Bob Wright, a New Orleans attorney, has been named chairman of the Louisiana Racing Commission, replacing Albert Stall, the chairman for 18 years. The switch was made by Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who was elected last year.

Blanco also replaced all eight other sitting commission members. Newly appointed to the commission are Ronald Alleman, Harry Avant, Herman Bowie, Ernest Colbert, Lester Colomb, Thomas Grimstad, Susan Neck, and Ray Todd Jr.

Wright owns racehorses, as did Stall, but the state may adopt a rule barring commission members from racing horses at Louisiana tracks.

A man accused of killing a horse with his sport utility vehicle in a pasture last spring pleaded guilty on Monday in Sonoma, Calif., County Superior Court.

The man, Liobijildo Guzman Herrera, who was to stand trial with another man held in the crime, Noel Guido-Silva, entered the plea before the start of his trial. Guido-Silva still faces a trial.

The two withdrew no-contest pleas last October to charges in the death of 23-year-old mare Gentle Song, who ran third in the 1982 Canadian Oaks and was the pet of a 13-year-old girl in the Sonoma County town of Kenwood.

Jockey Carlos Marquez Jr., who suffered a partially collapsed lung and a hairline fracture to two ribs in a spill Jan. 24, won with his first ride back with Jill Rabbit ($18.60) in Wednesday's fifth race at Oaklawn. . . . Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., canceled its Wednesday card after rising temperatures caused the racing surface to thaw unevenly. Turfway expected to resume racing on Thursday. . . . New York City Off Track Betting Corporation, as well as a majority of regional OTB's across New York State, will sponsor the 2004 Big Apple Triple for 3-year-old New York-breds.

Chris Bukowiecki, 51, a trainer based in Florida in the winter and in Chicago the rest of the year, was found dead Saturday morning in Wellington, Fla., according to a report issue Monday by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office. The report called the death a suicide.

Bukowiecki, who also was a veterinarian, won with 9 of 47 starters last year. He was winless in six starts this winter at Gulfstream Park. He had five horses in training at Palm Meadows, according to his assistant, Bonnie Kassen.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Halfbridled, the unbeaten filly, is an individual betting interest in the Pool 1 lineups for the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks future wagers, which were announced Tuesday by Churchill Downs. The wagers will be offered Thursday through Sunday.

Each pool lists 24 betting interests, including an "all others" option known as the mutuel field. The most accomplished colts and fillies in each group are listed as separate interests.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Ryan Fogelsonger is going home. Five months after arriving in California, he announced last weekend he will return to Maryland, where his success earned him the 2002 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice. Fogelsonger won two races from 39 mounts at the Santa Anita meet, but business stalled after he was injured Dec. 12 and sidelined until Jan. 16.

Trainer Steve Asmussen won 10 races with 16 starters around the country on Saturday, three of the wins in stakes. He won at five different tracks: Delta Downs, Fair Grounds, Oaklawn Park, Sam Houston Race Park, and Sunland Park.

Asmussen's stakes wins came with Spritely Walker in the $200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship and Master Jon in the $50,000 Gentleman Starter, both at Delta; and Eternal Cup in the $50,000 American Beauty Stakes at Oaklawn.

The $2 Magna 5 on Saturday paid $5,323.20 to 74 winning ticket-holders. A total $505,033 was bet, exceeding the $500,000 guaranteed payout. . . . Jockey Mike Ziegler broke his right leg in a two-horse spill in the ninth race at Turf Paradise on Sunday and will be out indefinitely. Jockey Scott Stevens suffered a concussion and broken rib in the spill and said on Monday he hopes to ride "in the next couple of days." . . . A funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Luke's Catholic Church, Thornhill, Ont., for Jerome "Jerry" Leon, a longtime trainer on the Ontario circuit.

* Eternal Cup ($14.40) rallied strongly through the stretch for a 1 3/4-length win over Holiday Runner in the $50,000 American Beauty Stakes for fillies and mares at Oaklawn Park.

* Silver Minister ($3.80) staked his claim as the leader of the 3-year-old division at Turfway Park, winning the one-mile, $50,000 WEBN Frog Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths.

* Coastalota led throughout the 1 1/16 miles of the $40,000 Tomball Stakes for fillies and mares at Sam Houston, but was disqualified and placed second behind Prom Date ($9.80) for interference in the stretch.

Jockey Mike Rowland, who suffered severe head injuries last Wednesday night in a racing accident at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., died early Monday morning at University Hospital in Cincinnati. He was 41.

Rowland was leading the seventh race aboard World Trade, trained by Rowland's friend Bernie Flint, when the horse suddenly broke down and fell, unseating the rider. Two trailing horses were unable to avoid Rowland and World Trade, resulting in a three-horse accident that injured two other riders. Jessica Endres was bruised and shaken, and Mark Johnston broke his collarbone.