POMONA, Calif. – As the California racing landscape nears its 2014 redesign, at least one traditional landmark remains – the Ferris wheel towering high above the five-eighth-mile track that is home to the 2013 Los Angeles County Fair.

Friday is opening day of a 13-day meet renamed the Barretts Race Meet at Fairplex, with a revised past-performance track abbreviation – BSR – which stands for Barretts Sales and Racing. By any name – some still refer to Fairplex Park as “Pomona” – the carnival atmosphere stays.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – This first summer of racing for Holmark Stables has been a good one, and the same can be said for the stable’s trainer, Richie Scherer, who is having one of his best Arlington Park meetings. Saturday, Scherer will saddle She’s Offlee Good for Holmark in the Arlington-Washington Lassie, and the way this season has gone for both trainer and owners, don’t be surprised if the filly proves to be a factor.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The dilemma of jockeys trying to ride in the rich stakes Saturday at both Kentucky Downs and Churchill Downs when the tracks conduct overlapping programs is being addressed in a familiar way: by air.

Eight jockeys are booked on a charter plane that will originate in Louisville, land at a small airstrip in Tennessee near Kentucky Downs, then return in time for the latter half of the Downs After Dark program at Churchill.

Jockey agent Terry Miller was busy Wednesday with finalizing the logistics of the trip.

Groupie Doll will face Judy the Beauty and nine other fillies and mares Monday evening when she defends her title in the seventh running of the Grade 2, $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters in Erie, Pa.

BOSSIER CITY, La. – Redgrass Cat and Love Bullet each won her last start, and they are going to get considerable attention in Saturday’s $100,000 Happy Ticket Stakes on the Super Derby undercard. That, however, is where the similarities end between the 2-year-old fillies.

Redgrass Cat, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Bluegrass Cat whom Allen Milligan trains for owner-breeder Paul Rigali Jr., comes into the Happy Ticket after winning the $50,000 Donnie Wilhite Memorial at 7 1/2 furlongs here last month. The victory came in her sixth start and her fourth try on the turf.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Well, here it is. The noble experiment being undertaken by Churchill Downs with a 12-day September meet begins Friday as a welcome replacement for Turfway Park while track officials wonder aloud how it will be received in the local and national marketplaces.

When Juan Hernandez won the Sonoma County Fair jockey title in August over Russell Baze it was no fluke. Hernandez edged Baze for the title with 17 victories on 53 mounts for the 13-day meet, while Baze won 16 on 68 mounts.

The two won all six stakes offered at Santa Rosa, with Hernandez winning four while setting turf-course records with his wins aboard Fire With Fire (1:40.67 for 1 1/16 miles) in the Joseph Grace for Neil Drysdale and Ain’t No Other (56.47 for five furlongs) in the Jess Jackson for Jerry Hollendorfer.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Regal Warning made quite a splash on Queen’s Plate Day, July 7, when he killed a ton of pick-four tickets while graduating at first asking from off the pace at 34-1.

Regal Warning tries Ontario-sired allowance company for the second time in the nightcap on Friday’s nine-race card at Woodbine. The race is a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for nonwinners of two.

The $25,000 optional claimer that will serve as Friday’s feature drew 10 horses, but it is hard to go past Short Memo in the one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. After all, he won his last four races, all going a mile, and his latest tally came in a similar race Aug. 17.

Considering his excellent record and the fact the he is trained by leading trainer Robertino Diodoro and will be ridden by Rico Walcott, who is dominating the rider’s standings at Northlands, he is going to be a very short price.

BOSSIER CITY, La. – The trainers of Departing and Bashaar, the top two choices for the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Saturday, are both hoping for an honest pace in the mile and an eighth race, which drew seven horses when entries were taken Wednesday.