FORT ERIE, Ontario – When Bronze Barbarian raced two weeks ago in an optional claiming race at Fort Erie, few believed that the 4-year-old gelding had much of a chance. After all, he had lost nine straight races since winning a nonwinners-of-two allowance in July 2009 and was beaten 19 lengths in his most recent start.

Sent off at odds of 70-1, Bronze Barbarian was facing the likes of Alezzandro, I’m Spectral, and some other talented foes. Yet, trainer Carla Christoffersen differed with the public’s opinion and gave her runner a shot to win it.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Tom Proctor, the trainer of Riskaverse Stakes winner Queen of the Creek, summed it up best when talking about the last-place finisher in the race, Lisa’s Booby Trap.

“There’s no fairy tales in the horse business,” Proctor said. “It just don’t work that way.”

DEL MAR, Calif. – A week after he finished ninth in the $1 million Pacific Classic, Unusual Suspect returns in Saturday’s $75,000 Windy Sands Handicap at Del Mar.

While the easier competition in the Windy Sands Handicap is certainly a factor, the one-mile distance on the synthetic main track may be an even better fit. