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News and notes from around the Thoroughbred racing world, compiled by Thoroughbred Racing Communications, Inc. (TRC) (212) 371-5911. 
GRADE I FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, KEY KENTUCKY DERBY PREP, TO BE TELEVISED LIVE SATURDAY ON ESPN The $200,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes, a critical race for three-year-olds pointing for the May 6 Kentucky Derby, will be televised live from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 19 from 5:00-5:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN. Coverage will be hosted by Dave Johnson with Randy Moss and Jeannine Edwards providing analysis. The 1 1-16-mile race, the year's first Grade I event for three-year-old colts, drew a field of 11, led by High Yield, third in the 1999 Breeders' cup Juvenile at Gulfstream. The complete field, from the rail out, is Ben the Man, Un Fino Vino, Greenwood Lake, High Yield, Personal First, American Bullet, Rupert Herd, Hal's Hope, Polish Miner, Elite Mercedes and Deputy Warlock. 'The Fountain of Youth is always a pivotal step on the road to Louisville, as evidenced by the fact that the race has produced three of the last ten Kentucky Derby winners,' said Ben Cambra, vice president-NTRA Productions. 'This year's race, as in the past, will determine the major Derby contenders from the East.' Previous winners of the Fountain of Youth include Thunder Gulch, winner of the 1995 Kentucky Derby. Other key performers who have participated in the historic prep race include eventual Kentucky Derby winners Go for Gin (1994), Unbridled (1990) and last year's Breeders' Cup Classic winner Cat Thief.
MUTUEL FIELD FAVORED IN POOL ONE OF DERBY FUTURE WAGER The official field for Pool 1 of the 2000 Kentucky Derby Future Wager is set and Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia is guessing that racing fans will not settle on an individual horse as the early favorite for Derby 126. There are 24 betting interests in the Future Wager - 23 horses and a 24th interest that is a mutuel field that consists of 'all other three-year-olds' - and Battaglia has installed the mutuel field as the 5-1 morning line favorite for Pool 1. Wagering on Pool 1 of the nation's first pari-mutuel future wager begins a four-day run at Noon (EST), Thursday, Feb. 17 and continues through Sunday, Feb. 20 at 4:30 p.m. (EST). Odds that are in place when the pool closes are final and winning payouts are based on those odds. This week's Future Wager pool is the first of three in 2000, with Pool 2 set for March 9-12 and Pool 3 scheduled for April 13-16. The Kentucky Derby Future Wager is a $2 minimum wager and a win wager only. Battaglia's morning line lists Overbrook Farm's filly Surfside, trained by four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas, and Irving and Marjorie Cowan's unbeaten War Chant, who may become the first Derby starter for trainer Neil Drysdale, as co-second choices at 8-1. After that comes Captain Steve, trained by two-time Derby winner Bob Baffert, and The Deputy, winner of the recent Santa Catalina (GII) at Santa Anita, at 10-1. The 1999 two-year-old champion, The Thoroughbred Corp's Anees, is listed at 15-1. 'It's the same situation as last year, when I made the mutuel field the favorite for Pool 1,' said Battaglia. 'This year I made the field 5-1, but it will probably close at shorter odds than that. I really mulled it over because this is such a wide-open group of horses, but 5-1 seemed fair.' Battaglia listed the mutuel field as the 6-1 favorite in Pool 1 of 1999's successful first run of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Those odds dropped to 4-1 by the end of the four-day wagering period and a bet on the field turned out to be a winner as eventual Derby winner Charismatic was not among the 23 individual horses listed in Pool 1 or any other 1999 Future Wager pool. A $2 bet on the field in 1999's Pool 1 returned $10.20 when Charismatic won the Derby. A similar wager resulted in payouts of $30.20 for Pool 2 and $26.60 for Pool 3. Distribution of the Future Wager in its initial year was limited by incompatibility of software and hardware used by the nation's leading mutuel systems, but fans in 13 states still wagered $267,748 in that pool. That distribution grew to as many as 15 states in subsequent pools and total wagering for the three periods rose to $676,233. Those tote problems have been largely eliminated and wagering on 2000's Pool 1 will be available in 25 states - including newcomers such as Florida, Louisiana and Illinois. The wager will also be available throughout New York at outlets of both the New York Racing Association and New York Off-Track Betting. The roster of wagering interests for Pool 1 was chosen by a three-member committee that includes Daily Racing Form national handicapper Mike Watchmaker; Daily Racing Form West Coast correspondent Brad Free; and Churchill Downs Vice President, Racing Communications John Asher. A new group of betting interests is compiled for each of the three pools. No refunds are allowed in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. If a horse listed as a wagering interest in any of the pools suffers an injury or illness that will prevent its participation in the Kentucky Derby, wagering on that horse will be suspended. The numbers, horses and morning line odds for the Kentucky Derby
