Now here's a thoroughbred, sired by a previous winner.

"The national media, many of whom are here today, are having a field day wondering out loud whether I am going to follow in my father's footsteps," Bush joked at one recent gathering. "I want to confront that matter head-on tonight. I will not jump out of any airplanes."

Bush is the mainstream horse, the establishment favorite. But he's untested in a national race, and he's got to meet some high expectations in the Texas state races this November.

This horse is an economic conservative, re-born as a social conservative. Big bucks buy him credibility -- and resentment. He's running as a populist, but is he too rich, and too goofy, to be a man of the people?

He was last season's disappointment. He didn't show enough fight in the '96 race. But he's a congenial fellow, and good with minorities. But can he raise the dough?

This horse runs on electablity. "Remember your ABC's -- Alexander Beats Clinton!" he said in 1996. He's a good retail politician, but doesn't excite anybody. He may be broadly acceptable if Bush falters.

Now here's a horse with a huge stature problem. Never well respected, things just got worse when he wandered off into a potato patch a few years ago. But he's been, working hard and has earned respect from conservatives. The question is, can this horse go the distance?

Gingrich has a cult following and a terrific fund-raising base. His numbers are up to nearly respectable levels. But he's still got a stubborn, unruly streak that infuriates a lot of fans.

"They are misusing the ethics system in a deliberate, vicious, vindictive way, and I think it is despicable and I have just about had it," Gingrich complained, when Democrats came after him.

Can this horse be tamed?

The religious right is putting a lot of money on this horse. He's a social conservative who is reaching out to economic conservatives with a big tax cut proposal. If Republicans decide the president's moral character is a winning issue, Ashcroft may be the horse to ride.

"Mr. President, if these allegations are true, if these allegations are true, you have disgraced yourself, you have disgraced this country, you have disgraced the office, and you should leave," Ashcroft says.

Is government spending your issue? Kasich's your horse. He may have a "green eyeshade" message, but he's from an important state, Ohio, and he's got loads of boyish charm. The VP slot?

He's popular with the Washington media establishment and a Vietnam war hero. If Republicans believe Americans are looking for a president they can feel proud of, this is the guy. But can he find the money and a bigger constituency?

This horse has a following among social conservatives as head of the Family Research Council, but little credibility as a candidate. But he could still wield some power over the nomination.

Here is the Republican answer to the gender gap. She would have to convince voters she's her own horse and not a stand-in for her husband. She ranks high on the VP list.

There are a few dark horses around, too. All are 100-1 shots. Let's see, there are the Thompson boys, Tommy and Fred. Tommy's from Wisconsin, the governor there.

Fred's a movie star, but his Senate campaign fund-raising hearings were a box-office flop.

Bob Smith's a New Hampshire senator who could win the New Hampshire primary and render it meaningless.

California's Pete Wilson is thinking about making a second run around the track, Pat Buchanan a third. As for New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, well, you know what jazz musicians say: when you leave New York, you ain't going nowhere.