DEL MAR, Calif. – Coil, the winner of the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in 2011, may start in a major stakes around one turn next month after a successful return to racing at Del Mar on Thursday.

Making his first start since October, Coil closed from fourth in a field of eight to win an optional claimer over seven furlongs by a length with minimal urging from jockey Rafael Bejarano. Trained by Bob Baffert for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Coil ($3.80) was timed in 1:22.39.

Kool Atlantic once again looks like the one to beat in a $10,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up that will serve as Sunday’s feature at Northlands Park. The six-furlong sprint drew nine horses and goes as race 9 on the 10-race card, which begins at 1 p.m. Mountain.

Eight of the horses entered were scheduled to run in a similar race last Wednesday but didn’t get to go when the races were canceled due to unsafe track conditions. The repairs to the track have been completed and Kool Atlantic will get his chance to win his third race in a row.

The last time trainer Jerry Hollendorfer entered three runners in a stakes, Halo Dolly, Cathy’s Crunches, and Anniversary Girl ran one-two-three in the Alameda County Fillies and Mares at Pleasanton.

On Sunday, Hollendorfer sends out multiple stakes winner Cathy’s Crunches, Anniversary Girl, and the recently re-claimed Going for a Spin in hopes of another sweep in the $50,000 Luther Burbank Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the turf at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa.

Here's my race-by-race rundown of Sunday's pick four at Monmouth Park on July 29, 2012. I'm building my wager with TicketMaker, found exclusively on DRF.com.

DEL MAR, Calif. – In the nearly three months since Amazombie finished second to Shackleford in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 5, the performance has increased in stature.

Shackleford went on to win the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont Park in late May and should have a major role in one-turn races in coming months.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Dene Court will try to stretch her speed out to 10 furlongs on turf Sunday at Woodbine in the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, the final race of the Canadian triple tiara, a series for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Irish Mission captured the opening leg, the Woodbine Oaks, before facing males in the Canadian Triple Crown. A fresh Blue Heart took the middle stage, the Bison City Stakes, and she appears to be a viable candidate to stay the trip on Sunday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Atlantic Hurricane, Canada’s reigning champion female sprinter, got back on target here July 6 in the allowance prep for the Royal North Stakes. On Sunday, Atlantic Hurricane will be looking to duplicate that success in the Royal North, run over the same six-furlong distance on the turf but worth $150,000 and offering Grade 3 status to the field of seven fillies and mares.

“She seems to really be on her game,” said Stuart Simon, trainer and a part-owner of the 5-year-old Atlantic Hurricane. “I’m really happy with her. She’s going in great.”

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Afleeting Lady was no match for Royal Delta in her most recent effort, the Grade 2 Fleur De Lis at Churchill Downs.

No shame in that. After all, Royal Delta is the top-ranked older female runner on Daily Racing Form ’s national handicapper Mike Watchmaker’s weekly divisional ratings.

Afleeting Lady, a distant second to Royal Delta, was clearly the best of the rest. She now comes east for the Grade 2, $200,000 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park, the main attraction on Sunday’s Haskell Invitational undercard.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, the parent company of Hastings, announced Friday that they have reached an agreement with the City of Vancouver to extend its lease of the track until November 2014. The current lease was due to expire in November.

FORT ERIE, Ontario – Former trainer Chris MacDonald, 71, remains a strong fan of Thoroughbred horse racing.

And, even though he currently rests in a hospital bed, MacDonald’s advocacy for the sport has no end.

“I cannot understand what the premier of Ontario was thinking about when he announced the end of the revenue-sharing program between the government and racetracks,” MacDonald said.

“There is no question that it is a very successful program and it has been copied by a number of other jurisdictions outside of Ontario.”