LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Big Bill Foster can picture the scene. It is late Saturday afternoon - early evening, really - and the traditional winner's circle ceremonies following the running of the 130th Kentucky Derby are winding down. The Smarty Jones team has been praised to the heavens by everyone from NBC's Bob Costas to Kentucky's Gov. Ernie Fletcher. The Derby trophy has been hoisted on high by trainer John Servis. The Chapmans, Roy and Pat, beam proudly as owners and breeders of the pugnacious colt, while jockey Stewart Elliott, at the age of 38, has become an overnight sensation.

NEW YORK - Cable television's most popular network promotes itself with the slogan "It's not TV - it's HBO." Its newest offering, the documentary "Jockey," which debuts Monday night at 8 p.m. Eastern and will be heavily aired over the next three weeks during Triple Crown season, suggests a slight variation on that catchphrase: It's not journalism - it's HBO.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Patrick Valenzuela will be welcomed back to riding Sunday with a round of applause from his many fans, a leg up from a top trainer in the feature, and a plastic container marked "urine specimen" from the investigative staff of the California Horse Racing Board.

NEW YORK - If you think figuring out next Saturday's Kentucky Derby is a headache, try filling out this year's Hall of Fame ballot.

The Hall voting, which concluded Friday, in some ways might look like an easy pick four, with three three-way races and a four-way jockey bake-off. There may even be a couple of singles in the sequence - Skip Away should be a cinch in his first year of eligibility, and Shug McGaughey may be as well.

The problem is that these shouldn't be little races with four guaranteed inductees every year.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Friday marks the return of night racing to Southern California, when Hollywood Park management offers a full card plus a concert by Cameo - those Knights of the Sound Table - that is sure to draw a crowd. Then, after wrapping things up around midnight, everyone will be asked to come back early Saturday afternoon for the $1.3 million California Gold Rush program. So forgive the staff if their tails are dragging.

TUCSON, Ariz. - Some time before he left this mortal track of tears, or perhaps while traveling up the heavenly path he surely trod, Col. Matt Winn stopped and blessed his beautiful baby.

I wasn't at the benediction, but it probably went like this: "Lord, bless the Kentucky Derby, even in lean years when there are no overwhelming favorites, and send someone or something to keep those press releases flowing."

He obviously was heard on high.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The first day of the 1950 Hollywood Park season was no ordinary opening day.

For starters, the place wasn't on fire, like it was two weeks before the scheduled opening of the 1949 meeting. While the wreckage of the grandstand smoldered, Hollywood's '49 dates were played across town at Santa Anita Park.

Opening day of 1950 was also late - June 27 to be exact - because the new grandstand wasn't quite ready in time for the traditional date in May. A 20-day season was all that could be squeezed in before the start of Del Mar.

NEW YORK - As the 130th Kentucky Derby approaches, does the American public still care enough about the winner of the 129th to read an entire book about him?

ARCADIA, Calif. - After 50 runnings down Santa Anita's winding hillside course, while racking up nearly 88 miles worth of priceless memories, you would think the San Juan Capistrano would get a little respect.

Think again.

After being devalued in the eyes of the Graded Stakes Committee of the Kentucky-based Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, from a magical "1" to a more sober "2," the venerable San Juan also suffered a 25 percent purse cut this year, dropping from its competitive $400,000 to a more pedestrian $250,000.

NEW YORK - There are two ways to interpret the results of last Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes, in which The Cliff's Edge earned a lofty 111 Beyer Speed Figure running down Lion Heart, and the Wood Memorial, in which Tapit earned a lowly 98 in a blanket finish over Master David and Eddington.