POMONA, Calif. – A hot pace on a hot day helped Butterfly Soul rally from last to post a $49.40 victory Friday in the $50,000 Phil D. Shepherd Stakes at Fairplex Park, where the temperature was 103 degrees.

Fightin Mean Mad was odds-on to win the seven-furlong stakes for 2-year-old fillies, but she and pace rival Awesome Annie were compromised by a surprising duel through fractions of 22.70 seconds and 46.59.

Gemologist, who has disappointed since winning the Grade 1 Wood Memorial in April, has been sent to WinStar Farm for an evaluation, according to Elliott Walden, president of WinStar, which owns Gemologist.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The brilliant 3-year-old filly Potesta sustained a condylar fracture Friday morning in a workout at Betfair Hollywood Park and was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday afternoon in an effort to save her life.

Mike Mitchell trains Potesta, winner of the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks in her third career start and fresh from a track-record performance Sept. 2 at Del Mar, where she raced a mile on Polytrack in 1:34.86 winning the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes.

POMONA, Calif. – A long list of outstanding young horses were sold at Barretts before achieving notoriety on the racetrack. They include Unbridled’s Song, Squirtle Squirt, Brocco, and Sharp Cat.

The spirit of those Barretts graduates is recalled this weekend at Fairplex Park in two stakes for 2-year-olds that were offered at a Barretts sale – the $100,000 Barretts Debutante on Saturday, and $100,000 Barretts Juvenile for colts and geldings Sunday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Kiaran McLaughlin hadn’t seen Alpha in 10 days before Friday morning, the day after the trainer returned to New York from the Keeneland yearling sales. He arrived in Saratoga just in time to watch the co-Travers winner work a solid five furlongs in 59 seconds over the synthetic surface at the Godolphin training center.

“He looks great, worked super, all systems go,” McLaughlin said.

AUBURN, Wash. – If all goes as planned, Noosa Beach will return to Emerald Downs when the track opens for training early next year and try to pick up where he left off as the dominant handicap horse in the Pacific Northwest.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Strong Impact has proven to be the second-best claim owner Thomas La Marca and trainer Bruce Brown made in 2011.

Since being claimed for $35,000 at Saratoga 13 months ago, Strong Impact has 4 wins from 7 starts and earned $168,300 for his new connections. Not quite the $452,800 Compliance Officer has earned since La Marca and Brown took him for $25,000 in May 2011, but not too shabby.

“If you can claim two horses like that every year, you’ll be all right,” Brown said.

Always Kitten has a clear objective this fall: the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

“That’s what we’re pointing for,” said Mike Maker, who trains Always Kitten for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Scalo took up residence here last month, and the talented German runner might be peaking for Sunday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Northern Dancer Turf, a contentious supporting feature on the Woodbine Mile card.

The 12-furlong marathon, which is a prep for the next month’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Canadian International, has lured a solid group that also includes last year’s winner, Wigmore Hall; the Roger Attfield-trained duo of Musketier and Forte Dei Marmi; and Woodbine Oaks winner Irish Mission.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Grade 3, $100,000 Ballerina is shaping up to be a great matchup between two talented fillies, Evelyn’s Dancer and Class Included. The 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares will share the spotlight with the Grade 3 Premiers for 3-year-olds and up on Canadian Thanksgiving at Hastings, Monday, Oct. 8.