The owners of Saratoga Casino and Raceway have reached an agreement to purchase a stake in Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., according to a document obtained through a request to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

The acquisition appears to be an answer to a call by Ellis’s current owner, Ron Geary, to take on a minority partner so that the track can fund a project to install as many as 250 slot-machine-like devices called Instant Racing machines. Late this June, Geary said he was seeking a partner that could provide $3 million in capital for the project.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – The early portion of Small Town Talk’s career was a series of stops and starts, with some encouraging efforts sprinkled among the gaps.

The 4-year-old colt finally settled into a productive, consistent groove this season with a transfer to the Chuck Simon barn at Monmouth Park.

His first start here was a close third after a layoff of more than three months. A pair of allowance wins then propelled him into the Majestic Light Stakes on the Haskell Day undercard, where he responded with a very solid third.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − When it comes to career debuts, they don’t get much better than Kauai Katie’s performance winning her maiden by a dozen lengths here July 20. Expectations will run high and the mutuel price will be low when Kauai Katie makes her stakes debut in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack at Saratoga.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Turf racing is scheduled to return to Woodbine next weekend following an 11-day break, and the welcome ongoing rainfall should have the course in lush condition for a fall campaign.

Turf stakes are scheduled for a both days, with the $125,000 Victoriana for Ontario-sired fillies and mares set for Saturday at 1 1/16 miles and the $250,000 Sky Classic for 3-year-olds and upward at 1 1/4 miles going Sunday.

The Grade 2 Sky Classic is positioned as a local stakes stepping-stone to the Grade 1, $1.5 million Canadian International here Oct. 14.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Trish’s Wish is a family affair through and through for owner-breeder-trainer Henry Carroll.

Trish’s Wish is one of 11 2-year-old fillies entered in the $60,000 Colleen Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint on Sunday at Monmouth Park.

Carroll is perhaps best known as the developer of Smoke Glacken, the winner of Monmouth’s Tyro and Sapling Stakes in 1996, the Eclipse Award-winning sprinter the following year, and the sire of Trish’s Wish.

Carroll also trained the dam, the lightly raced Naught Naught.

DEL MAR, Calif. – All Star Heart and City to City were the last two across the line in the Royal Heroine Mile at Betfair Hollywood Park last time out, yet both mares have a chance to return to their best form at Del Mar on Sunday when they are among six grass runners in an inscrutable running of the Grade 2, $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes.

Anytime Magic will have only four challengers when he seeks his third straight stakes win in Sunday’s $75,000 Cavonnier Juvenile at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa.

One of the challengers is Native Treasure, who finished second to him in the Lost in the Fog at Golden Gate Fields and the Everett Nevin-Alameda County Futurity at Pleasanton.

After that come three question marks.

Zeewat won his debut here by seven lengths as the odds-on favorite in a July 27 maiden race.

FORT ERIE, Ontario – Two excellent Cup races highlighted last week’s racing at Fort Erie.

On Monday, in the Bob Summers Memorial Cup, jockey Bradley Wilson gave Mia’s Miracle a heady ride behind some very hot fractions set by Jeffrey Armin and was up to take command in the final furlong.

The fractions, 21.40 and 43.80 seconds, led to a final time of 1:09.40 for six furlongs.

There was a definite speed bias at Hastings over the holiday weekend, but that didn’t stop Bamboo Dream from winning the $50,000 B.C. Cup Debutante on Monday, B.C. Cup Day. Bamboo Dream was last after the first quarter-mile, and while part of the reason she was able to get up in time was the extremely fast fractions set by Officer’s Charm, it was still an impressive performance.

Bamboo Dream is trained by Patty Leaney, who was expecting her to run a big race.

It’s said the best things in life are free, and that applies to Hezamazing, a 13-time winner who could start as the favorite Sunday in the $50,000 Arapahoe Park Classic. The horse will be seeking his second win in the 1 1/8-mile race, one of six stakes he has won since being given to Carlyle Rollins.