NEW YORK - Some New York legislators are again trying to raise the cost of playing horses in New York by socking the public with a 9 to 11 percent takeout increase. Under budget proposals and legislation supported by the State Senate's Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering, the minimum takeout at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga would be increased from 14 to 15.5 percent on straight bets and from 17.5 to 19 percent on two-horse wagers.

The legislators claim that they are doing this to help out the poor old New York Racing Association.

ARCADIA, Calif. - A trainer called this number the other day to thank the writer for getting him on the 2005 Hall of Fame ballot. Boy, did he get that wrong.

NEW YORK - Racing's marketing geniuses are still trying to get everyone to call the Breeders' Cup the World Thoroughbred Championships, and it's failing to catch on for two reasons.

The first is that it is a mouthful of bland multi-syllables. The second is that the Breeders' Cup is no more authentically global than an International House of Pancakes. If you want to see a real United Nations of racing, look instead to the six races worth $15 million on the Dubai World Cup card Saturday night.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The queens are dead. The torch was passed. Then, in the flash of a frantic final quarter, little Megahertz stepped up to breathe life into an American female turf division badly in need of an inspirational leader.

For the past month, division headquarters has been draped in black crepe. The Feb. 23 death of All Along, at age 26, followed two days later by Estrapade, who was 25, put a damper on business. You always hate to lose the old masters, the tribal elders, whose mere presence tends to elevate the class of the herd.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Eoin Harty was asked how he would feel if Ruler's Court returned from obscurity to beat Roses in May, Congrats, and Lundy's Liability in the $6 million Dubai World Cup on Saturday night.

"That would be fantastic," Harty said. "Stranger things have happened."

TUCSON, Ariz. - Wow! Gee! Golly!

ESPN reports that fan interest in racing is up 5.1 percent, from 35.6 percent to 37.4 percent of the U.S. adult population. That means a total fan base of 78.5 million, the highest registered by any sport in 2004. Thoroughbred racing, ESPN says, is the only sport whose fan base has increased in each of the last five years.

Holy cow! We've surpassed golf, boxing, and fishing, ESPN says.

I'm reminded of the late, great New York turf writer Clyde Hirt, who used to have a column feature called "Impertinent Questions."

ARCADIA, Calif. - It was him all right, Declan's Moon, the unbeaten champion of his generation, last seen in graceful display of his abundant talents while winning the Santa Catalina Stakes at Santa Anita on the afternoon of March 5.

NEW YORK - The 1990 racing season is remembered most for the Easy Goer-Sunday Silence rivalry that failed to bloom at 4, the Bayakoa-Go for Wand Breeders' Cup Distaff, and perhaps for Unbridled's victories in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic. Its Horse of the Year has remained largely forgotten, at least until news arrived this week that Criminal Type had died in Japan on March 9 at the age of 20, just weeks before he was scheduled to be pensioned and returned to this country.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Big-time racing didn't mean too much to a 16-year-old apprentice just cutting his teeth on the rough-and-tumble tracks of southwestern Louisiana, circa 1969. In fact, said Ray Sibille, "The world pretty much ended at Baton Rouge."

Certainly, Sibille and his young race-riding pals knew all about guys like Willie Shoemaker, Eddie Arcaro, Johnny Longden, and Braulio Baeza. They were names whispered on the wind, exotic creatures possessed of special powers to attract great horses, widespread fame, and vast sums of cash.

NEW YORK - The following list of the last 12 Kentucky Derby winners shows how many weeks before the main event they made starts as 3-year-olds in various prep races:

Smarty Jones: 3, 6, 9, 17

Funny Cide: 3, 8, 15

War Emblem: 4, 7, 11, 14

Monarchos: 3, 8, 13, 16

Fusaichi Pegasus: 3, 7, 11

Charismatic: 2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15

Real Quiet: 4, 7, 15

Silver Charm: 4, 7, 12

Grindstone: 3, 7, 11

Thunder Gulch: 3, 8, 11

Go for Gin: 3, 8, 11, 15

Sea Hero: 3, 9, 12