Notes on a Scorecard - Feb. 27, 1990

News item: Trainer Ron McAnally says Bayakoa will go in the Santa Anita Handicap Sunday only if there is an off track. Reaction: chicken. . . .

McAnally would have everything to gain and nothing to lose by running his champion mare against a mediocre field in the $1-million race on any kind of footing. . . .

The possible monetary gain would be $550,000 for first place, $200,000 for second, $150,000 for third, $75,000 for fourth or $25,000 for fifth. And that is to say nothing of the benefits down the line if Bayakoa repeats as an Eclipse Award winner. . . .

If she finishes out of the money, no big deal. Mares aren’t supposed to beat colts. . . .

The race track also will be a loser if Bayakoa sits out this dance. Without her, there is no glamour to the 53rd Big ‘Cap. . . .

Attention Buster Douglas-Mike Tyson referee Octavio Meyran: The first 20-second timeout in the Lakers’ game against the Utah Jazz at the Forum Sunday night actually lasted 40 seconds. . . .

That game, won by Utah on Karl Malone’s three-pointer, was one of the few in the regular season that carried the intensity and atmosphere of the playoffs. . . .

The Lakers, who have a half-game lead over Detroit for best record in the league and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, have 13 home games and 16 road games remaining. The Pistons have 14 at home and 13 on the road. The Lakers have five games left against expansion teams of the last two years, the Pistons only three. . . .

General Manager Bob Ferry of the Washington Bullets has an inflated opinion of guard Jeff Malone. Ferry asked the Clippers for Charles Smith and a first-round draft pick for Malone. And when Ferry talked to the Cleveland Cavaliers about trading for the rights to his son Danny, he offered them only Malone and a first-round pick. . . .

Against the Knicks on national television Sunday, Detroit guard Joe Dumars again demonstrated that he is one of the best all-round players in the NBA. . . .

Bad calls are supposed to even out over a season, but they haven’t for the Clippers. . . .

Look-alikes: Wayne Gretzky and Arizona guard Matt Muehlebach. . . .

It will be interesting to see if Bobby Beathard and his director of player personnel, Dickie Daniels, can do for the San Diego Chargers in the 1990s what they did for the Washington Redskins in the ‘80s. . . .

Daniels is destined to become the first black general manager in the NFL. . . .

One of the worst of the Dallas Cowboys’ many mistakes was taking Steve Walsh in the 1989 supplemental draft. Instead of having the No. 1 choice in the 1990 draft, they have a backup quarterback nobody else wants. . . .

Hayden Fry is confident that he can turn around the Iowa football program after a second consecutive successful recruiting year. . . .

Reader Matthew Treydte recalls a high school swim meet that had to be called because of rain. It was raining so hard that the referee couldn’t see the competitors in the 500-yard freestyle at the Temple City-Arcadia meet in 1985. . . .

I can’t get enough of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” at Laker games. . . .

Pete Sampras, the 18-year-old from Rancho Palos Verdes who won the U.S. Pro Indoor tennis championship Sunday in Philadelphia, could go a long way because of his ability to serve and volley. . . . Wrestler Red Rooster once was described as being “poultry in motion.” . . . Best little-known center in the country is Alec Kessler of Georgia. . . .

Home-area advantages in the regionals will have much to do with determining which teams reach the wide-open Final Four. . . .

This conceivably could be an NCAA tournament without North Carolina, Indiana, UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina State and Villanova. . . .

And, speaking of wide open, who is your choice for college player of the year? . . .

One problem in hyping the Buster Douglas-Evander Holyfield fight is that there is no villain. . . .

The light-heavyweight division--featuring Virgil Hill, Michael Moorer, Prince Charles Williams and Jeff Harding--is badly in need of a tournament to crown an undisputed champion. . . .

Telly Savalas is portraying the late promoter George Parnassus in the TV miniseries about former bantamweight champion Lionel Rose. It is being filmed in Australia. . . .

Bill Walton would be remembered as the greatest center in the history of the NBA if he had not been injured so much of the time. . . .

Look for announcement soon that Magic Johnson will promote the Janet Jackson concerts at the Forum April 20-21.