Future Wager Pool 1 (Feb. 17-20) are as follows:
STEVE CAUTHEN TO RIDE IN 'SPORTMAN'S CHALLENGE' CHARITY RACE FOR HIGH HOPE STEEPLECHASE Steve Cauthen, legendary Thoroughbred racing jockey and Sports Illustrated's 1977 Sportsman of the Year, will ride in this year's 'The Blood-Horse Sportman's Challenge' to be held May 21, 2000 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The Blood-Horse Sportman's Challenge is the most popular race of the High Hope Steeplechase races conducted each May to benefit the Central Kentucky Riding for the Handicapped organization and the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation. In 1977, Cauthen broke the New York riding record for wins in a year, exceeded the earnings record by 27%, and won two Eclipse awards. On three separate occasions, Cauthen won six of the nine races on that day's card. Cauthen has also been honored as the Associated Press 'Athlete of the Year'. In 1979, Cauthen became the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown, and is the only jockey to win all five of the world's major derbys: The Kentucky Derby, Epsom Derby, Irish Derby, French Derby, and Italian Derby. Cauthen was the leading rider in England in 1984, 1985, and 1987, and the first jockey to win over $6 million in purses. Cauthen retired from racing in 1992. 'We are extremely pleased to have Steve participate in our event,' said David Mullins, president of The High Hope Steeplechase. 'In addition to the seventeen or eighteen farms that will be participating, we anticipate a record crowd will be in attendance to watch the excitement and see Steve. He is one of the greatest athletes of all time. His remarkable accomplishments read like something out of a Hollywood movie.' 'In addition to the obvious great reasons for participating-the charitable aspects and all-I am also happy to take part so that my children will be able to see me race for the first time ever,' said Cauthen. 'My daughter recently said to me, 'Daddy, I bet you would've been a good one.' I hope I can live up to her expectations.' High Hope Steeplechase is a Lexington, KY-based non-profit volunteer organization and is dedicated to keeping steeplechasing active in Central Kentucky and to supporting Central Kentucky Riding for the Handicapped and the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation. The High Hope Steeplechase organization pledges its entire profit to those organizations. The Blood-Horse Sportsman's Challenge is a two-mile race and is sponsored annually by The Blood-Horse Publications, Lexington, Ky. Entries closed February 15.
TOP JAPANESE JOCKEY TO RIDE IN UNITED STATES Yutaka Take, a dominant figure on the Japanese racing scene for most of the last 10 years, will begin riding full time in California in June. According to Daily Racing Form, Take spent last week finalizing travel arrangements with Ron Anderson, who will be his agent in the United States. Immigration paperwork and previous commitments will prevent Take from coming to the United States before June.
Feb. 17, Racehorse Digest, 3:00-3:30 a.m., ESPN
Feb. 22, 1969: Barbara Jo Rubin became the first woman jockey to win a parimutuel race in America when she rode Cohesion to victory at Charles Town. Feb. 23, 1935: Seven-year-old Azucar, a former steeplechaser, won the inaugural Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita Park. Feb. 24, 1947: Acting upon an earlier recommendation by The Jockey Club stewards, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations unanimously approved lip tattoos as a method of identifying Thoroughbred racehorses. Feb. 24, 1979: Trainer J.C. Williams saddled eight winners in 12 attempts at Waterford Park. Williams also owned seven of those eight winners. Feb. 25, 1990: The 11th race at Charles Town was declared a no-contest because the starting gate could not be removed from the track after the race had begun. The track announcer warned the jockeys to pull up their mounts, and the track subsequently refunded all wagers on the race. Feb. 26, 1973: With Secretariat having been named Horse of the Year for 1972 and champion two-year-old, it was announced by Claiborne Farm that the colt had been syndicated for a then-record $6,080,000-equivalent to 32 shares at $190,000 each. Feb. 27, 1982: Florida apprentice Mary Russ became the first female jockey to win a Grade I stakes in North America when she captured the Widener Handicap aboard Lord Darnley at Hialeah. Feb. 28, 1957: John Longden became the first jockey in history to reach 5,000 victories. March 1, 1969: Tuesdee Testa, 27, became the first female jockey to win a race at a major American Thoroughbred track when she won the third race at Santa Anita Park aboard Buz On.
Fountain of Youth Stakes, 3yo, $200,000, 1 1-16M, Grade I, Gulfstream Barbara Fritchie Handicap, 3&up; (f&m;), $200,000, 7F, Grade II, Laurel Davona Dale Stakes, 3yo fillies, $125,000, 1 1-16M, Grade III, Fair Grounds Dearly Precious Stakes, 3yo fillies, $75,000, 6F, Aqueduct
Las Flores Handicap, 4&up; (f&m;), $125,000, 6F, Grade III, Santa Anita Risen Star Stakes, 3yo, $125,000, 1 1-16M, Fair Grounds Davona Dale Stakes, 3yo fillies, $100,000, 1M 70YDS, Grade II, Gulfstream
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