News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by Thoroughbred Racing Communications, Inc. (TRC) (212.371.5911..)

HORSE OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCEMENT LIVE ON ESPN

The announcement of the 1997 Horse of the Year will be made live on ESPN's 'SportsCenter', Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 7:15 p.m. (EST), from the Eclipse Awards dinner in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The two finalists are Breeders' Cup Classic winner Skip Away, and Favorite Trick, who won all eight of his starts as a two-year-old and will attempt to become the only two-year-old other than Secretariat in 1972 to win an Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year. The Eclipse Awards were started in 1971.

NEW JERSEY RACING LOSES TWO EXECUTIVES

Robert Mulcahy, CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, has taken a new post as athletic director at Rutgers, New Jersey's state university. During his 19-year term, Mulcahy has overseen the growth of Meadowlands Racetrack, Continental Airlines Arena and Monmouth Park and is credited with keeping the NHL New Jersey Devils at the Meadowlands complex. Mulcahy also serves as Chairman of the Board of Thoroughbred Racing Communications. He is to begin his new asignment, April 15.

Harold G. 'Hal' Handel, executive vice president of Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, will leave his post to become Chief Executive Office at Philadelphia Park. Handel said that the details of his new position were finalized on Feb. 4, and that he did not have a timetable yet for leaving his New Jersey post and starting at Philadelphia.

FIRST COMPUTER WAGERING SYSTEM GOES ON-LINE

You Bet!, Inc. and Ladbroke Racing of Pennsylvania, announced on Feb. 2 that they have successfully completed integration of the You Bet Racing Network, an interactive online horse racing communication service. It will be released to about 400 users who can wager via computer directly into the U Bet system (known as intranet wagering, as opposed to the more public internet). Horse players will have the ability to watch and wager on races from racetracks throughout the United States. Ladbroke and You Bet formed their alliance in June of 1997, combining You Bet's communication software and service with Ladbroke's Call-A-Bet account wagering system.

Ladbroke Racing Pennsylvania simulcasts racing from across the U.S. and operates the Ladbroke Racing Network. Since 1983, telephone wagering has been available through Ladbroke's Call-A-Bet system.

HAWTHORNE TO GET A FACELIFT

Hawthorne Racecourse, in Stickney, Ill., will receive a multi-million dollar facelift in time for its July 1 opening. Totally rebuilt in 1978 after a fire, the 107-year-old facility will add four party rooms, 24 outdoor luxury boxes, an updated sound system and a new teletimer. The track is also continuing to improve its backstretch living facilities.

Feb. 7, Racehorse Digest, 5:30-6:00 a.m., ESPN
Feb. 8, 2Day at the Races, 6:30-7:00 p.m., ESPN2
Feb. 10, Horse of the Year Announcement, 7:15 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 11, Racehorse Digest, 3:30-4:00 p.m., ESPN

Feb. 7, 1969: Diane Crump became the first woman jockey in America to compete in a parimutuel race when she finished tenth of 12 aboard a 48-1 shot, three-year-old Bridle 'n Bit, in the seventh race at Hialeah Park.
Feb. 8, 1941: Whirlaway began his three-year-old season with a win in a six furlong allowance race at Hialeah.
Feb. 9, 1940: After a year's absence from competition, seven-year-old Seabiscuit, champion handicap horse of 1937 and 1938, returned to racing at Santa Anita, where he finished third in a handicap race. Seabiscuit ran three more races in 1940, concluding his career with a win in the Santa Anita Handicap.
Feb. 9, 1974: Jockey Chris McCarron rode his first winner, a five-year-old gelding named Erezev, at Bowie Racecourse. By year's end, McCarron had established a then-record number of winners for a single season: 546. Fifteen years later, on Nov. 30, 1989, jockey Kent Desormeaux eclipsed that mark.
Feb. 9, 1991: The American Championship Racing Series, designed to showcase older horses, was inaugurated with the Donn Handicap, won by Jolie's Halo.
Feb. 11, 1933: The Jockey Club released data showing that as of 1932, the U.S. had surpassed Great Britain and Ireland in foal production for the first time, to become the world's leading producer of Thoroughbreds.
Feb. 12, 1981: Julie Krone rode her first career winner, a $3,500 claimer named Lord Farkle, which was owned and trained by Les St. Leon, in the sixth race at Tampa Bay Downs.
Feb. 14, 1966: Buckpasser suffered the only defeat of his three-year-old season when he finished second in a non-betting race, the Black Caesar Purse, at Hialeah. He went on to post 13 consecutive victories in 1966 (12 of them in stakes races), but was unable to compete in any of the Triple Crown races because of a hoof injury.

Donn Handicap, 3&up;, $300,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade I, Gulfstream
Horse of the Year finalist Skip Away hopes to pick up where he left off 1997, in the winner's circle. Now five years old, Skip Away won more than $4.5 million last year, and concluded his season with a six-length score in the Breeders' Cup Classic. His main competition should come from Behrens, winner of the Grade II Pegasus Handicap last year, second in the Travers Stakes, but seventh, 24 3-4 lengths behind Skip Away in the Breeders' Cup. Ten are entered, with Skip Away and jockey Jerry Bailey the morning line 4-5 favorite.

Strub Stakes, 4yo, $500,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade I, Santa Anita
Three-year-old champion Silver Charm, who won the San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes, Jan. 17, takes on Mud Route, who was second. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winning Silver Charm was second in the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes, his first start since the Belmont Stakes last June, with Mud Route fourth. Three or four others may run, including Steel Ruhlr, Tru Story, Kukulcan and Pete the Greek.

San Antonio Handicap, 4&up;, $300,000, 1 1-8 Mil4es, Grade II, Santa Anita
Gentlemen (ARG), winner of four of six starts in 1997, returns to the races for the first time since a fifth-place finish in the Sept. 20 Woodbine Mile. Gary Stevens will try to get the six-year-old back to the form that saw him win three straight Grade I races. A winner of nearly $2.5 million in his five-year career, seven-year-old Dramatic Gold will make his second start of the year after a second-place finish in an allowance race Jan. 18. Refinado Tom (ARG) makes his 1998 debut after a seven-length win in the Grade II Native Diver Handicap, Dec. 21. Other possible starters are Hal's Pal (GB), winner of the Grade II San Pasqual Handicap, Jan. 10, Da Bull and River Bay.

San Vicente Stakes, 3yo, $100,000, 7 Furlongs, Grade II, Santa Anita
Highly regarded Orville N Wilbur's, a four-length allowance winner, Dec. 11, at Hollywood Park, makes his three-year-old debut against four possible rivals.

Brown Bess Handicap, 4&up; (f&m;), $100,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Grade III, Bay Meadows

Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup Stakes, 3&up;, $80,000, 1 1-8 Miles Turf, Fair Grounds

Turf Paradise Derby, 3yo, $100,000, 3yo, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Turf Paradise

Turf Paradise Breeders' Cup Handicap, 3&up;, $75,000, 1 1-16 Miles Turf, Turf Paradise

La Canada Stakes, 4yo fillies, $200,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade II, Santa Anita

Pro or Con Handicap, 4&up; (f&m;), $125,000, 1 Mile Turf, Santa Anita

Stymie Handicap, 3&up;, $75,000, 1 1-8 Miles, Grade III, Aqueduct

The Very One Handicap, 3&up; (f&m;), $75,000, 1 3-8 Miles Turf, Grade III, Gulfstream