ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Larry Melancon thought he was headed for the 2,858th victory of his riding career, but then some young whippersnapper came along to narrowly beaten him.

Still, Melancon couldn’t help but sport a huge grin as he weighed in from the eighth race Friday at Arlington Park, the third annual “Arlington Fab Five vs. Legends” event on the Arlington Million eve program. Melancon, riding 13-1 shot Dominant Suh, held the lead past the furlong of the one-mile turf race, only to have Jake Will Gallop and jockey Jimmy Graham surge past him in the final 100 yards.

Corey Lanerie might well be looking to hitch a ride on a Kentucky Derby contender by going to ride at Gulfstream Park after he leaves the Churchill Downs fall meet in late November, marking a major move from his traditional winter stomping grounds of Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

In last Saturday's $125,000 Evangeline Mile at Evangeline Downs, Heavy on Themister edged Apart by a neck. The win was the biggest career victory for trainer Shawn David, the 32-year-old son of trainer Sam David who began training in 2008.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Four months ago, it would have taken a leap of faith to believe Alpha would be the favorite for next Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – After checking out the turf course early Friday morning, trainer Wayne Catalano deemed it firm enough to suit Vertiformer, and further said that Vertiformer, who was cross-entered in the Arlington Million and the American St. Leger, would start on Saturday in the Million.

“I walked it at 7 and it was good,” Catalano said. “It should be real nice by tomorrow.”

AUBURN, Wash. – Awesome Gem, in the final stages of a remarkable career, can move ever so close to the $3 million mark in career earnings when he starts Sunday as the likely betting favorite in the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Doug O’Neill, who tops the Del Mar trainer standings, begins a 40-day suspension on Sunday for a total carbon dioxide overage found in one of his runners at Del Mar in 2010.

Through Thursday, O’Neill had 15 wins, one more than Peter Miller. More than two weeks are left in a Del Mar meeting, which ends on Sept. 5. During his suspension, O’Neill will turn the business over to his assistant, Leandro Mora.

AUBURN, Wash. – Class Included is in a class by herself at Emerald Downs. With the meeting’s biggest race for fillies and mares on tap Sunday – the $65,000 Emerald Distaff at nine furlongs – only four rivals were entered to face her, and two of those are her stablemates. Race 6 on the Longacres Mile undercard, the Distaff, barring the unforeseen, should provide Class Included with her sixth career stakes victory.

A mix of 2-year-olds from Iowa, Kentucky, and Southern California have gathered in Colorado for the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity, the richest Thoroughbred race of the Arapahoe Park meet that closes on Sunday. Awaiting the shippers is local favorite Get Happy Mister, a winner of all three of his starts by a combined margin of 22 lengths.

“He’s sure been beating them awfully handily,” said trainer Randy Morse, who will counter with He’s a Rockstar.

Alternation and Prayer for Relief, who put on a show when finishing a nose apart in last weekend’s $200,000 Governor’s Cup at Remington Park, both were in Oklahoma City on Friday with their next races still being determined by their connections. Alternation won his fifth stakes of the year when he edged Prayer for Relief, a shipper who held his ground along the rail as the two horses raced as a team from the final turn to the wire.

“That was a good horse race,” said Donnie Von Hemel, who trains Alternation.