ETOBICOKE, Ontario – There are four sons of the good turf sire Philanthropist in Friday’s Woodbine headliner, including Crushin Hard, who is seeking his second straight win in the one-mile turf allowance race for Ontario-sired runners.

Crushin Hard had an encouraging season opener in a one mile and a 70-yard allowance that was moved to the Polytrack on June 14. After awaiting room on the far turn, he closed belatedly to finish third behind a sharp Renegade Man, who subsequently won a tougher Ontario-sired allowance before finishing second in an open allowance.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Dan Peitz was rooting for Marketing Mix in the Grade 1 Beverly D. last year, but he won’t be this time.

“I saw her in the paddock before the race last year and thought she looked unbelievable, so I made a little bet on her,” Peitz said. “She just couldn’t get up.”

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three days before the 133rd renewal of the Alabama Stakes, Edward Stanco, owner of Princess of Sylmar, stood on the backstretch of Saratoga, gestured to the grandstand across the way, and smiled.

“This is Alabama week and she’s the star of the show,” Stanco said. “It’s so much fun. It’s overwhelming how much fun this is.”

Trainer Ron Grieves liked the way Canaveral Leader was improving going into the $50,000 Northlands Park Oaks on July 27, but he didn’t expect her to crush heavily favored Silkworm by 6 1/4 lengths in the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies. A similar effort would make her tough to beat in the $50,000 Sonoma at Northlands on Friday night.

The 1 1/16-mile race drew seven 3-year-old fillies and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 6 p.m. Mountain.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Little Mike’s bid to become the first winner of back-to-back Arlington Millions started with at least a small measure of success at the Million post position draw.

The Million draw, officially conducted late Tuesday but unveiled Wednesday afternoon at WGN studios in Chicago, put Little Mike in post 11. Little Mike’s early speed should cancel out any negative aspect of being drawn wide, and he is favorably positioned outside the Million’s other main pace player, Nates Mineshaft, who drew post 4.

Golden Gate Fields will offer seven stakes, highlighted by the Grade 3, $100,000 Berkeley Handicap, at its 2013 fall meeting, which begins Oct. 17. Golden Gate opens its 19-day summer meeting on Friday.

The Berkeley was previously run on Memorial Day weekend, with the Grade 3 All American run in the fall. This year, Golden Gate Fields switched the All American to Memorial Day weekend and will run the Berkeley on Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving.

Golden Gate also offered seven stakes races at last year’s fall meet, with the same $475,000 in purses.

After receiving four inches of rain during the span of an hour on Tuesday morning, Delaware Park canceled Wednesday's card to allow its track crew to “level and regrade” the racing surface, according to John Mooney, the track’s executive director of racing. Mooney said he expected the Stanton, Del., track to run its Thursday card as scheduled.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – As a 14-year-old kid 32 years ago, Chad Joe was inspired when his impoverished family received free courtside tickets to a Harlem Globetrotters game.

Greg Douglas, media director at Hastings, set up Joe’s memorable experience. Because of the close relationship that developed after Joe contacted Douglas in 2011 to thank him, Joe has become a major player in the horse racing scene at Hastings. He races under the stable name Copper Water Thoroughbred Company.

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DEL MAR, Calif. - These are heady days for trainer Simon Callaghan, who is hoping to take shots at three important races here in upcoming weeks, beginning with Ighraa in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday.

Louisiana Downs will institute a guaranteed super pick-five jackpot payoff of $25,000 starting Thursday, said Travis Stone, the track’s announcer and mutuel manager. The bet will run on the final five races of the program.

The jackpot pays out when there is one individual ticket with all five winners. There is an $8,333 jackpot carryover pool into Thursday’s card, but Stone said regardless of pool size, if one ticket hits, Louisiana Downs is guaranteeing a payoff of $25,000.