News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by Thoroughbred Racing Communications, Inc. (TRC) (212) 371-5911.

BARBARO RECOVERY PROCEEDING SMOOTHLY

Four days removed from major surgery that required the insertion of 27 screws into his right hind leg, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is resting comfortably at the George D. Widener Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania. "He is stable and happy," reported Chief of Surgery, Dean W. Richardson who performed the four-hour operation on Sunday.

According to Richardson, each passing day without complications is a positive development for Barbaro, yet it will be at least two months before it can be said with certainty that the horse's long-term prognosis is completely positive and secure. The risk of infection remains a question, and it is important that Barbaro continue to place equal weight on all four legs to maintain the proper blood circulation that will keep complications at bay.

Meanwhile Barbaro, his owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson and his trainer Michael Matz have received thousands of good-wishes emails from a variety of Web sites created by the New Bolton Center, Churchill Downs, Pimlico Racetrack and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Churchill Downs will be sending to the New Bolton Center at the least three giant "Get Well Soon" cards to Barbaro, signed by patrons at the Louisville track where the son of Dynaformer captured the Run for the Roses on May 6.

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BERNARDINI TO SKIP BELMONT STAKES

Bernardini, 5 ¼-length winner of the Preakness Stakes in which Barbaro was injured, will not take part in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the June 10 Belmont Stakes in New York.

"Bernardini has had three quick races in succession, and Sheikh Mohammed feels that the colt deserves a break before his next target," said James G. Bell, racing manager of Darley Stable, which owns Bernardini.

The son of A.P. Indy earned his first career victory on March 4 at Gulfstream Park in Florida. In his next start on April 29, he captured the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in New York. From there, he moved on to Pimlico in Baltimore where he delivered his winning Preakness effort.

"Given the fact that Bernardini only broke his maiden in March and won a Grade I race in May, we feel that he climbed the ladder of competition quite quickly," said Bell. "Having said that, we feel he deserves a break."

Bernardini will now point to summer races that could include the July 29 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, the August 6 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and the August 26 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. The colt's ultimate goal is the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic to be run this year at Churchill Downs on November 4.

Despite Bernardini's absence, the Belmont Stakes is expected to attract up to a dozen horses, including Bluegrass Cat and Steppenwolfer, the second- and third-place finishers, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby.

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CDI AGAIN OFFERS $1 MILLION BONUS FOR DRF/NTRA NATIONAL HANDICAPPING CHAMPIONSHIP

Handicappers competing in the 2007 Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) will again be playing for a possible $1 million bonus if they become eligible for the contest through one of the qualifying tournaments offered by Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI). CDI will again offer the "Million Dollar Bonus Tour" program this year, providing a $1 million bonus to any handicapper who wins a CDI qualifying tournament and then goes on to capture the top prize at the NHC, scheduled for Jan. 26-27, 2007, at Bally's Las Vegas.

Sponsored by Daily Racing Form, the "Million Dollar Bonus Tour" will run throughout 2006 as CDI holds NHC qualifying tournaments at each of its six racetracks. In order to be eligible for the $1 million bonus, winners of the CDI qualifying rounds must be registered members of CDI's customer rewards program, the Twin Spires Club, prior to their participation in CDI tournaments. Membership in the Twin Spires Club is free.

Seven handicappers qualified for the "Million Dollar Bonus Tour" in 2005 and went on to compete in the NHC finals. The highest finisher was William Gonsoulin Jr. of Harahan, La., who finished 12th.

CDI qualifying tournaments for the 2007 NHC will be held at Hoosier Park on July 1; Calder Race Course on July 16; Churchill Downs on August 19; Arlington Park on September 10; Ellis Park on October 21; and at Fair Grounds Race Course on a date still to be determined.

"The 'Million Dollar Bonus Tour' was a great success in 2005," said CDI Senior Director of Marketing Jeremy Clemons. "We were very pleased with the response to the program, and we look forward to again partnering with the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship to provide this lucrative opportunity for our contest winners."

"We're delighted Churchill is offering this great bonus to its qualifiers again," said Steven Crist, chairman and publisher of Daily Racing Form. "Nothing says 'thank you' to a horseplayer quite like an extra million bucks."

"Once again, CDI has stepped to the forefront in its support of horseplayers and the National Handicapping Championship," said Kenneth Kirchner, senior vice president of product development for the NTRA. "The $1 million bonus offers potential qualifiers a powerful incentive to participate and support all of the CDI events. We're looking forward to conducting the biggest and best tournament yet on January 26 and 27 in Las Vegas."

