Mountaineer track report

Deshawn Parker had to settle for second-best behind Dana Whitney in the jockey standings at Mountaineer Park's summer meet, but it looks like Parker is on his way to winning the first riding title of his career this fall.

Parker rode 10 winners last week to extend his lead to 11 over Whitney at the current meet. Parker has teamed with leading trainer Gary Johnson for 11 wins at the fall meet. Parker has also won 11 races for trainer Michael Pappada.

Parker, 30, who has ridden year-round at Mountaineer for the past several seasons, is a son of former Thistledown steward Darryl Parker.

* It may be difficult to find horses to challenge Sunshine Gwen in the starter allowance series for fillies and mares after she cruised to a wire-to-wire victory in Tuesday night's feature at a mile and 70 yards.

Although Sunshine Gwen ($3.60) was running for as low as a $4,000 tag as recently as late August, the 5-year-old mare had climbed the claiming ladder while winning four in a row at Delaware Park before she was taken by Mountaineer-based trainer John Semler for $16,000 on Nov. 6.

Sunshine Gwen will remain eligible for the $5,000 starter allowance series at Mountaineer the rest of this season and all of 2003.