AUBURN, Wash. – The towering presence of defending race winner Stryker Phd has done little to dissuade out-of-towners from taking a shot in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Had she been healthy, Lady Eli would have been the star attraction in Friday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga.

But for the last six weeks, Lady Eli has been battling laminitis, the result of stepping on a nail walking back to her Belmont Park barn after she dominated the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 4.

Lady Eli continues to make progress in her fight against laminitis, and she is up to walking 20 to 30 minutes a day twice a day, trainer Chad Brown said Wednesday.

PHOENIX – Turf Paradise has named Robert Fox Jr. its new track announcer as the Phoenix track gears up for its 60th season.

Fox currently announces at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico as well as Rillito Park in Tucson, Ariz. He’s also served as the racing voice for Evangeline downs and Zia Park.

“Mr. Fox was selected among 17 applicants. There’s a lot of talent out there which is good for us and good for racing,” said track general manager Vince Francia.

Turf Paradise opens its 2015-2016 meet Oct. 17. The 136-day meet runs through May 8, 2016.

The Pickett Factor and Allied Air Raid are both under consideration for next month’s Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs following their one-two finish in the track’s $100,000 Prelude last Saturday. The Pickett Factor was a 1 1/4-length winner over favorite Allied Air Raid.

The Super Derby is the richest race of the Louisiana Downs meet. The 1 1/8-mile fixture will be run Sept. 12.

Jockey Deshawn Parker is among the new faces at the Remington Park meet that opens Friday night. He was named to ride four horses on the nine-race program, which was drawn Tuesday.

Parker has ridden in the region, having been based at Sam Houston Race Park the past two winters. In addition, he won a Lone Star Park stakes in July.

Parker, a winner of more than 4,800 races, has long been a fixture at Mountaineer.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Fifteen horses from Europe have come for the Arlington Million card Saturday, and using history as a guide, they’re highly unlikely to leave empty-handed. If you’re betting the Million card Saturday, you absolutely have to account for the largest overseas contingent of racehorses seen in North American outside the Breeders’ Cup.

Arlington Million

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Euro Charline already has made history in the Beverly D., having become the first 3-year-old to win the Grade 1 race when doing so last year. Now, Team Valor International has its sights set on her making more history Saturday at Arlington Park.

DEL MAR, Calif. – An unsatisfactory turf work Sunday by Stellar Wind, the Santa Anita Oaks winner, will keep her on dirt and out of the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday.

Stellar Wind broke off about four lengths behind a workmate Sunday, and despite urging could not close the gap.

“She didn’t love the grass,” said her trainer, John Sadler. “We want to stay on dirt.”

Sadler said the Grade 3, $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes on Aug. 30 is next for Stellar Wind. That’s also the likely next spot for the unbeaten Super Majesty, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Sam’s Sister, best known for her win in the Grade 1 La Brea last December, and Taris, who has been idle since finishing second in the La Brea, are scheduled to meet anew Sunday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for older female sprinters.

Sam’s Sister worked a half-mile in 50.20 seconds Tuesday morning for Jerry Hollendorfer, her trainer and co-owner. She most recently was third in the Desert Stormer at Santa Anita on June 14, her third straight loss. She was assigned top weight of 122 pounds for the Rancho Bernardo, two more than Taris.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Although Martin Garcia has been the regular work and race rider for Bayern, it was Rafael Bejarano who was aboard the horse for a seven-furlong work Tuesday morning as Bayern prepares for the Pacific Classic and seeks to find the form that carried him to a Breeders’ Cup Classic victory last fall.

Working alone, Bayern was timed in 1:25.60 by Del Mar’s head clocker, Dane Nelson, who had Bayern clicking off fractions of 24.60 seconds, 36.40, 48.40, 1:00.60, and 1:13.