Along with the $1 million bonus, the "Million Dollar Bonus Tour" qualifier who also wins the National Handicapping Championship will receive a specially commissioned glass trophy created by internationally acclaimed glass artist Ken vonRoenn, Jr., the president of Louisville-based Architectural Glass Art.

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BREEDERS' CUP TICKET APPLICATION DEADLINE NEARS

The June 1 deadline for applying to purchase tickets for the 23rd Breeders' Cup World Championships on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs in Louisville is fast approaching.

Churchill Downs must receive those ticket applications no later than Thursday, June 1, to be included in a random drawing that will determine the order in which the applications will be processed. Any applications received after that date will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis depending on availability. Breeders' Cup World Championships tickets are limited to six per household.

The best ways for fans to beat the deadline are to complete an online ticket application at www.churchilldowns.com or www.ntra.com, or to download a ticket application form at www.ntra.com, fill it out and mail it to: Churchill Downs Breeders' Cup Ticketing, 700 Central Avenue, Louisville, KY 40208.

Demand for tickets to the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs is expected to be strong as five of the six largest attendance figures in the Breeders' Cup history have been recorded at the Louisville, Ky., track. Attendance for 1998 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs was 80,452, the largest crowd in the 22 previous renewals of the event.

May 30 Wire to Wire, 4:30-5:00 p.m., ESPN2
May 31 Wire to Wire, 4:30-5:00 a.m., ESPN2
June 8 Wire to Wire, 1:00-2:00 p.m., ESPN2

May 25, 1991: Jockey Steve Cauthen won his fourth European derby, the Derby Italiano, with Hailsham, trained by Clive Brittain. Cauthen has also won the Epsom Derby twice, the Irish Derby and the French Derby, in addition to his Kentucky Derby win with Affirmed.

May 25, 1998: Jockey Eddie Maple announced his retirement at Belmont Park while accepting the 1998 Mike Venezia Award. Maple ended his career with 4,398 career victories and earnings of $105,318,593.

May 27, 1823: A $20,000 match race between American Eclipse (representing The North) and Henry (representing The South) was held at Union Course, Long Island. Eclipse won in two-of-three heats, after his original jockey, William Crafts, was replaced by Samuel Purdy before the second heat. The race, witnessed by 60,000 spectators, was the first to have been timed by split-second chronometers, which were imported for the event.

May 27, 1873: A bay colt, Survivor, won the first Preakness Stakes by 10 lengths, the largest margin in the race's history.

May 27, 1878: The entire field of Preakness Stakes horses—three—was owned by a single family, the brothers George and Pierre Lorillard. George's horses finished first and third.

May 27, 1882: Trainer Robert Walden won his fifth consecutive Preakness Stakes, with Vanguard. Walden won a total of seven Preaknesses, a record for a trainer.

May 27, 1979: Jockey Chris McCarron, 24, won his 2,000th career race, aboard Stembok, in the second race at Hollywood Park.

May 27, 1981: Bill Shoemaker became the first jockey in racing history to win 8,000 races when he rode War Allied to victory in the first race at Hollywood Park.

May 27, 1985: Under jockey Laffit Pincay Jr., odds-on favorite Spend a Buck defeated Creme Fraiche by a neck to win the Jersey Derby and earn $2.6 million, the largest single purse in American racing history. Two million dollars of the purse came from a bonus to Spend a Buck for winning the Cherry Hill Mile, the Garden State Stakes, the Kentucky Derby and the Jersey Derby. Angel Cordero Jr., the regular rider of Spend a Buck, was committed to ride Track Barron in the Metropolitan Handicap in New York on the same day and was persuaded to give up his mount in the Jersey Derby. Track Barron finished third in the Metropolitan, earning $40,620.

May 28, 1997: Visa USA and Triple Crown Productions announced that they had increased the bonus for winning the Triple Crown to a total of $5 million.

May 28, 2000: Jockey Edgar Prado registered his 4,000th career victory aboard Thunder Breeze in the second race at Belmont Park.

May 29, 1897: Scottish Chieftain, owned by Marcus Daly, became the only Montana bred to win the Belmont Stakes.

May 29, 1907: Colin began his undefeated career, breaking his maiden by two lengths at Belmont Park.

May 29, 1946: Two-year-old fillies Chakoora and Uleta became the first Thoroughbreds to complete a transcontinental flight. They were flown from New York to Inglewood, Calif., by the American Air Express Corporation, for a 2,446-mile trip that lasted 20 hours due to adverse weather conditions.

May 30, 1903: Flocarline became the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes.

