ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Up With the Birds endured a heartbreaking loss as the favorite in this year’s $1 million Queen’s Plate. He makes his first start since that prestigious stakes Sunday in the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, a 12-furlong test that encompasses one lap around Woodbine’s roomy turf course.

The 123rd running of the Breeder’s drew nine other Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, but it can probably be pared down to three other contenders: Pyrite Mountain, Global Express, and River Seven.

FORT ERIE, Ontario – Tony Alderson, 54, has just about done in all when it comes to Thoroughbreds.

Beginning at Woodbine at the age of 15, Alderson hooked up with trainer Bonnie Bolt as a hotwalker and then moved on through the various roles on the backstretch and became a jockey.Today he trains a small stable of runners at Fort Erie.

Alderson still has the look of a jockey, standing a little over the five-foot mark and weighing a few pounds over his former riding weight of 120 pounds.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The pick six at Del Mar on Friday starts with a carryover of $110,122 after no one had all six winners on Thursday. Those who had five winners received a payoff of $1,573.

The bet covers the second through seventh races on a seven-race program that begins at 4 p.m. The Friday programs for the remainder of the meeting will have seven races so the card can be finished before sunset.

[DEL MAR 2013: Complete meet coverage, schedule, race replays]

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Earlier this year, Dreaming of Julia and Kauai Katie were considered by many to be the top 3-year-old fillies routing and sprinting, respectively, in the country.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Declan’s Warrior got a little schooling from professors Nick Zito and John Velazquez on Thursday and passed the test with flying colors during an impressive half-mile workout that will serve as his final major prep for the Grade 1 King’s Bishop on Aug. 24.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – In the past five years, European invaders have won seven of the 15 Grade 1 races on the Arlington Million programs, and they are 1 for 1 in the new American St. Leger Stakes. International shipping no longer presents the imposing hurdles of the past, and overseas connections have become increasingly savvy about choosing horses that will fit American races. Fourteen Europeans are bedded down in Barn 28 on the Arlington backstretch this week, and it will be surprising if several of them don’t prove to be major players Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y - Hangover Kid wasn’t feeling too well earlier in the week. But, he was just fine Thursday afternoon, uncorking a powerful rally down the center of Saratoga’s inner turf course under Irad Ortiz Jr. to win the $100,000 West Point Stakes for New York-breds by one length.

Hear the Footsteps, who split horses in midstretch to battle for the lead, finished second by a nose over Kharafa. Lubash, last year’s West Point winner and 2-1 favorite Thursday, finished fourth.

Sorta Special could have a distinct tactical advantage over the competition Saturday when she defends her title in the $40,000 Spicy Stakes at Arapahoe Park. She looks like the speed of the 1 1/16-mile race for Colorado-bred fillies and mares, just as she was last season, when she wired a field of 10.

Bach’s Homebrew returns to action off a layoff since June 7 as he faces a field of six other Nebraska-breds in the $15,000-added Amadevil Stakes going six furlongs on Saturday evening at Columbus Races.

Canterbury Park on Saturday will host the third annual Fillies Race for Hope, a day of horse racing and fund-raising to benefit the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Foundation and Pay It Forward Fund. Both organizations assist the families of breast cancer patients during what can be difficult financial times. Each race on Saturday’s card is for fillies and mares, anchored by the $50,000 Hoist Her Flag Stakes and the $50,000 Minnesota HBPA Distaff.