DEL MAR, Calif. – Handle is up for the meeting at Del Mar, and ontrack attendance, though down slightly, continues to improve from week to week, according to figures released by the track following the conclusion of the first three weeks of racing on Sunday.

Average daily all-sources handle is at $11,712,260, up from last year’s $11,318,353 at this point in the meet. And ontrack, handle is up more than 10 percent compared to the first three weeks last year.

A likely reason for the increase in handle is that field size is up from last year, to 8.34 runners per race from 8.17.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y – Lost in all the emotion of trainer Allen Jerkens’s first Grade 1 win in five years following Emma’s Encore’s victory in Saturday’s Prioress Stakes was the huge effort turned in by runner-up Judy the Beauty. Emma’s Encore ran down Judy the Beauty in the final strides of the Prioress to post a nose decision, frustrating Wesley Ward in another agonizingly close but futile attempt to win the first Grade 1 race of his training career.

Strong growth in its live and online racing operations propelled Churchill Downs Inc. to record revenues and profits for the second quarter of 2012, an indication that the company still relies on its bedrock business despite its turn toward casino gambling over the past several years.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Heavily favored Taylors Deal stamped himself as the early local favorite for the Grade 3, $200,000 British Columbia Derby with a 5 1/4-length win over Wilo Kat in the $50,000 Stellar’s Jay at Hastings Monday. High End Man, who dueled with Unquiet for the early lead, held on to finish third in the 1 1/16-mile race.  

Heavily favored Commander paid $2.20 for his dominating win in the $50,000 Don Fleming Handicap for 3-year-olds and up at Northlands Park on Monday.

Mario Gutierrez put Commander on the lead in the 1 1/16-mile race, and after coasting through moderate fractions of 24.80 seconds, 49.00, and 1:13.80 he started to pull away from the field on the stretch turn. Without any serious urging by Gutierrez, Commander drew off to win by 7 1/4 lengths over Footprint, who chased him the whole way. Real Dingo rallied to finish third in the five-horse field.

The final time was 1:45.00.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - All-sources handle is up while ontrack business is flat through the first 16 days of the Saratoga meet compared with last year at this time.

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All-sources handle, which includes wagers placed on-track from simulcast outlets, is $233,380,247, a daily average of $14,586,265, up 7.6 percent from 2011.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Poseidon's Warrior came out of his 36-1 victory in Sunday's Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in good order and will most likely make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego here on Sept. 1, trainer Butch Reid said.

"I think three-quarters is his best distance, but we might try and squeeze an extra eighth of a mile out of him if all is well," said Reid, who won his first Grade 1 in the Vanderbilt. "He ate up last night and looked great this morning."

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Already this meet trainer Tony Dutrow has won a graded stakes for 2-year-olds with a horse who won its maiden at Parx.

Sunday, Southern Honor will try to follow in the hoofprints of Schuylerville winner So Many Ways when he starts in the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special for colts and geldings.

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Hometown hero Balooga Bull ($14.90), who had lost some of his luster when  he weakened to  finish third in the 1 1/16-mile Harry Jeffrey, rebounded with a vengeance to score a 9 1/4-length victory in Monday's 1 1/8-mile Manitoba Derby.

Bounding out of the gate under rider Paul Nolan, Balooga Bull zipped through an opening quarter-mile in 22.20 seconds, a half in 46.20, and three-quarters in 1:11.60 en route to a final clocking of 1:51.80.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It was a terrific start to what will most certainly be a memorable week for jockey John Velazquez and trainer Roger Attfield.

Despite a wide trip, Velazquez guided the Attfield-trained Kissable to a four-length victory in Monday's $100,000 Waya Stakes over a yielding inner turf course at Saratoga.

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