EAST BOSTON, Mass. – When Suffolk Downs had a hand in the recent retirement of Convocation, a 7-year-old gelding once owned by Centennial Farms who had dropped to the bottom of the claiming ranks at the track offering the lowest purses on the East Coast, the horse got his happy ending. Although Convocation’s story is wonderful, it is nothing out of the ordinary at this track.

A strong second week of handle at Del Mar has propelled the track to significant increases over the comparable period in 2012.

Through the first two weeks of the meet, Del Mar’s overall daily handle was averaging $12,747,872, an increase of 8.6 percent from a year ago. Del Mar was up 5 percent after the first week, so the uptick during the second week was significant.

The ontrack numbers also are up, to an average of $2,596,137, a 5.9 percent jump from last year. After one week, the ontrack handle was up 3.3 percent.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Five Iron was on his game again here last Saturday, surviving a rainstorm and an inquiry involving the start to lead throughout the $127,750 Toronto Cup over 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The success in an open 3-year-old stakes was the second straight for Five Iron, who had captured the 1 1/8-mile Victoria Park on the main track in similar front-running fashion on June 16.

Live a Little is taking a significant step up in class, but he could be a handful when he runs in a second-level allowance race that will serve as Wednesday’s feature at Northlands Park. The one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up drew six horses and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 6 p.m. Mountain time.

Longtime agent Dennis Patterson is returning to his roots.

Patterson has been booking mounts for Frank Alvarado this summer as a favor for his friend Boon McCanna, but when the current Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa ends, he will move back to his brother Bill’s barn working with horses.

Patterson got his start in racing working for his father, also named Dennis, who died earlier this year.

“I think the reason anybody gets in the game is because of horses,” he said.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Moonlit Beauty and Reconnect, the top two finishers in last year’s $125,000 Victoriana Stakes, will renew their rivalry here Wednesday evening in the 1 1/16-mile turf feature for Ontario-sired fillies and mares.

The circumstances would seem to favor Reconnect on this occasion, as the free-wheeling Moonlit Beauty is likely to face pace pressure from the like-minded Hobnobsnob and Consecutive after breaking from the No. 1 post in a field of 13.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After a failed experiment on dirt, Quick Casablanca returns to turf when he runs in a competitive renewal of the $100,000 John’s Call Stakes on Wednesday at Saratoga.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Aubby K, winner of the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs during the spring, has been retired after fracturing a sesamoid while pulling up after a routine workout here on Monday.

The Italian-bred Good Karma ($11.80) scored her first victory in the United States as she re-rallied after being headed in the stretch by odds-on favorite Halo Dolly and won a three-way photo in the $55,550 Luther Burbank Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Sunday.

AUBURN, Wash. – Del Rio Harbor, a 15-1 outsider, raced to a narrow victory Sunday in the $50,000 Emerald Express at Emerald Downs. In winning the meeting’s first stakes race for 2-year-olds, Del Rio Harbor ran six furlongs in 1:10.75 and paid $32.80.

By leading Northwest stallion Harbor the Gold, from the Horse Chestnut mare Bahati, Del Rio Harbor is a full brother to Couldabenthewhisky, a multiple stakes winner at Emerald Downs. And like his big brother, Del Rio Harbor demonstrated lots of speed and determination in his first start against winners.