Etc. . . .

Churchill Downs has canceled the $100,000 Hard Scuffle Steeplechase this year after horsemen voiced their displeasure over using money from the purse account to fund the race. The Hard Scuffle is the first leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown and has been held during Churchill's spring meeting since 1997. . . . Mountaineer Race Track in Chester, W. Va., is rescheduling the races that had been slated for Jan. 3-6. The new dates will be announced as soon as possible, according to Rosemary Williams, the track's director of racing.