Count the Change figures to be a short price when she runs in a $25,000 optional claimer for fillies and mares Wednesday at Northlands Park. The one-mile race drew five horses and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 6 p.m. Mountain.

If too much of a good thing is not a good thing, well, then maybe Kentucky Downs should just go ahead and end its meet.

Purses and fields have been enormous at the turf-only track in south central Kentucky, where, indeed, a five-day meet comes to its conclusion Wednesday with a 13-race card that starts at 12:35 p.m. Central.

Indiana-sired 2-year-olds take center stage Wednesday with a pair of six-furlong, $85,000 stakes at Indiana Downs. My Crafty Friend tries to remain perfect in the Crown Ambassador for either sex, while Express Model heads a field of 12 in the Indiana Stallion for fillies.

The biggest development over the weekend surrounding the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint did not concern a potential prep race. It had to do with a workout, specifically the half-mile breeze Friday in 48.40 seconds around the dogs on the Santa Anita turf course by Mizdirection, the winner of last year’s Turf Sprint.

Grade 1 races Saturday at Belmont Park and Santa Anita will define a Breeders’ Cup Distaff field currently led by the reigning division queen. The $2 million Distaff will be held Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

The Beldame Stakes at Belmont will include Royal Delta, two-time Distaff winner. She faces 3-year-old filly Princess of Sylmar. Plans call for Royal Delta to stay in her division and seek her third Distaff win, though the BC Classic has not been ruled out.

POMONA, Calif. – The 4-year-old colt Blueskiesnrainbows and 48-year-old jockey Martin Pedroza both returned to top form this fall at the Los Angeles County Fair race meet.

Pedroza guided Blueskiesnrainbows ($7.60) to a four-length win Sunday in the $100,000 Ralph M. Hinds Handicap on closing day of the 13-day meet at Barretts at Fairplex, where Pedroza regained his status as top jockey.

Jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr. won the 2,000th Thoroughbred race of his career Sunday at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., in the eighth race aboard Chuchuluco. He guided the horse to a 1 1/2-length win in the $25,000 optional-claiming race run over five furlongs. Chuchuluco ($4.60) is owned by West Texas Racing Partners and trained by Todd Fincher.

Juarez, 37, is tied for the leading Thoroughbred rider at the meet at Zia, which also features races for Quarter Horses. He is a Mexico City native who launched his career in 1992 at Hipodromo de las Americas, according to a release from Zia.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Phil’s Dream ($9.70) barely held off the charging favorite, Ultimate Destiny, to capture the $125,000 Overskate Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.

With Justin Stein up, Phil’s Dream vied up front along the inside through slow splits in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired runners. He opened up on the field early in the stretch and then saw his lead dwindle before prevailing by a neck in a quick 1:21.31. After helping to set the pace, Pender Harbour weakened to finish third in the eight-horse field.

Marquis Downs showed an increase of almost 20 percent in average daily handle on its live product, averaging $43,370 for a total of $1,040,849 on its 24-day meeting, which ended Saturday.

Last year, the total handle for a 30-day meeting was $1,087,612, an average of $36,253.

Almost all of the handle is ontrack since the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, racetrack does not export its signal. Wagering on Marquis Downs is available on its website through Woodbine’s HorsePlayer Interactive.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fort Larned was assigned post 5 in a field of seven older horses for the inaugural running of the $175,000 Homecoming Classic, a 1 1/8-mile race to be run Saturday night on a Downs After Dark card at Churchill Downs.

Fort Larned, the winner of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic, figures to be a heavy favorite in the Homecoming as he makes his final start before returning to Santa Anita for the 2013 renewal of the $5 million BC Classic on Nov. 2.