T Boone Jr Pickens

T. Boone Pickens Jr.'s dash for the gold fell short of the finishing line when the corporate raider's company, Mesa Limited Partnership, on Monday withdrew its $1.9-billion cash offer for the San Francisco-based Homestake Mining Co. The Amarillo, Tex.-based Mesa released a statement saying it has retracted its $20-per-share offer for about 97 million outstanding shares in Homestake, the nation's leading gold producer. The offer was made Feb.

Corporate raider T. Boone Pickens Jr. may be shifting his takeover efforts from the financial world to the state of Texas. Pickens, 60, is considering running for governor in 1990 when the term of current Gov. Bill Clements comes to an end. Clements, a Republican, has said he does not intend to seek re-election. "We're looking at it. I told somebody recently I've gone from 'I don't think so' to 'maybe,' " Pickens said. It may be no accident that Pickens' United Shareholders Assn.

In his second major foray into the aerospace industry, T. Boone Pickens Jr. said Friday that his Mesa Limited Partnership has gained control of 4.4% of Singer Co. shares and is seeking federal approval to acquire up to 15% of the Stamford, Conn.-based defense electronics firm. Mesa disclosed Friday that it had notified the Federal Trade Commission under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act of its intention to acquire the additional Singer shares and that it expects clearance within 30 days.