A pair of first-level allowances serve as the nominal features on the first Saturday of the 2012 meet at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., with both offering up $33,000 purses.

The first allowance goes as race 4 on the nine-race card and is for 3-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. Cheery, with Corey Lanerie riding for trainer Al Stall Jr., looks like a major contender on a turnback after finishing second in a recent two-turn race at Churchill Downs for this same condition. Whispering Wisdom and Totally Tucker figure as her chief threats in a field of six.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will need the entire nation to keep apart his deep roster of 3-year-olds in coming months.

With horses such as Bodemeister, the runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and Paynter, second in the Belmont Stakes, leading the team, Baffert added another horse to watch on Wednesday when Blueskiesnrainbows won his first stakes in the $150,000 Swaps Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s not enough that trainer Christophe Clement is winning all the turf races at Belmont Park this meet. Now, he’s starting to be a factor in the juvenile races on dirt as well.

On Wednesday, Clement sent out Native One, a 2-year-old filly by Indian Charlie, to a good-looking six-length victory over heavily favored Sweet N Discreet, trained by Todd Pletcher.

Native One, owned and bred by Edward Cox Jr., ran five furlongs in 57.84 seconds and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81.

Trainer Mark Casse is well aware that a short field can spell trouble for an odds-on favorite in the case of a too-slow pace.

“These races do seem to become quite a bit more tactical,” said Casse.

The Evangeline Downs board of stewards Wednesday issued two more rulings for dermorphin positives in Thoroughbreds who raced at the Opelousas, La., track in May. Trainers Anthony Agilar and Kyi Lormand were both suspended six months and had their cases referred to the Louisiana Racing Commission for further action, said Larry Munster, assistant executive director for the commission.

AUBURN, Wash. – Wasserman, one of the most popular horses in Northwest racing history, headlines the feature race Saturday at Emerald Downs. The first race goes at 2 p.m. Pacific, and the main event, a $20,000 claimer at one mile, is the eighth of nine races.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The winners of the last two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Regally Ready and Chamberlain Bridge, face off Saturday at Arlington in the $100,000 Arlington Sprint, and both have questions to answer.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Isn’t it a bit odd to see Flat Out headlining the Grade 2, $200,000 Monmouth Cup on the United Nations undercard on Saturday at Monmouth Park?

After all, the handicap star spent last summer here with trainer Scooter Dickey and never once ran at Monmouth while scoring wins in the Suburban Handicap and Jockey Club Gold Cup, both at Belmont Park.

[MONMOUTH PARK: Get PPs and watch Saturday’s full card live]

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez believes his speedy New York-bred filly Agave Kiss can rate. And perhaps one day he will get the chance to find out.

It’s highly unlikely that day will be Saturday, when the undefeated Agave Kiss aims for her seventh straight success in the Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park.

Agave Kiss drew the rail for the Victory Ride, which basically forces jockey Ramon Dominguez to send his filly to the front. Agave Kiss has been in front at every point of call in her six races, all at the Victory Ride distance of six furlongs.

[bc_video_id:256474:]INGLEWOOD, Calif. – All Star Heart closed more than four lengths in the final quarter-mile of the Redondo Beach Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park on June 10, reaching the front with a half-length to spare.

Asked earlier this week if the style of the victory surprised him, trainer Ron McAnally had a quick response. “Not at all,” he said.

McAnally is equally bullish about All Star Heart’s next appearance, in Saturday’s $150,000 Royal Heroine Stakes for fillies and mares on turf.