BREEDERS' CUP NOTEBOOK: FORGET THE MUSIC, HEF'S THE HORSE.

Byline: Kevin Modesti Staff Writer

Among the runners in Saturday's Breeders' Cup races are a 3-year-old sprinter named Stravinsky and a 2-year-old colt named Brahms. A 2-year-old colt named Bach didn't make the cut.

Odd, but the horses named for classical composers aren't piquing quite the same curiosity as a 2-year-old colt called Hugh Hefner.

``For a horse that's 30-1 (on the Juvenile morning line), there's been a lot of attention,'' said trainer Marty Jones, who, as a single man of 28, understands.

The horse was named for the Playboy founder by breeder-owner Ed Nahem, a former art and antiques dealer who's a Playboy Mansion party-goer.

``People asked to name horses for him for 30 years, and he said no,'' Nahem said. ``But I wrote him a letter and told him this horse had the potential to be exceptional.''

Hugh Hefner ran away with a Santa Anita stakes for California-breds after finishing a well-beaten fourth against better horses at Del Mar. Corey Nakatani will ride him here.

No, neither the horse nor the jockey will wear pajamas.

But enough about Hef the horse.

Hef himself is expected at Gulfstream for the race - ``and they say he's got entourage,'' Jones said Thursday morning with a gleam in his eye.

``I was going to dress my groom up like a Playboy bunny,'' Jones said. ``He didn't think much of the idea.''

After the stakes victory, Nahem and Jones were invited to Hefner's Halloween party. But Jones didn't get to meet Hefner.

``He was busy,'' Jones said. ``He had his hands full.''

Don't worry about him: Gary Stevens is pleasantly surprised to have six Breeders' Cup mounts, three for Saudi Prince Ahmed Salman's Thoroughbred Corp., for which he rides under contract.

The contract, which brought Stevens back from England this summer, has cut into his business with other clients, notably Bob Baffert's barn.

``But that's something I took into consideration before I signed,'' Stevens said. ``The tradeoff's been well worth it.''

The contract gives Stevens security, a future in Thoroughbred Corp. management, and the satisfaction of helping to develop 2-year-olds like Anees (Juvenile) and Spain (Juvenile Fillies).

Kid stuff: Owner Trudy McCaffery (Free House, Bien Bien) of Bradbury doesn't have a horse in the Breeders' Cup. She's at Gulfstream to chaperone four kids - ages 9 to 16 - whose trips to the event are sponsored by racing associations and other donors.

The ``Kids to the Cup'' program grew this summer out of various racing fan clubs on the Internet.

``To me it's very important. They're our (sport's) future,'' McCaffery said. ``We don't want to lose these kids to NASCAR.''

Information: horsesetc.com.

Is this the year? Alex Solis has ridden in 27 Breeders' Cup races and never won, although he finished second aboard Bertrando (against Arazi in the 1991 Juvenile), La Spia (jumping shadows in the 1991 Juvenile Fillies) and three other horses.

``I don't believe in (jinxes),'' Solis said. ``You've got to see things the way I do. I come from a tiny town in Panama with 2,000 people. I see how far I've come, and I have nothing but gratitude.''

Solis' mounts Saturday include Ecton Park (Classic), Dixie Union (Juvenile) and Kona Gold (Sprint).

Leave your hat on: The television audience might see jockeys and trainers wearing caps advertising Youbet.com, the internet wagering concern, in postrace interviews.

They're paid as much as four figures for national shows like the Breeders' Cup.