For Horsing Around, He Became Loser

Vic Tayback, the late actor, owned a number of thoroughbreds, and one of his favorite anecdotes was about a race that he could have done without.

“I had a horse one time who won a race, and after the race, there was an inquiry,” he said. “The horse was called Honto, and I was delighted with his race. I had a whole bunch of my friends there, my wife was there, and the horse goes off and wins the race.

“During the inquiry, we were waiting there. We had already gone to the winner’s circle, taken pictures and all that. Then they said his number was being taken down and that he was being taken down to second for savaging the other horse.

“My wife was so embarrassed. She said, ‘I can’t believe what they said over the loudspeaker, “for savaging another horse.” ’ She was so embarrassed she wouldn’t talk to anybody.”

Add Tayback: On combining acting and racing, he said, “My character at Mel’s diner was involved in betting on the horses and all that. Sometimes the writers would say, ‘All right, we’ve got several horses we’ve got to check on to get clearance, as far as names go.’

“I said, ‘Use some of my horses.’ So a couple of times they used my horses’ names and they were involved in the scripts. They didn’t win in the scripts, either.”

Trivia time: In the brawl between Portland and Philadelphia during Game 2 of the 1976-77 NBA finals, who was punched by Darryl Dawkins of the 76ers?

Recess over: Said Portland’s Kevin Duckworth after his former coach, Mike Schuler, was named to coach the Clippers: “I don’t know how Benoit and those guys are going to take it. They’ll have to be on time and work hard, and from what I hear, those guys do the opposite.”

Sure thing: From Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bill Lyon: “When it’s just you against the world, bet the world.”

Weird: Baltimore’s Mickey Tettleton, last year credited his home run binge to Fruit Loops.

This time, he says, “It’s nothing edible. I’ve been wearing a new Dick Tracy T-shirt. I’ve got him out looking for hits.”

Good line: Verne Lundquist of CBS got off this one during the Eastern Conference finals: “Michael Jordan has spent more time on the floor of the Palace than the new broom.”

Right at home: From TNT’s Chris Sager after interviewing NBA coaches for a special:

On Don Nelson: “He walked in, sat down, put his feet up on the desk, basketball shoes and all, and suddenly he was a member of the crew. He hung out until 5 a.m., claiming it was 2 a.m. Golden State time.”

On Bernie Bickerstaff: “He was Mr. Fashion. Bernie talked fashion as much as basketball.”

Trivia answer: His teammate, Doug Collins. Dawkins swung at Portland’s Bob Gross but inadvertently hit Collins, who needed four stitches in his forehead.

Quotebook: Ted Giannoulas, the famed San Diego Chicken, on his act: “Poultry in motion.”