ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ariana D and Ravalo, both of whom were making their first appearances at Woodbine, wound up in the spotlight in last weekend’s stakes features here at Woodbine Racetrack.

Ariana D, a 4-year-old who was bred in Pennsylvania by her owner, Bill Thompson Jr., was racing for Woodbine-based trainer Laurie Silvera for the first time when victorious by a neck in the $152,800 Bessarabian, a seven-furlong race for fillies and mares.

Divide the Cash and Good Reason SA finished one-two in the second and faster division of the Champion of Champions trials at Los Alamitos on Sunday, earning berths to the $750,000 final on Dec. 11.

In Sunday’s second and final division of the trials, formally known as the Z. Wayne Griffin Director’s trials, Divide the Cash ($15) ran 400 yards in 19.39 seconds, finishing a head in front of Good Reason SA, who was timed in19.41 seconds.

Average daily handle during Monmouth Park’s recently concluded fall meet soared when compared to the fall meet held at its sister track, the Meadowlands, during comparable dates last year.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It will be interesting to see how Turbulent Descent runs when she has to try. It has not happened yet.

She won a maiden special weight on Oct. 3 under a mild hand ride from jockey David Flores, who used the same style to guide Turbulent Descent to a convincing win in Sunday’s $100,000 Moccasin Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park.

“She did it easy and in a soft way,” Flores said. “Right now, we’ll keep it as easy as we can.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario— Ariana D came charging from the back of the 12-horse field to prevail in an upset in the $152,800 Bessarabian Stakes Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack.

Pace pressers swept both $60,000 overnight stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct on Sunday, as Rule by Night ($4.30) dominated the seven-furlong Groovy on the main track, and Lubash ($16.20) ran down Little Mike to win the one-mile Monarch’s Maze on turf.

Carlos Marquez Jr. knew what he was doing when he chose to ride Check Point rather than her stablemate Stage Trick in Sunday’s $70,000 Honey Bee Stakes, the closing-day feature at Monmouth Park.

Marquez, who was named at entry time on both halves of the Alan Goldberg-trained coupling, elected to accept the mount on Check Point, who had finished second in one division of the split Rosenna Stakes at Delaware Park on Oct. 11.

Peaceful Bliss, unchallenged while loping along on the lead, upset 1-10 favorite Russell Road and two other former West Virginia Breeders’ Classic champions in Saturday night’s $50,000 A Huevo Stakes for West Virginia-breds at Charles Town.

Ridden by Oliver Castillo, the 6-year-old Peaceful Bliss ($75.20) set tepid fractions of 48.66 seconds and 1:14.14 in the 1 1/8-mile race and cruised to a 1 1/2-length victory in 1:52.94.

VINTON, La. - Blinkers on led to a lot of bling for the connections of Gourmet Dinner, who in his first start in the equipment powered to a 2 1/4-length win over Decisive Moment in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot on Saturday.

The 1 1/16-mile race anchored a card of eight stakes worth $2.3 million. The program was the richest run in Louisiana, and it featured a special daytime post. The large crowd on hand at Delta enjoyed a sunny afternoon with temperatures in the 70s.

INGLEWOOD, Calif.- Premier Pegasus will earn respect grudgingly.

He remained unbeaten after three races with a front-running win in Saturday’s $100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes, but was not favored despite a stakes win over this track last month.

Premier Pegasus ($6) finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of another 2-1 chance, Industry Leader, who had scored a sharp maiden win last month.