LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Taking advantage of a fast and contested pace, Victoria's Wildcat rallied from well back on the outside through the stretch to post a going-away victory in the $100,000 Eight Belles Stakes.

With Kent Desormeaux aboard, Victoria's Wildcat scored by about three lengths, completing the seven furlongs over a fast main track in 1:23.06. She paid $15.20.

AUBURN, Wash. – Olympic Lights was 0-for-the-winter at Portland Meadows but won brilliantly in his return to Emerald Downs and looms large yet again in Sunday’s feature race, a $20,000 claimer for older horses at 5 1/2 furlongs. Racing begins at 2 p.m. Pacific, and the feature is the ninth of 10 races.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It’s official.

Marsh Side, finally, is the winner of Woodbine’s 2009 Northern Dancer Turf.

The Ontario Racing Commission confirmed that the $450,000 winner’s share of the purse could be paid out to Marsh Side’s connections after an Ontario Court of Justice hearing denied an appeal by connectons of the second- and fourth-place finishers and the deadline for further appeal passed.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kent Desormeaux put front-running Diva Ash to a drive before the quarter pole, and the daughter of Tapit gave the Hall of Fame jockey all she had in staying clear of the pack in winning her stakes debut Friday in the $113,800 Edgewood Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Little Mike, one of the leading contenders for Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs, has been scratched from the race due to a fever, trainer Dale Romans said Friday.

The scratch of Little Mike still leaves a deep field of 13 for the Woodford Reserve, a 1 1/8-mile turf race, but his scratch dramatically changes the pace picture. Little Mike had been expected to set the pace, a frontrunning position Maker’s Mile winner Get Stormy may now inherit.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Diva Ash led from start to finish to capture the $100,000 Edgewood Stakes for 3-year-old turf fillies on Friday at Churchill Downs.

Under jockey Kent Desormeaux, Diva Ash ($9) set fractions of 24.87 seconds, 50.92, 1:15.60, and 1:39.61 for the first mile en route to a final time of 1:45.93 for 1 1/16 miles over a turf course surprisingly labeled as firm.

Sassy's Dream was second and Smart Sting third.

Gaya and Holidaysattheffarm were scratched.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Racing so far this year in Chicago has suffered from short fields, lack of quality, and bad weather that delayed the turf season’s start. Sunday’s featured eighth race at Arlington provides at least a temporary cure for all those ills.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Last year in the Kentucky Oaks, late-running Blind Luck needed the entire length of the Churchill Downs stretch to win by a nose over Evening Jewel.

In the Grade 2, $333,900 La Troienne Stakes, the first of six stakes on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill, her race was a virtual repeat, only this time she got up perhaps a few strides before the wire, edging defending champion Unrivaled Belle by a half-length.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Blind Luck recovered from a stumbling start to post a dramatic victory Friday over Unrivaled Belle in the 26th running of the Grade 2, $300,000-added La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.

With Garrett Gomez aboard, Blind Luck rallied from last in a field of eight fillies and mares to post a narrow triumph over Unrivaled Belle, reversing the results of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic here last fall. All Due Respect was third and pacesetting Absinthe Minded was fourth

Assiniboia Downs will move into its live racing mode Sunday, with a Mother’s Day card that begins a 60-day meeting.

A total of 58 horses were entered for the eight races, and Darren Dunn, who took over the chief executive officer’s role this winter, is eager to get the season rolling.

“You always head into a live race meet with optimism,” Dunn said. “We have an exciting opening-day promotion, too, with a car giveaway.”