AUBURN, Wash. – After 11 consecutive stakes appearances, Assessment will dip into the allowance ranks Sunday at Emerald Downs. The 2009 horse of the meeting, Assessment tops a five-horse field competing for a $21,500 purse in the ninth race on a 10-race card that begins at 2 p.m. Pacific.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – California shippers have been deadly in the $1 million Woodbine Mile over the years, and they could rule the roost again Sunday when The Usual Q.T. and Victor’s Cry take part in the one-mile turf race.

The 14th running of the Woodbine Mile heads a bettor-friendly 11-race card that also includes two other turf stakes, the Grade 1 Northern Dancer and the Grade 2 Canadian.

A total of 136 yearlings make up the bulk of the 162 horses cataloged for the Canadian Thoroughbred 2010 Alberta Thoroughbred sale at Westerner Park in Red Deer on Thursday. The sale, which will be held in the Agricentre, begins at 1 p.m.

Cape Canaveral is the most represented sire in the sale with 14 horses. A son of Mr. Prospector, Cape Canaveral won the Grade 3 San Miguel in his second start and has sired 16 black-type winners.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Handicappers will have to decide if Vying Ty Grr has enough speed to clear early when she drops into a $25,000 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies at Hastings Sunday. The 6 1/2-furlong dash drew eight horses and goes as race 7 on the eight-race card, which begins at 1:40 p.m.

FORT ERIE, Ontario – Jockey Real Simard started his 2010 racing season at Fort Erie wondering how things would work out, since it was his first venture outside Western Canada.

Simard, 45, is a native of northern Alberta and had won over 2,000 races since the mid-80s, primarily at Northlands Park in Edmonton and Stampede Park in Calgary.

“I decided it was time for a change,” said Simard, “and now that Stampede Park in Calgary is closed, it was the proper time to assess my future.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Points of Grace hadn’t had a break in more than nine months when she finished a close fourth here in last year’s Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian Stakes. Now, after getting the winter off, Points of Grace is a much fresher runner and appears to have hit her best stride coming into Sunday’s 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

“She’s going into the race in as good order as she can be,” said Malcolm Pierce, who trains Points of Grace.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Crowded House was supplemented to Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile, at a cost of $20,000. But that could turn out to be money well spent if Crowded House can capture the Woodbine Mile and pick up a cool $600,000.

Ben Cecil, who conditions Crowded House for the partnership of Paul Reddam, Peter and Carmen Burrell and Jonathan Harvey, was on hand here Friday to watch his colt gallop 1 1/4 miles over the Polytrack surface.

“He’s not the greatest-moving horse I’ve ever seen,” said Cecil. “For him, that looked pretty good.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Marsh Side will continue his march towards the Canadian International on Sunday at Woodbine in the Grade 1, $750,000 Northern Dancer Turf, the supporting feature on the Woodbine Mile card.

Marsh Side captured last year’s running of the 1 1/2-mile Northern Dancer over Just as Well and Champs Elysees. He went on to finish fourth in the Grade 1, $2 million International, a race that he won at 29-1 in 2008.

Marsh Side was in mediocre form prior to his last outing here in the Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes, which he won convincingly over a course labeled soft.

Trainer James Jackson has proven to be tops in juvenile racing at Pinnacle Race Course this meet, winning 5 races from just 10 starters in 2-year-old races. Saturday he will saddle three of the nine fillies in the 34th running of the Sickle's Image Stakes, named for the 1953 American champion handicap mare who had strong Michigan ties. Post time for the Michigan-bred fixture, which is contested at six furlongs, is 4:46 p.m. Eastern.

Something akin to the Aesop fable "The Hare and the Tortoise" will take place Saturday afternoon at Finger Lakes when defending champion Lovely Daniella and stretch-out sprinter Gold for the Queen are rematched in the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Handicap.