VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Juan Olmos owned and trained the top 2-year-old in British Columbia in both 2008 and 2009. He could have another good one in Tlaquepaque, who figures to be one of the favorites in the $50,000 New Westminster at Hastings Thursday. The 6 1/2-furlong dash drew eight horses and goes as the seventh race.

Also on the eight-race card, which begins at 6:40 p.m., is the $50,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies. The races are the first open stakes for 2-year-olds at Hastings this year.

AUBURN, Wash. – Seventy-two down, 18 to go. That’s how many racing days remain at Emerald Downs in 2010, beginning with a seven-race program Thursday, the final Thursday card of the meeting. First post is 6 p.m. Pacific.

The feature race, a $7,500 claimer for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, attracted seven entrants. Eyes On My Heart, a gate-to-wire winner under similar conditions in her last start, could start as the favorite for trainer Vann Belvoir. Fly Away and Orange Sherbet, both two-time winners at the meeting, are the other leading contenders.

SARATOGA, N.Y. - Boys At Tosconova led a handful of trainer Rick Dutrow’s horses to breeze immediately after the renovation break at Saratoga on Tuesday, working five furlongs in 59.46 seconds over a “good” track with jockey Ramon Dominguez aboard. Boys At Tosconova, who galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.70, is being pointed for the Grade 1 Hopeful here on Sept. 6.

Among the other Dutrow runners to breeze were D’ Funnybone, who went a half-mile in 49.66 with Edgar Prado aboard, and Trickmeister, who breezed four furlongs in 48.40 under exercise rider Michelle Nevin.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Eddie Barker wasn’t surprised Meese Rocks won Monday’s $70,000 Union Avenue Stakes. He was surprised how she did it.

After winning a three-ply speed battle, Meese Rocks took command leaving the five-sixteenths pole, then splashed her way through the sloppy Saratoga stretch en route to a 6 1/4-length victory over Gold for the Queen. It was a neck back to City Broad in third.

Trainer Jim Meyaard isn’t sure where No Hesitation will make his next start following his win over Kara’s Orientation in the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park last Saturday.

“We’ll mull it over this week and make a decision soon,” said Meyaard. “He appears to have come out of the race in excellent shape.”
Meyaard mentioned the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby at Hastings on Sept. 26 as a possibility.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Although Rail Trip has resumed training following a minor foot issue, he most likely won’t make the $750,000 Woodward Stakes here on Sept. 4, trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said Monday.

“I don’t see the Woodward, but miracles do happen,” said Dutrow, who said he is really targeting the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont on Oct. 2 for Rail Trip.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Dominic Galluscio swung for the fences when he put Stormy’s Majesty in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes four weeks ago. The colt barely fouled the ball off while finishing last, beaten 18 1/4 lengths by A Little Warm.

Wednesday, Stormy’s Majesty gets back in the game at a more suitable level when he returns to New York-bred company in the $100,000 Albany Stakes at Saratoga. The Albany, run at 1 18 miles, drew a field of six.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The commotion started early on the afternoon of July 30, and before long a half-dozen horses in trainer Carla Gaines’s barn at Del Mar were stomping around their stalls.

Temple City was the cause of it all. The 5-year-old horse had figured out he was going to race in a few hours, and was taking his excitement out on a beach ball tethered to the ceiling of his stall. He wanted his neighbors to be aware of it.

“He was like a little kid going, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go,’ ” Gaines said.

Trainers Robertino Diodoro and Jim Meyaard, first and second in the trainers standings at Northlands Park, will lock heads in Wednesday’s feature The second-level allowance race for 3-year-olds and up drew nine horses and goes as race 7 on the eight-race card that begins at 6 p.m.

DEL MAR, Calif. - She has won graded stakes at Keeneland, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar this year, and lost Grade 1 races at Santa Anita and Churchill Downs by just a nose. The turf course at Keeneland is the next target for the Evening Jewel, who won her fourth stakes of 2010 in Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

Evening Jewel will be pointed for the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup over 1 1/8 miles on turf on Oct. 16, trainer Jim Cassidy said over the weekend. It may be dangerous to bet against her.