MIAMI − Henry Collazo won’t be the only trainer at Calder hoping the rain will hold off long enough for Saturday’s $55,000 Band Is Passing to be decided as scheduled on the turf. But his interest in the weather will be greater than most, since he will be sending out the heavy favorite, Tannersville.

Tannersville is coming off a game, 2 1/4-length allowance win over the local turf course two weeks ago. That day, he was forced to overcome brief traffic trouble on the turn before rallying strongly up the rail, easily outfinishing Livingston Street and Black Scorpion.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 on Wednesday at Del Mar in advance of the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 28, a race likely to have a large field.

Second by a nose to stablemate First Dude in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 9, Game On Dude worked in company with another stablemate, Spurrier, on Wednesday. Spurrier started about five lengths in front, and the two finished together, trainer Bob Baffert said. Spurrier was timed in 1:14.20.

With a modest purse of $100,000, Saturday’s Grade 3 Gardenia Stakes at Ellis Park would be hard pressured to draw the cream of the older filly and mare division.

However, it did attract just about everyone else. A field of 12, plus one also-eligible, was entered for the one-mile Gardenia, the signature race and lone graded stakes race of the track’s meet.

Although the Gardenia lacks a recognizable national horse, one that could seemingly contend in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic in the fall, contention runs deep, with few toss-outs.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After running a respectable third in his first attempt in Grade 1 company in last month’s Man o’ War at Belmont Park, Boisterous may be ready to break through with his first Grade 1 victory when he takes on seven evenly matched opponents in Saturday’s $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga.

OPELOUSAS, La. – Star Guitar, unbeaten in five starts at Evangeline Downs, will seek to keep that record unblemished as he goes for an unprecedented third consecutive Evangeline Mile on Saturday night. The 6-year-old earner of almost $1.3 million will take on seven foes in the track'smarquee event in the handicap division that will be worth $125,000. Joining the Mile on the expanded 12 program will be the $100,000 Lafayette Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on the turf.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Trainer Larry Jones and wife Cindy have combined to win the last three editions of the Grade 3, $150,000 Monmouth Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

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They will try to extend that streak to four with Canadian Mistress on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

As Larry Jones surveys the Oaks field, he sees a very competitive contest among 11 fillies in the 1 1/16- mile race.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – As if picking the winners of the three International Festival of Racing events doesn’t look hard enough, Arlington Park has front-ended those Grade 1 events with a couple of races that appear sure to heighten the degree of difficulty in your multi-race gimmicking.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Opera Heroine surged to the front during the final run on the backstretch and never was threatened thereafter,  recording a three-length victory on Thursday in the $70,000 Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes, the first steeplechase race ever run at Saratoga that was restricted to female horses.

AUBURN, Wash. – Jerry Hollendorfer took a look at the $65,000 Washington Oaks, nominated two fillies, and then decided to pass. One of the top fillies in British Columbia was nominated but isn’t coming. So one thing is certain heading into Emerald Downs’s marquee event for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday: The race will be won by a locally based horse for the fourth consecutive year.