Notes on a Scorecard - April 29, 1992

I am not sure if Arazi is the next Secretariat . . . or Affirmed . . . or Citation. But if he is none of the above, A.P. Indy will have a chance to beat the not-so-accidental tourist from France Saturday in the Kentucky Derby. . . .

No jockey is better at getting his horse home first in a tight finish than Eddie Delahoussaye, who will ride A.P. Indy. During the Santa Anita meeting, Delahoussaye’s mounts won 23 of their 35 races that were decided by a neck or less. . . .

A longshot who should be able to handle the 1 1/4-mile distance is Disposal. . . .

Next Monday, on the first anniversary of his victory in the Kentucky Derby, Strike The Gold will be sold at auction. Since the Derby, he has lost in his 12 races. . . .

Best place to watch the Derby outside Louisville will be Hollywood Park, where the race will be shown on 700 monitors, mint juleps will be served and 3-year-olds will run on the turf in the $100,000 Spotlight Breeders’ Cup Handicap. . . .

Perhaps no sport needs new fans more than thoroughbred racing, good enough reason for Hollywood Park to stage Friday night cards despite the protests of trainers. . . .

The first Saturday in May traditionally also has been race day for two-legged runners from UCLA and USC. . . .

This time, the Bruins, Trojans and Brigham Young will conduct a double-dual, triangular meet for men and women at Drake Stadium. In five events, competitors are top ranked among the nation’s collegians--Dawn Dumble of UCLA in the women’s shotput and discus, Quincy Watts of USC in the 400 meters, Jason Pyrah of BYU in the 1,500 meters and Mark Crear of USC in the 110-meter hurdles. . . .

Attention Al Davis: Phil Simms still wants to play for the Raiders. . . .

Anthony Davis, drafted by the Houston Oilers, never played tailback for USC; and Reggie White, drafted by the San Diego Chargers, never has been called the minister of defense. . . .

The New York Jets, who aren’t overloaded with talent at quarterback, might have drafted wisely on the sixth round when they took East Carolina passer Jeff Blake. . . .

One reason the Green Bay Packers selected Ty Detmer is that new Coach Mike Holmgren is a former BYU assistant. . . .

When some 12th-rounder makes an NFL roster next season, the general manager is bound to say he liked the guy all along. Yeah, so why wasn’t he drafted earlier? . . .

After listening to the wit and wisdom of Jim Lampley on opening day of KMPC’s all-sports format, I can understand why he was such a hit on WFAN in New York. . . .

As Vin Scully demonstrated again Monday night during the beef that got St. Louis Cardinal Manager Joe Torre thrown out, lip-reading is among his many skills. . . .

Remember when umpires used to turn their backs on protesters? . . .

The Dodgers’ most exciting minor league hitting prospect in years is Billy Ashley. At last report, the 21-year-old, 6-foot-7, 220-pound outfielder had six home runs and 17 runs batted in in 16 games for Albuquerque. . . .

Poor Chris Gwynn. Now the former Dodger reserve isn’t even being given a chance to play regularly for the mighty Kansas City Royals. . . .

Baltimore Oriole outfielder Brady Anderson is beginning to fulfill his enormous potential. . . .

The American League stolen base leaders’ list has not looked the same without Rickey Henderson. . . .

Pepperdine, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton are the three Southern California teams ranked in Baseball America’s top 10. . . .

The Amateur Athletic Foundation is investing nearly $400,000 in “The Learn and Play Olympic Sports Program” that will reach 200,000 students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. . . .

Jerry Tarkanian is fortunate that he wasn’t asked to coach the San Antonio Spurs against the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs. . . .

Unbeaten Carlos Gonzalez, the 19-year-old super-lightweight from Mexico City who will make his U.S. debut Monday against Tim Brooks at the Forum, has knocked out 17 of his 30 opponents in the first round and his fights have averaged 2.5 rounds. . . .

Jimmy Lennon always said that he wanted to sing at his own funeral. Sure enough, Lennon recordings were played last week at the start and end of memorial services for the greatest ring announcer ever.