ESPN Horse Racing

HALLANDALE, Fla. -- This is football season, but Bob McNair has horses on his mind.

The owner of Houston's new NFL franchise is at Gulfstream Park to watch two of his horses in the Breeders' Cup.

Undefeated Chilukki will run in the Juvenile Fillies. Tuzla, a long shot 5-year-old mare, will take on the boys in the Mile.

"I don't bet much on any of our horses because I bet so much on them by investing and training," he said Friday. "I'd have to carry a suitcase up to the window just to have a comparable amount."

McNair bought the Houston franchise for more than $1 billion, prompting his trainer, Bob Baffert, to joke, "I hope they didn't get into my horse money for that."

Of Baffert's eight horses running Saturday, he has the highest hopes for Chilukki and Silverbulletday in the Distaff.

"If I have a bad day, I might have to go to work for Bob as the guy holding the tee," said Baffert, who playfully suggested McNair should name his team the Houston Bafferts.

McNair, who also owns a stakes winner called Idle Rich, gives Baffert plenty of latitude with his horses.

"He has that competitive drive and wants to play at that level," Baffert said. "He's going to want that Super Bowl quick."

McNair likened horse racing to hitting a home run in baseball _ results can occur instantly _ unlike Houston's lengthy contest with Los Angeles to land an NFL team.

"This is so much more spontaneous because in two minutes you'll know the result," he said. "The football took two years."

Kids to the Cup
Thoroughbred owner Trudy McCaffery wants to introduce kids to racing, so she's bringing them to the horses.

McCaffery helped raise $20,000 to bring four youngsters to the Breeders' Cup as part of a group called "Kids to the Cup."

Several others paid their own way, all united by their love for horses. The kids toured the backstretch Friday, with some trainers taking time out to show them what goes on behind the scenes.

"It's fun. You get to see a lot of nice horses," said Preston Adams, 12, of Lexington, Ky., who wants to be a jockey.

McCaffery got the idea from fan clubs for her horse Free House, the 1997 Santa Anita Derby winner. She said horse racing needs to take a page from NASCAR's ability to attract young fans.

"They're going to be our future owners, trainers, journalists," she said. "It's very important we keep this interest."

'O captain, my captain'
A Louisville, Ky., police captain has a namesake colt running in the Juvenile.

Captain Steve's owner, Mike Pegram, met police Capt. Steve Thompson when Pegram ended up in jail the day after the 1997 Kentucky Derby.

In the post-race rush, a friend had given Pegram a wrapped present. Not bothering to open the package and not knowing it contained a gun, Pegram tossed it into a carry-on bag before heading to the airport.

The next thing Pegram knew, bells were going off at the security checkpoint, and he was being taken to jail. There, he called trainer Bob Baffert, who reached Thompson through a mutual acquaintance.

Thompson turned out to be a big racing fan. As he expedited Pegram's release from jail, he promised the owner that the next time they talked would be after Pegram had won the Kentucky Derby.

One year later, Thompson was the second person Pegram encountered on his way to the winner's circle after Real Quiet's victory.

"It's kind of a little Twilight Zone there," Pegram said.

He said he was thrilled to name a horse after Thompson.

"He is the epitome of what a racetrack person is. He's got a heart of gold, he loves helping people. He's the best friend a man could have," Pegram said.

Cyberspace wagering
Racing fans unable or unwilling to head to the track can still wager on the Breeders' Cup. All it takes is a computer.

Youbet.com, an online racing service, is carrying Saturday's championship card for subscribers, who also have access to real-time audio and video feeds.

Wagering is done through accounts established with Youbet.com via a secure network. Bets go directly into the wagering pools at Gulfstream.

Copyright 1999 by The Associated Press