May 18, 2004

BY MICHAEL SNEED SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Bill Daley, who will now become my banker (midwest chair of J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank One Corp.) is back in town and already hit the dinner circuit Monday night at the Chicago Council of Foreign Relations dinner. Welcome back.

She's a '10' . . .

Actress Bo Derek is riding to the rescue of horses killed for gourmet food.

The actress, who has been trying to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption overseas, is galloping to Springfield today.

*The upshot: Sneed hears Derek will meet with the "4 Tops," i.e., our legislative leaders, before she testifies at a Senate Executive Committee hearing on House Bill 649, which seeks to save horses from human consumption. The House bill, which was sponsored by state Rep. Bob Molaro, has now gained a new hero, state Sen. John Cullerton -- who is sponsoring the legislation in the Senate.

*The buckshot: ''It's going to be a tough bill to pass,'' Cullerton told Sneed. ''But it's the right thing to do. And I believe the slaughterhouse in DeKalb, Ill. -- Cavel International -- which will slaughter horses for human consumption overseas, opened Monday or will open this week.''

*The downshot: Nearly 50,000 horses were slaughtered in the United States last year. The DeKalb slaughterhouse will be the third such facility in the United States. The other two slaughterhouses are in Texas.

*The backshot: Derek, best known for her role in the mega-hit film, ''10,'' does not want horses killed for foreign palates. ''We don't use horses any longer for pet food, so why are we sending them to other countries?" Derek told the press in Washington, D.C. ''Americans don't raise horses for food and we don't eat them."

*The slapshot: The actress, who addressed legislators on Capitol Hill Monday, stated: ''Tens of thousands of horses are cruelly slaughtered in this country every year, just so someone in Europe can have a fancy dinner." Derek will host a reception in Springfield today, sponsored by the National Horse Protection Coalition at Pass Field House.

So folks, get your e-mails and faxes dispatched post haste to your legislators, especially to state Sen. Bradley Burzynski, whose district includes the DeKalb slaughterhouse.

Horse slaughter II . . .

Watch for ''Lucky'' the horse, who was saved from slaughter in 1985 -- and now entertains children at the Noble Horse Theatre in Old Town -- to appear at the Derekreception in Springfield.

No coo corner . . .

The hot duo of Sean Lennon, son of the legendary Beatle John Lennon, and rocker Mick Jagger's daughter, Elizabeth, will not make it into the Romance Hall of Fame. The couple, who met at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, have split. No rock and roll dynasty is in the offing.

Eat 'em . . .

Actor Bill ''CSI'' Petersen, who hails from Chicago, was spotted this weekend at the Gale Street Inn. Translation: Petersen's a regular guy who likes eateries where regular folks go.

Eat 'em II . . .

Actress Cameron Diaz was spotted at the Japonais eatery last week with a gaggle of girlfriends and left a 28 percent tip. Diaz, who wore her hair pulled back and was wearing a cream hooded pullover and jeans, was on Oprah last week promoting "Shrek 2."

I spy . . .

Actor David Boreanaz, actor Kevin Anderson, Raquel Welch, former Minnesota Twin Dan Gladden and The Eagles were spotted dining separately at Gibsons over the weekend. ... Former Green Bay Packer running back Jim Grabowski dined at Chicago Prime Steakhouse in Schaumburg last week. . . . Gary Sinise, who stars in the new ''CSI: New York,'' dined at Rosebud on Rush last week. . . . Actor George ''Norm'' Wendt, was spotted at the Museum of Science and Industry Thursday for a preview of the upcoming exhibit ''Action! An Adventure in Moviemaking'' opening May 28.

Sneedlings . . .

Today's birthdays: Tina Fey, 34; Robert Morse, 73; George Strait, 52; Pope John Paul II, 84, and Mary Kay Zordani, ageless.