HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A new chapter in racing history will be written Saturday as the inaugural running of the unique Sunshine Millions unfolds here at Gulfstream Park and across the country at Santa Anita. In some respects the program may be termed a success even prior to the competition because of the cooperation required from the breeders and horsemen of California and Florida, who have joined in the sponsorship of this undertaking.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Take your pick:

The Sunshine Millions is a brilliant marketing device that offers eight attractive betting fields filling two hours of non-stop excitement, providing owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys in California and Florida with unprecedented purse opportunities while entertaining fans at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park with a whiz-bang array of eye-popping attractions and bringing much of the action into the homes of sports fans everywhere with a valuable chunk of network television air time.

Or . . .

ARCADIA, Calif. - There will be precious little drama at the Eclipse Awards presentations on Monday night. Sure, there's a chance that Tobey Maguire might dangle from a string when the cast of "Seabiscuit" is introduced. Or maybe Kenny Mayne will wax poetic over "The Big Lebowski" as Jeff Bridges takes a bow.

"People, can you believe it? The Dude owns Seabiscuit!"

As for the rest, only the obvious winners need to look their best. The others are finalists in name only. If past form holds up, the categories from top to bottom appear to be cut-and-dried.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Regardless of the results, this will be a weekend Bill Cesare is likely to remember for a long time. His emotions will be tested severely on Saturday when the trainer saddles the hard-hitting Cellars Shiraz in the $350,000 Filly and Mare Turf on the inaugural Sunshine Millions program at Gulfstream Park, and again on Sunday, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl at San Diego. Cesare was a defensive back for Tampa Bay for five years.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Paulo Lobo does not need the suspense, the fumbling with the envelope, the dramatic pause for effect. There can be only one name in there, only one 3-year-old filly worth calling the champion of her generation in 2002.

Still, it doesn't hurt to make him sweat. Let the rookie squirm. Two years ago, who was Paulo Lobo anyway? Just a new guy with a handful of stalls at Hollywood Park and a little bit of store-bought English. What right does he have, muscling in on the biggest night in North American racing?

"It is amazing," Lobo agreed. "It is a dream."

WASHINGTON - Maryland's horse industry has been in need of help for years, and people in the sport have long dreamed that the help might come from the installation of slot machines at the state's tracks. Plenty of outsiders - including important politicians - thought this was a worthy idea, too.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A vintage season for 3-year-olds?

The top level of 2-year-old racing last year was better than average and the early returns on the 2003 campaign encourage enthusiasm about the quality of racing ahead leading up to the classics.

ARCADIA, Calif. - One year ago, in the 2002 running of the El Encino Stakes, Eddie Delahoussaye crafted one of his finest rides. He was aboard Affluent, and with a quarter of a mile left to run in the 1 1/16-mile race they had absolutely no place to go.

Somehow, Delahoussaye found a way to get the job done. Alex Solis, aboard Royally Chosen, still can't believe Eddie D. had the nerve to make that move inside. After it was over, after Delahoussaye and Affluent won by a nose, Eddie was generous in victory and gave Solis ample credit in defeat.

LAS VEGAS - I used to think that while handicapping contests were a lot of fun and a great way for racing to reward and recognize its customers, the contests themselves were exercises in luck rather than skill. Now, I'm not so sure.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Of all the many qualities that distinguish the Thoroughbred racehorse, few are held in higher regard by horsemen than consistency.

The ability to put good races back to back speaks volumes for a horse's determination and his willingness to go to great lengths to overcome adversity. In that regard, Added Edge looks very attractive as the probable favorite for Saturday's $100,000 Holy Bull Stakes for 3-year-olds, a steppingstone to the Florida Derby and the spring classics.