LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As the racing world begins to wean itself from the Triple Crown, the older-horse division will move into the spotlight Saturday when a big, competitive field meets in the Grade 1, $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Giant Oak, the 122-pound highweight for the 1 1/8-mile Foster, was among a slew of prospects to put in final prerace works in recent days when breezing five furlongs early Sunday in 1:00.60 over a fast Churchill surface.

“He’s coming into this as good as I’ve seen him come into one,” said trainer Chris Block.

ELMONT, N.Y. – For the third time in four years, there is a monstrous pick-six carryover at Belmont Park following the Belmont Stakes Day card. Upsets by It’s Tricky in the Acorn, Mission Approved in the Manhattan, and Ruler On Ice in the Belmont last Saturday conspired to create a $1,130,718 pick-six carryover into Wednesday’s card.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Reade Baker had been taken aback when last Sunday’s Victoria Park, an open race for 3-year-olds that attracted just nine nominees, drew nine entrants, including four supplements and four shippers.

But Baker had the last laugh after watching Moonshine Mullin, a Kentucky-bred he trains for owner and co-breeder Dick Johnson, prevail by a nose over fellow local Alpha Bettor in Sunday’s $152,500 Victoria Park at 1 1/8 miles.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Words aptly applied right now to the mare Hooh Why are if and when.

When Hooh Why approaches something close to her best form she will be a bear in races like Arlington’s featured first race Wednesday, but it’s fair to wonder if she ever will.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The combo of trainer Catherine Day Phillips and jockey Jono Jones won an allowance last Sunday at Woodbine with the promising Weekend Romance. They will team up again in the fourth race Wednesday night with Written Approval, who takes a solid turf pedigree into his first turf try in a $40,000 conditioned claimer over a mile.

Written Approval was beaten a pole after getting away slowly when he debuted in November. He ran lights-out following a winter layoff April 17, when he graduated over $25,000 maidens after battling through lively fractions.

What figures to be a fast and contested pace could play into the hands of Rule by Force in Wednesday’s feature at Northlands Park. The $30,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs drew six horses. It will go as race 6 on the nine-race card that starts at 6 p.m. Mountain.

Great Mills will be shortening up to what may be his best distance when part of a full field of 12 in the $200,000 Oliver at Indiana Downs on Wednesday evening. The Oliver is a mile turf race for 3-year-olds.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Great Mills will be making his fifth start of the season. A son of War Front, Great Mills won an optional claiming race at Fair Grounds in January and then didn’t start again until the 7 1/2-furlong Grindstone on March 12. He led throughout in that $59,000 race to score by a length.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Business figures for the Belmont Stakes and its undercard on Saturday at Belmont Park in New York rebounded considerably from the depressed numbers for the 2010 event, according to figures released by the track and television broadcasters.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Turbulent Descent, second as a heavy favorite in Saturday's Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park, was scheduled to return to trainer Mike Puype's stable at Hollywood Park on Monday afternoon, but is likely to be back on an airplane for New York later this summer.

Puype said on Monday that Turbulent Descent emerged from the Acorn without mishap and remains a candidate for the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 6. The Test is run over seven furlongs for 3-year-old fillies and has a purse of $250,000.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia  - Classic Alley Kat had things her own way while posting a 1 1/2-length win over Alywin in the $50,000 Wild Rose Handicap for fillies and mares at Northlands Park on  Sunday.