FORT ERIE, Ontario – Fort Erie-based Lynn Simon grew up the daughter of a trainer and has been training Thoroughbreds for 20 years, and says she still loves what she does.

“I grew up at the racetrack with my mother watching over me,” said Simon, 49. “She didn’t approve of the backstretch environment for a young girl, but gave in since I loved it so much and because my father, who has trained horses since his teenage years, was always nearby.”

In her early teens, Simon was at the barn every weekend and during school vacations.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Tracy McCarthy probably won’t be upset if the weather forecast calling for rain in Vancouver Sunday is correct. After all, Lasting Spice, the horse she has entered in a $12,500 claiming race that will serve as the feature race at Hastings, loves a wet track.

Lasting Spice will likely be favored in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, which drew nine fillies and mares. Throw a little water in the mix and she looks formidable.

Acclamation is back in the Breeders’ Cup picture following a change in plans that call for California’s top older horse to make his next start Oct. 2 at Santa Anita rather than travel to Woodbine.

Trainer Don Warren said Friday that Acclamation will stay home and run in the Grade 2, $150,000 Clement L. Hirsch at Santa Anita next Sunday. A previously planned ship to Woodbine for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Canadian International on Oct. 16 was scrapped because of complicated shipping arrangements.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though Tizway will miss next Saturday’s $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, trainer James Bond still plans to point the Horse of the Year contender to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Bond said the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile – for which Tizway has already earned an automatic berth by virtue of his Metropolitan Handicap victory in May – is not a race he is considering.

ELMONT, N.Y. - There will be a $114,149 pick six carryover into Friday's card at Belmont Park after the wager went unhit for a second straight day.

Thursday's sequence began with Extraextraordinary winning at $70.50 and included double-digit winners Best Actor ($11) and Saltamontes ($34.20). After Eccentric Life ($7.50) won the nightcap, the consolation payout (5 of 6) was $5,092.

FLORENCE, Ky. – Fall officially began Friday, but as far as the Kentucky racing calendar goes, it may have started a few days early. That’s when the Todd Pletcher stable began setting up shop at Churchill Downs in preparation of an autumn run that kicks off Saturday at Turfway Park with the Kentucky Cup before winding through Keeneland and another Churchill fall meet highlighted by the Breeders’ Cup.

POMONA, Calif. – The handicapping challenges that face bettors Saturday at Fairplex Park go beyond the intriguing $50,000 stakes doubleheader on the final weekend of the Los Angeles County Fair meet.

The 12-race all-Thoroughbred card Saturday is packed with full fields, and even races with smaller lineups are potential traps. Those include the seven-runner Pomona Derby (race 9) and eight-runner Las Madrinas Handicap (race 11) for fillies and mares.

It took Indiano a little while to figure out what U.S. racing was all about. Now that he has, Indiano has proven to be unbeatable.

Indiano will be heavily favored to win his fourth consecutive stakes race Saturday when he takes on six opponents in the $250,000 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing. The Gallant Bob, run at six furlongs, is restricted to 3-year-olds.

ELMONT, N.Y. − Ask the Moon, who went from claimer to multiple Grade 1 stakes winner this summer, will ship to Southern California next week to take on Blind Luck in the Grade 1 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1, trainer Marty Wolfson said.

“I know Blind Luck is going to be in there, but if there’s not a lot of pace she might like that track,” said Wolfson, who noted he has Rafael Bejarano to ride.

The $250,000 Lady’s Secret is run around two turns, and Wolfson said that made it more attractive than the Beldame, a one-turn race run the same day at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. − When looking for a spot to prep Pomeroys Pistol for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, owner and trainer Amy Tarrant didn’t want something that was going to be too easy.