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Sunday, September 30, 2001

It's called the sport of kings and, so far, the thoroughbred industry's fund-raising efforts for the families of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have been kingly indeed.

The largest single donations so far: $5 million from Sheik Mohammed Al Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai, and $1 million each from American horsemen Henry Mangurian, former owner of the Boston Celtics, and investment banker Ernie Paragallo.

The total raised through two different funds through this past Wednesday was more than $9 million.

Sheik Maktoum made his donation to a fund organized by Keeneland Association and the horsemen who sell and buy horses through its sales division. Smaller donations, which a spokesman said ranged from $10 to hundreds of thousands of dollars, had increased the fund to $5.74 million by Sept. 26, a Keeneland spokesman said. That money is being forwarded to the American Red Cross.

Mangurian and Paragallo pledged their donations to the NTRA Charities-New York Heroes Fund, which is being coordinated by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Breeders' Cup Limited and the New York Racing Association. The three sponsors, which will use various Breeders' Cup Day activities to raise additional moneys, originally set a fund-raising goal of $1 million and later raised it to $2 million. With that goal surpassed, the sponsors didn't immediately announce another goal.

Keeneland was minutes away from the opening of the second day of its 13-day September Yearling Sale when the terrorists began their attack by crashing two passenger jets into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The session was canceled, and the following day Keeneland announced it would administer the fund.

"To be honest, there was no planning, no goal, no structure. Just an immediate, human reaction to do something," Nick Nicholson, president and CEO of Keeneland, said in announcing the fund's creation.

The Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships are Oct. 27 at Belmont Park on Long Island. The World Trade Center was once a prominent part of the Manhattan skyline visible from the track. Area rescue workers were involved in the response to the terrorism, and the track's parking lot served as a launching point for emergency vehicles. Using the Cup as a focal point for fund raising seemed a natural response. The racing extravaganza will be dedicated to the victims.

The NTRA and NYRA will contribute a portion of each paid admission to the Cup along with a percentage of other related revenue to the fund. In addition, all proceeds from the Breeders' Cup Charity Gala Oct. 26 will go to the fund. Instead of the scheduled entertainment, the gala will have an expanded live auction.

Sheik Mohammed's and Mangurian's donations will be in the form of money, but Paragallo used a more novel format that could net more than $1 million. He has donated multi-year stallion seasons to Breeders' Cup champion sires Artax and Unbridled Song for auction. If the proceeds fall short of $1 million, Paragallo has promised to make up the difference.

Other individual horsemen and entities that have made pledges to the Heroes Fund:

Coolmore, a breeding and racing operation; owner Michael Tabor, jockey Michael Kinane and trainer Aidan O'Brien each have pledged 10 percent of potential winnings in the Breeders' Cup.

Tracy Farmer, owner of Albert the Great, pledged 5 percent of potential winnings by the horse in both the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders' Cup Classic;

NYRA pledged all admission revenue from the New York Showcase Weekend Oct. 20-21.

The Meadowlands/New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority pledged all proceeds from the track's signature race, The Meadowlands Cup, this weekend.

Thoroughbred Charities of America pledged $50,000.

Los Alamitos Racecourse pledged $20,000.

Churchill Downs Inc., pledged $69,103.28 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The donation comprises contributions of employees of Churchill's six tracks and nine off-track betting parlors, which were matched dollar for dollar by the company.

To donate to the Keeneland fund, call (800) 456-3412; to donate to the Heroes Fund, the number is (800) 792-6872.

Trainer set to re-enlist

Dickie Small, Maryland-based trainer of the great Broad Brush and Concern, as well as a Green Beret veteran of the Vietnam war, has acquired his re-enlistment papers because of the terrorist attacks. "If they get down to me, we're all in trouble," said Small, 56.