back, written by Jim Bolus, a noted Derby historian.

Besides basic information about each winner--pedigree, owner, trainer, jockey and Derby odds and running time--there are interesting tidbits such as these:

--When Secretariat, the 1973 Derby winner, went to stud, he occupied the same stall at Claiborne Farm as had his late sire, Bold Ruler.

--Canonero II, 1971, the Venezuelan horse, lost 70 pounds while he was in quarantine before the Derby.

--Before Venetian Way won the 1960 Derby, his trainer, Vic Sovinski, said: “I don’t care if I never win another race. Just let me win the Derby and I’ll be happy.” Seven months after the Derby, Sovinski, 52, died of a heart attack.

--Conn McCreary, the jockey of Pensive in 1944, discarded his whip early in the race. “He just don’t like a whip,” McCreary said. “And it was just a burden.”

--T. P. Hayes, the owner and trainer of Donerail in 1913, didn’t bet on his horse, which paid $184.90, still a record for a Derby winner.

Bolus has also linked the Derby with news of the time. For instance:

--Jesse James died of a gunshot wound in 1882, the same year Apollo won the Derby.

--In 1946, the year Assault won, the bikini was starting to be worn on American beaches.

There are innumerable possibilities for other series of cards: Triple Crown winners--horses, trainers and jockeys; winners of any traditional race, such as the Santa Anita Handicap; horses and horsemen who have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame; and a card for every race track in the United States.

One suggestion for the card makers: Add the gum. What’s a trading card without the bubble gum?

Music Merci will carry high weight of 124 pounds at Santa Anita Sunday in the $150,000 San Felipe Handicap, which is the next-to-last important California prep for the Kentucky Derby. The Santa Anita Derby will be run on April 8.

The six-horse field, in order of post position, consists of Flying Continental, with Lafitte Pincay riding, 118 pounds; Mountain Ghost, Eddie Delahoussaye, 114; Music Merci, Gary Stevens, 124; Yes I’m Blue, Robbie Davis, 115; Runaway Dunaway, Russell Baze, 114; Sunday Silence, Pat Valenzuela, 119. Half of the field for the 1 1/16-mile race--Music Merci, Mountain Ghost and Runaway Dunaway--is trained by Craig Lewis.

Responding to a suggestion in this space that he resign, Leslie Liscom, the chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, has issued a statement. A court judge found Liscom and two other board members in conflict of interest in dealing with matters regarding Hollywood Park. Liscom’s statement reads in part:

“I think that the (judge’s) ruling was unfair, because when I first came on the board over four years ago, I contacted the attorney general’s office when I learned for the first time that the (insurance) firm I worked for handled Hollywood Park’s insurance. I was told then . . . that my employment did not constitute a conflict.”

Hollywood Park’s insurance started with Liscom’s original firm, was moved to a second company for a short period and then wound up at the brokerage house that Liscom works for now.

“Less than two years ago, while at my present firm, I even obtained an opinion direct from the Fair Political Practices Commission confirming (no conflict),” Liscom said.

“The judge did not refer to these opinions. . . . Also, the judge referred to $1 million of insurance for Hollywood Park. That figure would be the amount of premium paid. At least 90% of that would go to the insuring company, and no more than 10% would be income to the broker.

“Nevertheless, the racing board will abide by the judge’s ruling in this case, and we will hold a special meeting so that the four remaining board members can vote again on the harness (season) applications (at Los Alamitos), even though the original vote (last October) was unanimous.

“I have no intention of resigning, because to do so would suggest that I thought I had done something wrong. I believe that I did exactly what I was supposed to do by contacting the attorney general and the fair practices commission and abiding by their opinions. In fact, I consider fulfilling my racing board obligations as a matter of integrity.”

Horse Racing Notes

In today’s Santa Ana Handicap at Santa Anita, Delighter carries high weight of 122 pounds in a nine-horse field. . . . Double Quick, with Alex Solis riding, is a 5-2 favorite today in the Remington Park Derby in Oklahoma City, Okla.