ELMONT, N.Y. − With Banrock recovering from an illness and Straight Story poised to try the Woodbine Mile, Sunday’s $100,000 Ashley T. Cole Stakes at Belmont Park came up a winnable spot for seven New York-breds seeking stakes glory.

Based on their recent form and the likelihood of a contested pace, Pocket Cowboys and Gimme Credit loom the top two contenders in Sunday’s Cole for statebreds going 1 1/8 miles over the inner turf course.

AUBURN, Wash. – Clair Annette will start as the favorite Sunday in the $40,000 Belle Roberts, one of six stakes races on Washington Cup Day at Emerald Downs. Win or lose, it promises to be a bittersweet moment for owner Nina Egbert and trainer Connie Bouslaugh, who will saddle Clair Annette for the final time before she is retired at age 7.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario − The fields are beginning to take shape for next Sunday’s three graded turf stakes, and each will have a European presence.

Three overseas shippers are expected to arrive Tuesday, Woodbine stakes manager Julie Bell said: Famous Name for the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile; Redwood for the Grade 1, $750,000 Northern Dancer; and Latin Love for the Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian.

Famous Name, trained by Dermot Weld, finished last of six in the recent Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles, but he was beaten 1 1/2 lengths for second money.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The promising Bear’s Future makes his much-anticipated second start Sunday at Woodbine in the $150,000 Swynford Stakes. The seven-furlong sprint has produced a host of 2-year-old Canadian champions, including Mine That Bird in 2008, but it does not have graded status.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Leif Nordahl, president of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society, B.C.-division, is optimistic about the CTHS yearling and mixed sale that will be held at the Thunderbird Show Park in Langley on Tuesday. A total of 152 horses have been entered in the sale, with 140 yearlings making up the bulk of the catalog.

FORT ERIE, Ontario – The experiment with a late afternoon post time on Tuesdays in August has been assessed as a very positive improvement to the Fort’s meet.

“There was excitement in the air and the fans came out in droves to enjoy the races,” said Rick Cowan, Fort Erie’s chief operating officer. “Many young people were in the crowd, and their enthusiasm certainly added to the occasion.”

The handle on the final Tuesday in August exceeded the $1 million mark as both ontrack and offtrack wagering increased.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Serving as an advertisement for the Canadian Thoroughbred Yearling and Mixed Sale being held at the Thunderbird Show Park on Tuesday, Hastings has carded both divisions of the CTHS Sales Stakes for 2-year-olds Sunday. To be eligible to the races, horses must have gone through a CTHS Sale with all the commissions being paid.

Both races are at 6 1/2 furlongs and worth $50,000.

The colts and geldings division drew six horses and goes as race 4.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Chirac is back Sunday at Monmouth Park.

A 5-year-old gelding trained by Jane Cibelli, Chirac faces four rivals in the $75,000 Formal Gold Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, the prep for the top event of the fall meet, the Grade 2, $300,000 Monmouth Cup on Oct. 9.

Chirac had a banner season here in 2009, posting four wins including a 6 3/4-length romp in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes.

It is difficult to separate the eight fillies and mares running in a $15,000 claimer that will serve as the feature race at Northlands Park on Sunday.

Curls and Pearls will certainly attract some attention in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint that goes as race 8.

Trained by Joan Petrowski, Curls and Pearls dropped to a new low when she ran at this level Aug. 20 and she appreciated the easier company, scoring a front-running win over Chatahoochie in the six-furlong sprint. Curls and Pearls can also stalk and figures to get a clean trip with Stephan Heiler retaining the mount.

A circuit court judge has upheld the Arkansas Racing Commission's decision to disqualify It's a Bird from his 2009 win in the Grade 2, $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap after he tested positive for the anti-inflammatory naproxen.

Judge Alice Gray of the Pulaski County Circuit Court in Little Rock, Ark., ruled in the case late Thursday afternoon, according to Byron Freeland, an attorney representing the commission.

The decision can be appealed. An attorney representing the connections of It's a Bird did not immediately return a call on Thursday.