... Sorry; been away from home a lot (since the Ky derby, have spent two days driving from Orange County to Bay Area, two days flying back and forth to Syracuse to pick up the parental units and two days travellening to Fresno to visit family; in between, entertaining the parents as well).

Rules for the Preakness Pool will be the same as for the Kentucky Derby:

1 -- One entry for each $5 chip at risk. Multiple entries per person permitted. Just tell me how many. I will accept any entries posted here or sent by email. Deadline for entry is 11:59 pm EDT (8:59 pm PDT) Friday, May 18, 2001.

2 -- I will assign entrants to horses at random.

3 -- No limit to the number of entries. If fewer than the starting field, I will double up the longshots, two horses to one entrant. If more than the starting field, I will assign one or more entrants to one or more horses as necessary to make a fair distribution (you'll just have to trust on this one for the time being; the combinations and permutations are just too many to try to spell out in advance).

4 -- Late scratches (after I assign chippers to horses) will be re-assigned if possible. Race day scratches will probably be too late for assignment (and I will be on the road most of the day Saturday) and assigned chippers will be excused from participating.

5 -- Winner take all except:

.......... If there are more chippers than horses, some horses will have two chippers assigned and they will split the winner's share.

.......... The chipper(s) assigned to the last place horse will NOT have to send a chip to the winner(s). Instead, the winner(s) will send their chips to the last places finisher(s). Scratches do not count for last place; however, a horse which starts but does not finish will be considered the last place horse.

6 -- Send no chips until after the race and I will announce who receives the chips.

Please post any questions here.

To read about this year's Preakness, go here:

http://www.triplecrown2000.com/

and follow the links for the Preakness.

Current line up (as usual, much smaller field than for the Derby):

Post Line .. Horse

1 .. 30-1 .. Marciano
2 .. 20-1 .. Mr. John
3 .. 50-1 .. Griffinite
4 .. 10-1 .. A P Valentine
5 ... 5-2 .. Congaree
6 .. 10-1 .. Richly Blended
7 ... 2-1 .. Monarchos
8 .. 50-1 .. Percy Hope
9 .. 30-1 .. Bay Eagle
10 . 12-1 .. Dollar Bill
11 .. 3-1 .. Point Given

Good luck!! ----- jim o\-S