A bit of Hollywood back on the Kentucky Derby track.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Byline: Dave Joseph

LOUISVILLE, Ky. _ The stars used to shine bright at the races.

Bing Crosby was a fixture at Del Mar, and it wasn't unusual to see Betty Grable or Milton Berle in the clubhouse. And if you were lucky, early in the evenings after the races, Jimmy Durante might sit at the piano and entertain.

Cab Calloway and Mickey Rooney attended the races regularly in New York, and Elizabeth Taylor, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra all stopped by Gulfstream Park.

But times changed, didn't they? Gretzky went to Los Angeles, and Magic and Shaq turned courtside Lakers tickets into gold. With the exception of a few guest stars _ Hammer, Sharon Stone and Stephen Stills _ old Hollywood faded away, new Hollywood simply didn't care, and racing wasn't cool.

That might all be changing, however, in the next few months. In July, the movie Seabiscuit, based on the best-selling book, is expected to be released starring Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper. And come Saturday, a 3-year-old colt called Atswhatimtalknbout will race in the Kentucky Derby for a group of owners that includes Steve Spielberg and Gary Ross, the director of Seabiscuit.

Can racing be cool again? According to Ron Ellis, trainer of Atswhatimtalknbout, his new owners _ who go by the name Biscuit Stables _ are excited, inquisitive and unobtrusive. "It's great to see that kind of enthusiasm in new people that could get involved a little bit."