Notes on a Scorecard - April 5, 1995

In 1989, Craig Lewis trained a 3-year-old colt, Music Merci, he thought was the third-best in the nation. . . .

The problem was that the two better horses were Sunday Silence and Easy Goer. . . .

Lewis decided not to send Music Merci to the Kentucky Derby. . . .

Six years later, Lewis has a 3-year-old colt who has become a legend even before the most important races of the campaign. . . .

Larry The Legend is an undersized pauper who was bought by Lewis at auction for $2,500, has won three in a row, and is getting more fan mail and souvenir requests than any five horses at Santa Anita. . . .

So will Lewis send him to Churchill Downs for the feature race on May 6? . . .

It all depends on what happens in the Santa Anita Derby Saturday. . . .

“I could have shipped Larry to Kentucky for the Jim Beam, where he would have had to beat only one horse, the filly (Serena’s Song), for first money of $350,000,” Lewis said. “But I think racing him in the Derby here will be great for the game. People are excited about seeing him run and, it may sound corny, but I’m trying to do something that’s a sporting gesture.” . . .

Among those opposing Larry The Legend on Saturday will be the Kentucky Derby future book favorites, unbeaten Afternoon Deelites and juvenile champion Timber Country. . . .

Larry beat Timber Country in the San Rafael Stakes on March 4, but that was Timber Country’s first race in four months and a mile is short of his best distance. . . .

The Santa Anita Derby purse has been increased from $500,000 to $700,000 because four winners of graded stakes at a distance of at least a mile will be running. Among the probables is Petionville, who dealt Larry The Legend his only loss in a maiden race. . . .

Lewis might be second-guessed for picking Saturday’s race over the Jim Beam, but, clearly, he is no dummy. . . .

He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from California and attended law school, even though he always has wanted to be a trainer. . . .

“I thought it would be an asset to be able to read and write,” he said. . . .

The highlight of his 14-year training career was winning the 1988 Hollywood Gold Cup with Cutlass Reality by a record 6 1/2 lengths over Kentucky Derby winners Alysheba and Ferdinand. . . .

“But that was nothing compared to the attention Larry has been attracting,” Lewis said. “I’ve had several offers to sell him, but he’s definitely not for sale.” . . .

However, visitors to the barn can pet him. . . .

“He’s like a big dog,” Lewis said. “He’s a sweetheart. You could lead him around with a string.” . . .

Larry The Legend is small, but well proportioned and a hard worker who, the trainer said, will do anything asked of him. . . .

“The distance (1 1/8 miles) won’t bother him Saturday,” Lewis said. “He can run from Maine to Spain.” . . .

*

The best UCLA teams of all time were those during the Lew Alcindor--now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar--and Bill Walton championship years when they won 148 of 150 games and five titles. . . .

But this season’s team compares well with any of those five other champions, especially when you consider that its 31-2 record was achieved against a tough schedule. . . .

There never has been a Bruin team with a better attitude, its unselfishness typified by Ed O’Bannon and Tyus Edney. . . .

UCLA seemed to want to win its first NCAA title in 20 years more than Arkansas wanted to repeat. . . .

Charles O’Bannon could be the next Ed O’Bannon. . . .

How important is the three-point shot? The Bruins made only 18 during six games in the tournament. They made two in each of their last three games against Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Connecticut. . . .

Jim Nantz of CBS showed in Seattle that he has developed into a first-rate play-by-play announcer. . . .

Former heavyweight champion Max Schmeling is helping train Axel Schulz in Germany for his April 22 fight against George Foreman at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. . . .

I understand the Dodgers’ need to cut expenses, but not re-signing Brett Butler wasn’t the right way to do it. Losing Butler, who would have given stability to a young outfield, might cost the team the National League West title.