Etc. . . .

John Lies, a publicist for Santa Anita and Hollywood Park since 1999, has been hired as announcer for Lone Star Park's spring Thoroughbred meet, taking over for Michael Wrona, who could not reach a contract renewal agreement. Lies, 28, has called races at the Santa Rosa fair and has been a backup announcer at Hollywood Park. . . . The Prix Exbury, the first European group race of the year, has been postponed from Friday at Saint-Cloud because of unseasonably cold weather around Paris that has left local courses frozen. The Grade 3 Exbury was rescheduled for March 10. . . . Woodbine's backstretch reopened for business Monday, with approximately 175 horses representing 28 trainers arriving. Tuesday's scheduled opening of the training track, however, was prevented by a snowstorm that hit the Toronto area. . . . Because of a Monday snowstorm, Philadelphia Park canceled racing for the second day in a row on Tuesday. Live racing was scheduled to resume Friday.