May 30, 1908: Jockey Joe Notter misjudged the finish of the Belmont Stakes and eased up on his mount, Colin, whose career record to that point was 13-for-13. Notter barely recovered from his mistake to hold off the drive of Fair Play, who came within a head of defeating Colin. When he retired, Colin's record stood at 15 wins in as many starts.

May 30, 1936: Omaha, the Triple Crown winner of 1935, won the Queens Plate at Kempton Park, England, for owner William Woodward.

May 30, 1941: Hollywood Park introduced the "vibrationless camera," developed by Hollywood cameraman Lorenzo del Ricio. Eight patrol judges with the cameras, which were attached to their binoculars, were stationed at intervals around the track. Jockey Nunzio Pariso was the camera's first victim—he was shown on film crowding a rival on the far turn.

May 30, 1969: Patricia Barton won her first career race, at Pikes Peak.

May 31, 1969: Racing returned to Pennsylvania when Liberty Bell racetrack opened, near Philadelphia. The state had not had legal racing since 1802 and became the 30th state to adopt parimutuel wagering.

May 31, 2001: Jockey Pat Day became just the third jockey in history to win 8,000 races, hitting the milestone by winning the sixth race at Churchill Downs aboard Camden Park. Day joined Laffit Pincay Jr. and Bill Shoemaker in the 8,000 club.

May 31, 2004: Jockey Glenn Corbett rides his 2,000th career winner aboard Charmer Mac at Prairie Meadows.

June 1, 1881: Pierre Lorillard's Iroquois became the first American-owned and -bred horse to win a European classic race when he won the Epsom Derby under one of England's greatest riders, Fred Archer. Iroquois won seven of nine starts as a three-year-old, including England's St. Leger Stakes.

June 1, 1946: Assault became the seventh horse to win the Triple Crown, with a victory in the Belmont Stakes.

June 1, 1973: In his final tuneup for the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown, Secretariat went six furlongs in 1:11 3/5, doing the first three furlongs in :35 2/5 and five furlongs in :59.

June 1, 1978: In his first start ever on the turf, eventual four-time champion grass horse John Henry won a $35,000, 1 1/16-mile claiming race by 14 lengths at Belmont Park. John Henry was voted champion turf horse for the years 1980-81 and 1983-84.

June 1, 1999: Mr. Prospector, the most influential sire of his generation, died in his stall at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky. He was 29.

June 2, 1943: Trainer Hirsch Jacobs claimed two-year-old Stymie for $1,500. By the end of 1947, Stymie had become the world's leading money-winning Thoroughbred, with earnings of $816,060 and 22 stakes victories.

June 2, 1947: After a six-year layoff, 13-year-old Honey Cloud won the second race at Aqueduct. His jockey, Clarence Minner, had not ridden in 10 years.

June 2, 2005: Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze recorded his 9,000th career victory aboard Queen of the Hunt in the eighth race at Golden Gate Fields. Only Laffit Pincay Jr., who registered 9,530 wins during his racing career, has more victories than Baze.

June 3, 1943: To further the war effort, the Navy took over Tanforan racetrack and used it as a training base.

June 3, 2004: Smarty Jones became the first horseracing figure to make the cover of ESPN The Magazine.

June 4, 1870: Ed Brown became the first African-American jockey to win the Belmont Stakes, with Kingfisher.

June 4, 1913: At odds of 100-1, Aboyeur became the first horse to win the Epsom Derby by an on-course disqualification after Craganour, who won by a head, was disqualified for bumping. During the race, a suffragette had rushed onto the track and pulled down the King's horse, Anmer. The suffragette, Emily Davison, died of a fractured skull.

June 4, 1941: Three days before his race in the Belmont Stakes, which would complete his Triple Crown, Whirlaway worked 1 1/4 miles in 2:02 2/5.

June 4, 2005: Jockey Eddie Castro set a North American record for most wins by a jockey in a single day at one racetrack by winning nine races on the 13-race card at Miami's Calder Race Course. His nine winners. June 5, 1884: James McLaughlin became the first jockey to ride three consecutive Belmont Stakes winners, when he rode Panique to victory. He previously won with George Kinney (1883) and Forester (1882). McLaughlin repeated his feat in 1886-88, with each of his wins aboard horses owned by the Dwyer brothers. McLaughlin's triple was matched by jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. in 1984.

June 5, 1901: William C. Whitney's Volodyovski won the Epsom Derby, making him the second American owner (after Pierre Lorillard in 1881) to have won the race. Whitney leased the English-bred horse for the express purpose of winning at Epsom. Whitney's trainer, John Huggins, was the first American to train an Epsom Derby winner.

