VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The $50,000 Ross McLeod Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on May 3 was the most exciting race at the meet, with Ole’s Miss edging Arabella’s Muse at the finish following a thrilling stretch duel. After battling through extreme fractions, Arabella’s Muse gamely fought back when Ole’s Miss collared her mid-stretch but came up a neck short. They are expected to renew acquaintances June 7 in the $50,000 Emerald Downs Handicap at Hastings.

Interestingly, both horses will be saddled by different trainers in the Emerald Downs.

Big Bazinga, one of the leading 3-year-olds on the grounds at Woodbine, could return from a break here June 22 in the $125,000 Victoria Park Stakes, according to trainer Katerina Vassilieva.

Big Bazinga was on the Kentucky Derby trail over the winter in Florida before finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes at Turfway and fourth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. After it became evident that he wouldn’t make it into the body of the Derby field, he was entered in and scratched from the Grade 2 American Turf on the same Churchill card.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Ian Black nominated the versatile 4-year-old Really Sharp to the Connaught Cup but has opted to run him Sunday at Woodbine in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile Polytrack route.

Really Sharp competed at Gulfstream before notching his second start at this meet, going seven furlongs May 11 in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes. The best of his two 1 1/16-mile races took place in the fall of 2012 at Keeneland, where he was demoted to sixth via disqualification after getting beaten a nose in the Grade 3 Bourbon on grass.

ELMONT, N.Y. – You know it’s a slow day on the Belmont Stakes workout watch when the biggest news of the morning was either Social Inclusion’s bandage unraveling as he neared the completion of another routine 1 3/8-mile gallop or the absence of Wicked Strong, who merely walked the shed row Thursday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – No horse has won the Grade 2 Connaught Cup three times, but Something Extra will try to capture the seven-furlong turf sprint for the third straight year Saturday at Woodbine. The $200,000 stakes lured eight others, including Excaper and River Seven.

Goldencents, winner of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last November, worked six furlongs in 1:11.60 at Santa Anita on Wednesday.

Trained by Doug O’Neill, Goldencents will run in the $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 7, part of the Belmont Stakes undercard.

Goldencents started Wednesday’s workout 5 1/2 furlongs from the finish and ran a sixteenth of a mile past the wire. Santa Anita clockers timed Goldencents in 23.20 seconds for the final quarter-mile.

Storm Fighter will be the colt to catch in Saturday’s $200,000 Californian Stakes, a race that could lead to an appearance in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 28.

Trained by Bruce Headley for Golden Eagle Farm, the 4-year-old Storm Fighter is in outstanding form, having won his last two starts over a mile – an optional claimer on April 5 and the Tiznow Stakes for California-breds on April 26.

Ide Be Cool, who was named the 2013 Louisiana-bred horse of the year on Saturday, is a long-term prospect for the $100,000 Prelude at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 2, said his owner and trainer, Ray Dunn.

Ide Be Cool, who is undefeated in six starts, is the star of a 32-horse stable Dunn has at the Bossier City, La., track. Ide Be Cool last raced on March 1, and won the $100,000 Pelican, a 7 1/2-furlong race run around two turns at Delta Downs.

Grand Contender gave his owner, Maggi Moss, and his trainer, Tom Amoss, something to think about over the holiday weekend, when he won beyond a mile for the first time in his career in the Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap.

Until Monday’s race, the horse had proven to be at his best at a mile, with all three of his stakes wins coming at the trip. But the manner in which he won the 1 1/16-mile Lone Star Handicap has opened up more options for the horse, his connections said, including the Governor’s Cup, a 1 1/8-mile race run each August at Remington Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. – When Room Service takes a liking to a surface, the results have been brilliant for the 3-year-old filly.

Room Service thrived on turf at Gulfstream Park in March, winning the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes. She took a fancy to Keeneland’s Polytrack surface in early April, winning the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes in a dead heat with Rosalind.