Notes on a Scorecard - May 3, 1990

Rarely has a team dominated a series it trails as the Houston Rockets are dominating their series with the Lakers. . . .

The Rockets, who are trailing, two games to one, have led or been tied for 113 of the 144 minutes. . . .

So much for those who thought Houston would mail in Game 3 Tuesday night after folding down the stretch at the Forum Sunday. . . .

Akeem Olajuwon’s jamming up the middle, discouraging the Lakers from driving the lane and forcing Magic Johnson to alter his game, is reminiscent of Utah’s Mark Eaton against Los Angeles two years ago in the playoffs. . . .

It’s mind-boggling that a team with the talent that Houston has was no better than 41-41 during the regular season. . . .

Attention Pat Riley: Whatever happened to Larry Drew? . . .

Gary Stevens, Chris McCarron, Patrick Valenzuela, Alex Solis, Kent Desormeaux and Laffit Pincay will be trying to make it eight Kentucky Derby victories in the last nine years for jockeys who work the Southern California circuit. . . .

Stevens, aboard Mister Frisky, figures to have the best chance. And right now, he is the best of the riders. Coming off a championship meeting at Santa Anita, Stevens, 27, is without a weakness. He’s equally adept in sprint, distance, turf or dirt races, on front-runners or come-from-

behinders. . . .

If you like Summer Squall, you will probably get higher odds on him at Hollywood Park than in Las Vegas or Louisville. The price on the local favorite, Mister Frisky, should be shorter here. Last May, Sunday Silence paid $8.20 at Churchill Downs--and in Nevada, which uses track odds--and only $6 at Hollywood Park. . . .

Biggest longshot ever to win the Derby was Donerail, who paid $184.90 in 1913. Count Fleet in 1943 and Citation in 1948 each paid $2.80. Secretariat paid $5 in 1973. . . .

It costs $20,000 to get a colt or a filly to the post--an entry fee of $10,000 and a starting fee of $10,000, and only the first four finishers receive purse money. . . .

Summer Squall may be a mud freak who isn’t capable of going 1 1/4 miles on a fast track. . . . Only 21 of the 115 runnings of the Derby have been won wire-to-wire, the last time by the filly, Winning Colors, in 1988. . . .

Now that ABC has Al Michaels and Brent Musburger, all it needs is some events. . . .

The network is doing the Derby, but the problem with the telecast is that it lasts 90 minutes and the race lasts about two minutes. . . .

“It’s one of my favorite events,” Michaels says. “Not only is the race unpredictable, so is everything leading up to it. Look back six months and see which horses figured to be the contenders. Most of them aren’t even entered.”. . .

More Michaels on the Derby: “Unlike the Super Bowl and the World Series, it’s still available to the masses. You don’t have to know somebody, be a corporate executive or have a lot of money to attend. Everybody can get in.”. . .

If you’re looking for a longshot, try Land Rush. . . .

Charlie Whittingham’s Warcraft didn’t make it to Louisville but will be busy on Derby Day, anyway, running in the $100,000 Spotlight Breeders’ Cup Handicap on the turf at Hollywood Park. . . .

I’d be a lot more interested in the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs if I could get the SportsChannel telecasts on my set. . . .

Anybody else remember “Wrestling Workouts” from the Hollywood Legion Stadium? . . .

When he stops preaching and boxing, George Foreman can make a living as a standup comedian. . . .

Those Detroit Piston defenders are it again, not allowing Indiana to score 100 points in any of the three games. . . .

Here’s how Chick Hearn put Game 3 in the refrigerator for Houston: “Darn, I didn’t want Marge to have to mow the lawn tomorrow.”. . .

Brett Hull, who was the leading scorer in the NHL this season but only the St. Louis Blues’ 15th-highest-paid player at $125,000, deserves a raise. . . .

UCLA concludes spring practice with its annual football appreciation day Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Spaulding Field. The public is invited free for a brief workout, introductions of the players and coaching staff and a photo and autograph session. . . .

Minnesota’s new relief ace is 36-year-old John Candelaria. . . .

Is it too late to retract my prediction of a World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets? . . .

The highest Mariano Duncan, who has been leading the National League in hitting, ever batted for the Dodgers was .250 in 49 games before the trade that sent him and Tim Leary to Cincinnati for Kal Daniels last July. . . .

How nice it is to see the major league office get tough and start cracking down on fielders who use gloves that measure more than 12 inches from heel to finger tip. What awful cheaters and menaces to society!