AUBURN, Wash. – It’s been an unusual year for Craig Dollase. A highly regarded trainer in Southern California, he began the year in an 0-for-30 funk at Santa Anita, and while things have picked up lately, Dollase had saddled just seven winners in seven-plus months heading into the Grade 3 Longacres Mile last Sunday at Emerald Downs.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Concerns over what he called Saratoga’s demanding track surface prompted trainer Bob Baffert to leave The Factor in Southern California. But the trainer might still be represented in Saturday’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop here with a horse who has shown an affinity for this track.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though a final diagnosis has yet to be made on Overdriven, owner Mike Repole said Tuesday that the undefeated 2-year-old colt will definitely miss the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 5.

After having two workouts canceled in nine days, Overdriven was shipped to the New Bolton Equine Clinic Pennsylvania where a nuclear scintigraphy proved inconclusive. Additional X-rays taken Monday were sent to two veterinarians for their analysis.

“I do know the Hopeful is 100 percent out,” Repole said. “We haven’t ruled out the Champagne.”

Ravalo might be getting better with age. The Maryland-based gelding, who is 7, put up a Beyer Speed Figure of 98 on Saturday night, when he won the $200,000 Remington Park Sprint Cup. He fought back for a half-length win over Captain Cherokee in the Oklahoma City race, while covering six furlongs in a sharp 1:08.20.

“That was one of his better performances,” said Donald Barr, who trains Ravalo for Lindy Redding. “It really was a good race for him.”

DEL MAR, Calif. – With trainer Bob Baffert away at Saratoga on Tuesday to watch Coil prep for the Travers Stakes, he entrusted his loyal, right-hand man to oversee the final workout here at Del Mar for Game On Dude for the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Sunday.

Sure, former assistant Tim Yakteen was the one manning the walkie-talkie while Game On Dude flew through five furlongs in 59.20 seconds, but it was Game On Dude’s co-owner, Bernie Schiappa, who was on the phone with Baffert, relaying fractions and impressions as the work unfolded.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – J C’s Pride, who turned in a record-setting performance winning his maiden earlier in the Saratoga meet, breezed an easy four furlongs in 48.86 seconds early Tuesday in his penultimate work for the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 5, closing day of the season.

Working shortly after 6:30 a.m. over a racetrack decidedly slower than after the renovation break a couple of hours later, J C’s Pride went his opening quarter in 23.98 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:02.65.

AUBURN, Wash. – Business was up – way up – last Sunday at Emerald Downs. Betting handle on the 10-race card, with the Grade 3 Longacres Mile as its centerpiece, was $3,250,016, the most ever at Emerald Downs and the second-highest one-day handle in Washington state history.

DEL MAR, Calif. – What had been a slow year for trainer Howard Zucker suddenly has turned white-hot at Del Mar, where his small stable has started winning anew. The horse who began the turnaround is Price, who set the tone by winning the very first race of the season on opening day July 20, and who comes back seeking another win in the opening race on Thursday’s card.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Betting on trainer Jonathan Sheppard has been the best way to handicap the steeplechase races at Saratoga thus far this summer, considering the Hall of Fame horseman has won four of the six jump races decided during the opening month of the meet. The problem with using that system to handicap Thursday’s $100,000 New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase Handicap is that Sheppard is likely to have four of the nine starters in the field.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Mass Flora looks like the one they will have to run down in a $12,000 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies that will serve as Thursday’s feature at Hastings. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint drew five horses and goes as the last race on the seven-race card that begins at 3:20 p.m. Pacific.