The Downs at Albuquerque reported double-digit increases in average daily handle and average daily purses during its 2015 season, which is for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses and wrapped up Sept. 27. The track raced 55 days this year, divided between a spring season, from April 17 through June 18, and a fall season, Sept. 11-27.

Handle on Albuquerque’s live races averaged $209,338 a program, an increase of 39 percent over $150,641 in 2014. Purses averaged $176,940 a program, up 18 percent from $149,879 in 2014.

In response to the equine herpesvirus quarantine that will be in place until at least Oct. 29 at Parx Racing, purses are being lowered at the track’s inaugural Fall Festival while the duration of the festival is being extended.

Purses for the festival, which began Aug. 29, had been doubled from approximately $250,000 to $500,000 per day. Parx management and the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association have agreed that beginning Sunday, purses will be reduced to $300,000 per day.

MIAMI – Business during the Gulfstream Park summer-fall meet, which ended Saturday, was booming, with all-sources handle up 16 percent over last year’s corresponding meet, according to track officials. Betting on the Florida Sire Stakes, a series of restricted stakes, was up 13 percent compared with 2014, when the series was held at Gulfstream for the first time after many years at Calder Race Course.

Trainer Ralph Nicks and jockey Tyler Gaffalione were crowned champions of the summer-fall meet.

MIAMI – He might not have been quite as big a story as American Pharoah, but there is little doubt that owner and trainer Jerry Bozzo would have been a media darling at Keeneland if he’d followed through on the original plan of running Flutterby in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. But in the end, the 94-year-old Bozzo opted to stay at home with his homebred Flutterby, even though competing in the Breeders’ Cup was certainly high on his bucket list.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Artemis Agrotera, the multiple-Grade 1-winning New York-bred filly who has not raced since last year’s Breeders’ Cup, worked a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.43 on Monday over a dull Belmont Park training track.

“That work over that track gives her pretty serious conditioning,” trainer Mike Hushion said.

It was her fifth work and her first at five furlongs since she resumed training this fall after a series of stops and starts during the summer. She has not raced since running seventh in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Jimmy Toner won the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf with Soaring Softly, who recently died as a result of injuries suffered in a paddock accident at Darby Dan Farm.

Toner is hoping he can get back to the Filly and Mare Turf this year with Recepta, whose dam, Honor Bestowed, is a half-sister to Soaring Softly.

Recepta, a daughter of Speightstown, has won her last two starts, including the Grade 3 Noble Damsel at Belmont on Sept. 19. She began her year with an allowance win at Keeneland, where the Breeders’ Cup will be run.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The six graded stakes races contested last Saturday at Belmont Park were about the near term. A maiden race run after the stakes late Saturday could have significant long-term implications.

In a race rained off the turf and onto the sloppy main track, a 2-year-old colt named Gift Box ran down Matt King Coal by a nose to win a 1 1/16-mile event. It was 18 lengths back to the third-place finisher.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mark Casse has won the Sovereign Award for the top trainer in Canada a remarkable seven times, but that’s not the whole story. All of North America now seems to be his domain, and that includes Keeneland, where the 54-year-old Indianapolis native enjoyed a fall-meet opening weekend he won’t soon forget.

Casse sent out five winners from 11 starters over the three-day weekend as he pursues his second training title at Keeneland, where he has been kicking around since he was a teenager.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It’s onward and upward for the horses who emerged as major Breeders’ Cup contenders with stellar performances during the eventful three-day FallStars Weekend that opened the Keeneland fall meet.

Here is a race-by-race follow-up on each of the nine FallStars stakes:

◗ Few horses were more impressive last weekend than Runhappy, who won the Grade 3 Phoenix on Friday. The 3-year-old colt now proceeds to the BC Sprint as one of the favorites.

Ridden by Edgar Prado, Runhappy won despite a tardy start and a saddle that slipped through the stretch run.

Woodward Stakes winner Liam’s Map turned in his first Keeneland work Monday as he begins final preparations for either the Breeders’ Cup Classic or Dirt Mile.

Liam’s Map worked solo with jockey Javier Castellano aboard and turned in a half-mile clocking of 48.60 seconds over a fast track, according to Keeneland clockers. He galloped out in 1:01.20 and 1:13.40.

“I thought he worked very well,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “He was relaxed, seemed to get over the track in good order, and galloped out really well.”