It’s Simple as ABC as Lukas Quickly Changes His Tune

Interesting how things work out sometimes.

Larry The Legend dropped out of the Kentucky Derby because of a bone chip, but then along came Serena’s Song to provide music to ABC’s ear.

Trainer Wayne Lukas told writers he was leaning toward running the filly in today’s Kentucky Oaks rather than the big race Saturday, but then he went on ABC last Saturday to announce the opposite.

Suddenly, ABC, which lost its best story, had another good one--Lukas and another filly trying to duplicate 1988, when Lukas’ Winning Colors won.

Did someone at ABC persuade him Serena’s Song belonged in the Derby?

No one at ABC is saying so, but you can bet someone did a good sales job, influencing Lukas to run Serena’s Song in the Derby and also getting him to make the announcement on ABC. Obviously, there’s a relationship there somewhere.

Naturally, Lukas and Serena’s Song will be heavily featured during the pre-race coverage, which begins at 1:30 p.m.

Producer Curt Gowdy Jr. has been touting a new musical score developed for ABC’s coverage, but, no, they’re not going so far as to call it “Serena’s Song.”

*

What’s new this year with the Derby is that the pre-race coverage will include a live race, the Early Times Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. Post time is 1:53 p.m.

It’s part of a series of turf races preceding Triple Crown races.

Post time for the main event is 2:32 p.m.

Among the 26 cameras ABC will use for its coverage will be a “cable cam,” inaugurated last year. It’s a small camera that moves along a suspended cable as the horses come down the stretch.

*

ABC will again use Dave Johnson to call the race, and newcomer Lesley Visser joins the regular cast of commentators--Al Michaels, Charlsie Cantey and semi-retired Jim McKay, 73.

McKay loves the Derby. “It’s the greatest one-day event I’ve ever covered, that and Indy,” he said. “The tradition, the beauty and all the stories are what makes the Derby so great.”

McKay’s picks: Serena’s Song or Talkin Man. His longshot: The Japanese horse, Ski Captain.

*

Right before the race, Gowdy and associate producer Steve Nagler will decide which three or four horses to put an isolated camera on, from start to finish.

Gowdy, who has been producing Derby coverage since 1986, has had the winner isolated every year except 1992, when Lil E. Tee was the upset winner.

Gowdy this year probably will isolate on the Lukas entry of Serena’s Song and Timber Country, plus Talkin Man and a strong closer such as Jumron.

*

As a prelude to Saturday night’s Oscar De La Hoya-Rafael Ruelas fight, one of the best boxing pay-per-view attractions in quite a while, Channel 13 tonight at 8 offers a two-hour special, “Battle of the Lightweights.”

Rich Marotta, Tony Hernandez and Artie Ojeda will serve as hosts. The producer is Frank Belmont, who also produces Channel 13’s L.A. Marathon coverage.

Calling Saturday’s pay-per-view card, which begins at 6 p.m. and includes three undercard fights, will be Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, Pernell Whitaker and Roy Jones Jr.

George Foreman fortunately has the night off. He shows up for his announcing assignments about as well-prepared as he was to fight Axel Schulz.

Saturday’s fight also will be shown at more than 300 closed-circuit locations in Southern California. Rick Kulis, the distributor of the closed-circuit telecasts, warns piracy will be strictly enforced.

KNX will have round-by-round summaries of the main event, which is expected to begin around 8 p.m.

*

TV-Radio Notes

The Lakers’ game Saturday at 12:30 p.m. will be the only playoff game on NBC that day. . . . The starting time for Thursday night’s game at the Forum wasn’t known until after Tuesday’s games because the NBA wanted to ensure TBS would get the entire game. Had Denver not been eliminated, the Laker game would not have started until 8:45 p.m. The TBS telecast Thursday night was subject to blackout within a 35-mile radius of the Forum to protect the Prime Sports telecast. . . . Is Chick Hearn up for the playoffs or what? He has really been on his game.

NBC averaged a 6.4 national rating for the first weekend of the NBA playoffs, 10% higher than last year and the highest for the first weekend of the playoffs since 1983. . . . TNT play-by-play announcer Ron Thulin on Tuesday night was hit on the head by a quarter when the crowd in Denver began throwing things after Nugget Coach Bernie Bickerstaff was ejected. Thulin, maintaining his cool, said after retrieving the quarter, “I just doubled my pay for the night.”

The America’s Cup best-of-nine final begins Saturday, and there will be live coverage each race day on ESPN at 1 p.m. ESPN2 will offer a two-hour version of each race, delayed, at 9 p.m. . . . ESPN2 has gone over the 20-million mark for number of homes, now reaching 21.5 million. . . . The Kentucky Oaks will be on ESPN today at 2 p.m., and ESPN will televise a two-hour special that includes three races at Churchill Downs on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. At 11 a.m., ESPN2 takes over until the start of ABC’s coverage at 1:30 p.m. . . . Saturday’s UCLA-USC track meet at USC’s Cromwell Field will be shown Sunday at 5 p.m. by Prime Sports, with Tom Kelly, Dwight Stones and Carol Lewis calling the action.

The Classic Sports Network makes its debut Saturday with a Muhammad Ali salute, but on only a few select cable systems. Brian Bedol, the company’s CEO, said the key thing is “we’re up and going.” He said the plan is for the network to be in 5 million homes by the end of the year. Deals with mini-satellite dish companies DirecTV and PrimeStar are pending.

The baseball season is young, and local viewers are already irritated at Channel 5. Readers have complained that Channel 5 went to a commercial last Friday during the moment of silence at Dodger Stadium for the victims in Oklahoma City and also that the Dodgers’ first game in San Francisco, even though it was a day game, wasn’t televised. . . . Where they are now: Bud Furillo is doing a sports talk show for Palm Springs radio station KPSL from 4-6 p.m. . . . Marilyn Chandler, the widow of Bob Chandler, the Raider radio commentator who died of cancer in January, and many of his friends have established a foundation in his name to benefit young people and cancer research. Information: 818 441-2158.