HOUSTON, 2 OTHERS SKIPPING JIM DANDY DAY 2-FOR-3 IN SPA DEBUT VELASQUEZ WINS 6,000TH 'SWELL' STARTS 3RD JUMP RACE RACE CALLS ON WVKZ AND WKAJ.(Sports)

Three trainers have decided their horses should skip Sunday's Jim Dandy and be entered in other races.

Jeff Lukas said Houston will run in Saturday's A Phenomenon Stakes; Shy Tom, another Lukas trainee who was third in the Haskell, will go in either the Travers (Saturday, Aug.19) or Gallant Man (Monday, Aug.21), and Chenin Blanc, trained by Billy Mott, is also preparing to run in the Gallant Man.

Houston was considered a top Triple Crown contender early in his 2-year-old campaign, but he never developed as a 3-year-old and is running mainly in sprint races, such as the A Phenomenon.

Chenin Blanc made his first grass start last week at Belmont Park.

"I was pleased with his race on the grass," Mott said. "I didn't know if he'd be up to facing the better 3- year-olds on dirt. Not that he's not a good horse, they just might be too far advanced for him."

Eddie Kelly Sr. said I'm Influential also will pass up the Jim Dandy, but he has no alternate plans.

Houston will get a challenge in the A Phenomenon.

Quick Call, who always comes alive at the Spa, has turned up in the entries. Last year, Quick Call won three races here.

The rest of the field includes Crafty North, King's Swan, Seattle Knight, King's Nest, Miami Slick and Mr. Nickerson.

The A Phenomenon is being run as the seventh race, preceding the featured Whitney.

Pat Day's first appearance at Saratoga this season was a success. He won two of the three races he rode in, but the race Day lost was the featured $150,000 Test Stakes. He finished last aboard second choice Imaginary Lady.

Day will be here through Saturday. He is scheduled to ride Easy Goer in the Whitney.

Jorge Velasquez became the fifth jockey to win 6,000 races when he rode Maddie Bumpo to victory in the third race at Arlington Park on Thursday.

Velasquez, who had been a regular at New York tracks for more than 20 years, moved to the Illinois track earlier this year.

Velasquez had left New York once before, moving to France in 1987 before returning 10 months later.

Velasquez joins Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay, Angel Cordero and John Longden as 6,000-race winners.

Uptown Swell will make his fifth appearance in a steeplechase race when he runs in today's sixth race.

Uptown Swell, who placed in stakes on the flat and had earnings in excess of $700,000, has won his past three steeplechase events.

He is the richest horse ever to be converted into a steeplechaser. He won the Novice Stakes at Fair Hill in Maryland in his last steeplechase race.

Two Capital District radio stations are broadcasting taped calls of all races here.

WVKZ (1240 AM, 96.7 FM) of Schenectady and WKAJ (900 AM) of Saratoga Springs will replay the calls shortly after each race.

In addition, WVKZ will have a morning handicapping show at 7:40 on the FM station and 8:15 on the AM station. It also will have an update on scratches and track conditions at noon and a wrap-up show after the races. - Compiled by Tim Wilkin and Keith Marder