ELMONT, N.Y. – Hibaayeb made an immediate impact in this country when she shipped from England to Southern California last fall to win the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon at Hollywood Park. Nearly eight months later, Hibaayeb hopes to make a splash on the East Coast when she heads a field of seven entered for Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont Park.

The Sheepshead Bay, run at 1 3/8 miles over the Widener Turf Course, drew a field of seven fillies and mares, including a trio from the Christophe Clement barn.

Ruidoso Downs has given its grandstand and racing surface a facelift for the 60-date mixed meet that opens on Friday, but the most striking changes for the new season are in the racing program.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Santa Anita Derby winner Midnight Interlude may be switched to turf this summer after disappointing races in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, owner Arnold Zetcher said on Wednesday.

Midnight Interlude finished 16th of 19 in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7 and 13th of 14 in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico last Saturday.

“It’s almost like he didn’t run in those races,” Zetcher said. “Both of those races were disappointing. We thought he looked good going in. I wish we had better luck with those races.”

AUBURN, Wash. – Olympic Lights, seeking his 10th victory at Emerald Downs, is scheduled to face six rivals in the feature race Friday as Emerald kicks off the holiday weekend with an eight-race card beginning at 6 p.m. Pacific.

A 7-year-old gelding trained by Charles Essex, Olympic Lights has won 9 of 20 local starts, including a front-running victory in a $15,000 claiming sprint April 16. After returning to finish second for $20,000 on May 8, he drops back to his winning level Friday. Robert Skelly has the riding assignment.

The 30-day Marquis Downs meetin g will be off to a flying start Friday, with a total of 78 horses entered for the eight-race program.

Rick Fior, manager of live racing for the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan oval, was more than pleased with the response to his opening card.

“I think it’s a strong as I’ve seen,” said Fior, adding that the horse population currently stands at about 325 but will reach more than 500 as the meeting progresses.

“The last three or four years, we’ve been at capacity by the end of June,” added Fior.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Six times this year, trainer Bruce Brown has won multiple races on a single New York Racing Association card, including a trio of three-win days during Aqueduct’s inner track meeting.

Friday, Brown has five runners sprinkled throughout Belmont Park’s nine-race card with none listed above 6-1 on the morning-line, so it looks like Brown could be in line for another big day.

“Honestly, they all have a shot, there’s no throw outs in the bunch, really,’’ said Brown, who entered the week 4 for 22 at this meet.

Separate Fire, who extended her unbeaten streak to three races with a record-setting performance in the Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos last Sunday, will be a California girl this year, trainer Paul Jones said on Wednesday.

Jones said that the lure of three seven-figure futurities in June, November, and December is enough to keep Separate Fire at Los Alamitos and not part of the trainer’s string at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico.

“She’s paid into everything at Los Alamitos, and that’s kind of the plan right now,” Jones said.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Warren’s Blossom makes her turf debut and first start in nearly four months, in a six-furlong allowance race at Hollywood Park on Friday evening. For trainer Jorge Gutierrez, the race is long overdue.

Last fall and winter, when Warren’s Blossom was in the midst of a three-race winning streak on Hollywood Park’s synthetic track and Santa Anita’s dirt main track, Gutierrez considered turf races but did not want to switch surfaces.

“She was doing so good the other way, I didn’t want to change,” he said.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Going into the $50,000 John Longden 6000 last Monday, trainer Troy Taylor said St Liams Halo was the best horses in his strong stable. After the impressive way St. Liams Halo won the race, a lot of people are viewing him as the best horse at Hastings.

His margin of one length over Almost Time in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint is a bit deceiving. He looked like the winner every step of the way and according to his rider, Mario Gutierrez, there was plenty in reserve.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When a 3-year-old colt named Perregaux returns to action Friday evening at Churchill Downs following a layoff of five months, it will be with the good faith of his trainer behind him.

“We stopped on him last fall after we discovered a tiny, tiny chip in an ankle and had it taken out,” explained Neil Howard, who will send out Perregaux in the 10th-race feature on an 11-race twilight program. “We maybe could’ve gone on with him, but he’s too good a horse. In fact, I think he might be one of the nicest grass horses I’ve ever had. He’s a pretty decent colt.”