June 5, 1937: War Admiral became the fourth winner of the Triple Crown, with a win in the Belmont Stakes.

June 5, 1943: Count Fleet ended his racing career by winning the Belmont Stakes by 25 lengths. He was the sixth American Triple Crown winner. Count Fleet was such a heavy favorite for the race, going off at odds of 1-20, that no place or show wagering was allowed.

June 5, 1969: Jockey Mary Bacon won her first race, at Finger Lakes. Among apprentices, she finished 23rd in the races-won category that year, with 55 victories in 396 starts and purses of $91,642. Bacon was the first female to join the list of leading apprentices.

June 5, 1985: Steve Cauthen won the Epsom Derby aboard Slip Anchor and became the only American jockey to win both the English and Kentucky Derbies. Cauthen had previously ridden Affirmed to victory in the 1978 Kentucky Derby.

June 5, 1993: Julie Krone became the first female rider to win a Triple Crown race when she won the Belmont Stakes with Colonial Affair.

June 5, 1999: Charismatic lost his bid to become the 12th Triple Crown winner when he fractured his left front cannon bone and sesamoid while finishing third to Lemon Drop Kid in the Belmont Stakes.

June 5, 2004: Smarty Jones's quest to become horseracing's 12th Triple Crown winner ended when he was upset by 36-1 longshot Birdstone by one length before a record crowd of 120,139. NBC Sports' telecast of the Belmont was the highest rated program of any kind for the week.

June 6, 1919: Man o' War won his first race ever, a five-furlong contest over a straightaway at Belmont Park. He won by six lengths, running the distance in 59 seconds, and went off at odds of 3-5. In each of his 20 subsequent races, Man o' War was the odds-on favorite.

June 6, 1972: In preparation for his colt's July 4 racing debut, trainer Lucien Laurin put blinkers on two-year-old Secretariat for the first time. Secretariat responded by working a half-mile at Belmont Park in :47 3/5, the fastest time he had ever worked up to that date.

June 6, 1987: Bet Twice became the first horse to receive a Triple Crown bonus after winning the Belmont Stakes over rival Alysheba. He earned $1 million in addition to the first-place money.

June 6, 1992: Jockey Carl Gambardella won his 6,000th career victory, aboard Nip of Gin, at Rockingham Park.

June 6, 1998: Real Quiet was denied the Triple Crown when Victory Gallop edged him at the wire in the Belmont Stakes before an audience of 80,162. The crowd was the second-largest in the track's history and just shy of the mark set in 1971 when Canonero II failed in his Triple Crown bid before 82,694 spectators. Total handle on the Belmont Day card was a record of $55,613,482.

June 7, 1930: Gallant Fox became the second winner of the Triple Crown after he won the Belmont Stakes under Earl Sande. Gallant Fox subsequently sired another Triple Crown winner, Omaha.

June 7, 1941: Whirlaway won the 73rd running of the Belmont Stakes and became the fifth horse to win the Triple Crown.

June 7, 1947: Owner William Helis had three stakes wins in three different states. Rippey won the Carter Handicap at New York's Aqueduct; Jobstown won the Absecon Handicap at New Jersey's Atlantic City and Elpis won the New Castle Handicap at Delaware Park.

June 7, 1980: Genuine Risk became the first filly to compete in all three Triple Crown races. She won the Kentucky Derby and finished second in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

June 7, 1986: Trainer Woody Stephens saddled Danzig Connection to win his fifth consecutive Belmont Stakes. Stephens won the previous races with Conquistador Cielo (1982), Caveat (1983), Swale (1984) and Creme Fraiche (1985).

June 7, 1997: In his bid to become the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown, Silver Charm was outdueled during the stretch run of the Belmont Stakes by Touch Gold. Silver Charm held on for second and became the 13th horse to have lost the Triple Crown after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

June 7, 2003: Triple Crown hopeful Funny Cide lost his bid to become the twelfth Triple Crown winner finishing third to Empire Maker and Ten Most Wanted before 101,864 in the 135th Belmont Stakes. The NBC telecast of the Belmont generated the highest rating for any horse race since the 1990 Kentucky Derby. The final hour of the telecast earned the highest rating (10.7) of any prime-time program on television that week.

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WEEKEND STAKES RACES (unrestricted stakes worth $75,000 and up)

SATURDAY, MAY 27

SUNDAY, MAY 28

MONDAY, MAY 29

TUESDAY, MAY 30