Thoroughbred Assns. Oust Commissioner : Horse racing: TRA’s attempt to unite the sport nationally ends in failure as Brian McGrath is dismissed, national office is closed.

An expensive attempt to unify the country’s racetracks ended Friday when the Thoroughbred Racing Assns. announced that it is closing its national office and dismissing Brian McGrath as commissioner.

“The effectiveness of a national office was severely compromised by an inability among the membership to forge an agreement on a national direction,” said Santa Anita’s Cliff Goodrich, president of the TRA.

A search committee that included Remington Park’s David Vance, the TRA president before Goodrich, and Hollywood Park’s R.D. Hubbard led the 39-track group to McGrath, a sports marketing executive with no background in racing. McGrath, who started work on March 1, 1994, was reportedly given a three-year contract worth $2.1 million, and his office was budgeted at another $1.8 million a year.

That office, in New York, will be closed at the end of August.

“I did the very best I could,” McGrath said. “The agenda of the tracks was more diverse than what I had hoped. I was disappointed that the tracks were not ready for a broad national program.”

McGrath, 53, declined to comment when asked if the balance of his contract will be honored by the TRA.

There was a lukewarm response to both of the major projects that came out of McGrath’s office: A national best-seven bet and a weekly television show. The best seven, designed to offer large payoffs for bettors who could pick the winners of seven races at seven tracks, never gained a following, averaging only $215,000 in handle for the 40 weeks it was offered.

The television show, which started on May 27, features three weekly races from different tracks. Shown on ESPN2, the show is not drawing nearly the audiences that the American Championship Racing Series enjoyed on ABC a few years ago. The championship series, which showcased the sport’s best horses, was dropped because of a lack of support by some tracks.

The TRA had expected to pay part of McGrath’s salary with its 10% share of the best-seven handle. The low handle resulted in increased dues for member tracks. Many tracks saw their TRA expenses triple, with the average increase totaling $50,000.

Dues and assessments for the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau, the TRA’s security arm, have risen dramatically for the larger tracks. Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and the New York Racing Assn. tracks--Belmont Park, Aqueduct and Saratoga--are paying more than $500,000 apiece each year. A few tracks, including Golden Gate Fields and Oaklawn Park, resigned earlier this year, and there were reports that other tracks might also quit the TRA if McGrath continued.

“The national office was formed because there were some tracks who felt that the value of their membership wasn’t there,” Goodrich said. “Now we’re regrouping. I’d be disappointed to see any other tracks get out. I hope they stay around, because we’re going to go ahead with a different structure than what the TRA has known historically.”

McGrath reportedly escaped being fired earlier this year when a meeting of high-level racing executives in Dallas concluded that he should be given more time. McGrath said he had no immediate plans.

“I didn’t think he did that bad of a job,” said Atlantic City Race Course’s Bob Levy, a former TRA president. “The big problem was that he didn’t get any support.”

John Brunetti, president of Hialeah and a significant shareholder in Santa Anita and Hollywood Park, said he pulled Hialeah out of the TRA many years ago.

“We all deal with state racing commissions, so a national organization like the TRA isn’t practical,” Brunetti said. “I’m semi-retired now, so most of my battles are behind me. But I’m not encouraged about what I see in racing’s future. This game was screwed up when I got into it, and I think it’ll be the same way when I leave it.”

Horse Racing Notes

Serena’s Song, who could become the first filly to win the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, is the 5-2 favorite in Sunday’s $500,000 race, which has drawn 12 horses for the 1 1/8-mile distance. Serena’s Song, who’ll be ridden by Gary Stevens, drew the No. 9 post. Some of her top challengers will break from farther outside. Pyramid Peak, the second choice at 9-2, drew No. 10, and Suave Prospect, at 4-1, is in No. 12. Serena’s Song, who beat males earlier this year in the Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway Park, will carry 118 pounds, two fewer than the high weights, Pyramid Peak and Suave Prospect. The only other filly to start in the Haskell, Alma North, finished third in 1970. . . . Concept One, winner of the Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park and the high weight at 119 pounds, heads the eight-horse field in Sunday’s $150,000 Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar. Others running in the six-furlong race are Forest Gazelle, D’Hallevant, Gold Land, Polar Route, G Malleah, Lucky Forever and Moscow M D. Pat Valenzuela, who won the Triple Bend with Concept One, was suspended indefinitely by the Del Mar stewards this week, and Sunday’s assignment goes to Chris McCarron. . . . The winning trainers in Wednesday’s split Oceanside Stakes, Mike Orman with Lake George and Bobby Frankel with Chilly Billy, are both pointing toward the $300,000 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 4, but haven’t decided if their horses will run before then in the La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 12. Corey Nakatani rode both horses Wednesday.