It's weight and see in rich Gold Cup

There's an important weighty problem at Hawthorne today. It hasto do with the assigned weights for the $500,000-plusBudweiser-Hawthorne Gold Cup.

Cutlass Reality, the heavy favorite, was handed top weight of124 pounds by racing secretary Frank Arsenault, who has weighted somany horses for handicap races he's planning to become a weightguesser at the carnivals.

Howard Crash and Jim Hankoff's Cutlass Reality, a likely 3-5favorite, is going to be hard to catch once he gets into high gear inthe 1 1/4-mile grind.

Local owner Phil Teinowitz' stretch runner Cryptoclearance,next high weight with 117, is going to try to catch Cutlass Realitywith his patented stretch run.

Manzotti and Nostalgia's Star were given 113 pounds and localhorse General Silver gets 108 pounds.

Did Arsenault overweight Cutlass Reality, who ran in Californiaand took all the gold? Cutlass Reality, winner of $1,110,330, wonmost of that money with five straight victories since June 12. Hedefeated Alysheba and Ferdinand, who were rated the nation's 1-2handicap horses.

Cutlass Reality was a nice allowance horse until June 12. Thenhis life changed. He's got a new lease on life. He began ridingjets.

Cutlass Reality carried 116 pounds compared to 126 for Alyshebawhen he won the Hollywood Gold Cup. He toted 123 pounds when he wonthe San Diego Handicap at Del Mar in his last start.

I heard Crash and Hankoff scream about the weights. I toldArsenault he handed the Gold Cup to those two men.

Crash and Hankoff were really bitter about Cryptoclearance'sweight of 117. When Cryptoclearance lost to Lost Code in theMassachussetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs, somebody thought he hadlead in his shoes. He was beaten a dozen lengths.

Ibelieve Cryptoclearance will regain his best form now that hehas had a three-month layoff. Cryptoclearance has won only one racethis year, and seven in 29 starts.

We'll learn today whether Crash and Hankoff had a right toscream or whether Arsenault gave Cutlass Reality the correct weight.If Cutlass Reality annihilates his field, Arsenault should havegiven him more weight and Crash and Hankoff should apologize toArsenault. I would have given Cutlass Reality 126 pounds.

Cutlass Reality could be a blockbuster, and may be the besthorse in the United States. If he wins today and captures the $3million Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs, he should becrowned a few times. His owners said they were going to nominate andenter their horse at a cost of $360,000 for the Classic.

Cutlass Reality may wheel into the stretch five lengths infront. There will be Cryptoclearance moving up very fast. I'mpicking Cutlass Reality to outlast Cryptoclearance by a couple oflengths. The only fly in the ointment for Cutlass Reality is hemight want a lightning-fast strip. Hawthorne's strip is cushionedand tiring. I thought I lived a pretty good life until I visitedArlington's Ditka's. Ditka's is heaven. All areas have televisions,mutuel machines, buffet, two bars and plenty of seats and tables.

As you enter, to your left is the main Ditka's restaurant, witheverything from toothpicks to betting machines. I told Ditka's JimRittenberg that for a book joint, the one at Arlington is great. Youcan even have holes in your shoes and not worry about slivers. Thewhole joint is carpeted.

Dayle Duchossois had a hand dolling up the place. Ditka's is sorich and homey, it could become too much of a lure for the BDH.Dayle, who is well into making the new Arlington a palace, should belisted as the leading racetrack interior decorator.

Dick Duchossois built and owns the intertrack building. WhenArlington opens next summer, intertrack Ditka's will remain open.

My message to operator Rittenberg is if you want to soak thosein the main dining room $2 for a Coke, maybe they can afford it. Butplease cut the cost of that Coke in the other areas, where my peopleneed those extra quarters to bet.