ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Safety Zone has made his way down and back up the claiming ladder this year and will try to continue his winning ways Thursday at Woodbine in the fifth race, a second-level optional claimer that’s scheduled for seven furlongs on the grass.

Safety Zone kicked off his campaign May 22 by running second in a $50,000 claimer over seven furlongs on the lawn behind Woodbourne, who finished a bang-up third in last Sunday’s Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. Three weeks later, he chased that rival home again when second in a nine-furlong tilt for $40,000 stock.

MIAMI – Just about everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for Little Drama before and during his race here Saturday, making the 2-year-old’s neck victory over Motin in the seven-furlong, entry-level allowance dash even more satisfying for trainer David Fawkes.

Little Drama was a handful in the post parade, acting up behind the gate and unseating jockey Jose Angel Garcia briefly just prior to post time. Once under way, he immediately found himself in trouble when buffeted about between horses after the break.

Trickmeister, the undefeated 3-year-old who was targeting Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, was not entered for that race after his connections were displeased with how the colt came out of a workout Monday morning.

Trickmeister worked five furlongs Monday morning in 1:02.67 over Aqueduct’s main track, but trainer Rick Dutrow was not happy with the way the horse was traveling behind and ultimately had him vanned over to the Ruffian Equine Medical Center across the street from Belmont Park where he was to undergo a bone scan.

The field for Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby was beginning to take shape on Monday, with Golden Moka, winner of the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, and Distorted Economy, an up and coming horse for trainer Neil Drysdale, committing to the race. Hurricane Ike, who two starts ago won the Grade 3 Derby Trial, is now a strong possibility for the Louisiana Downs fixture for trainer John Sadler.

“We’re leaning toward going,” Sadler said Monday.

POMONA, Calif. – It sounded like exaggerated hype when the Los Angeles County Fair dubbed the second weekend of its race meet the “Barretts Weekend of Stars.”

The promotion was intended to highlight former Barretts graduates and showcase current Barretts graduates racing at Fairplex Park in the $91,872 Barretts Debutante for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday, and the $100,495 Barretts Juvenile on Sunday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Better later than never, the multiple graded stakes winner Sara Louise is poised to make her 4-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park.

Referred to for most of her 3-year-old season as the last horse to beat Rachel Alexandra – she did so in the Pocahontas at 2 at Churchill Downs – Sara Louise has not run since winning the Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct on Nov. 27.

Has an extended vacation on a farm revitalized the millionaire turf runner Presious Passion? Or is he simply too old to continue competing at racing’s highest levels?

The answers to those questions could become more clear when the 7-year-old Presious Passion returns from the first long break of his 46-race career Wednesday at Delaware Park.

Rapid ’n Ready figures to be tough to handle in a $22,000 claiming race that will serve as Wednesday’s feature race at Northlands Park. The six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up drew five horses and goes as race 5.

POMONA, Calif. – It has been 15 years since trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Martin Pedroza last won the Governor’s Cup Handicap at Fairplex Park – Gundaghia won the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for the third time in 1995.

Wednesday at Fairplex, Baffert and Pedroza team with El Martillo in the $50,000 Governor’s Cup, arguably the strongest stakes of the 2010 Los Angeles County Fair meet. While a case can be made for every entrant, El Martillo has the hottest pilot.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – There were questions surrounding Court Vision, who was making his first trip north of the border for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. in last Sunday’s Woodbine Mile.

“The one-turn mile here had us thinking maybe he should go to Keeneland for his next race,” said Dutrow.

There were also questions surrounding his rider, Robby Albarado, who had suffered a separated collarbone in a spill at Saratoga on Aug. 11 and had returned to ride just one race on Saturday at Turfway Park.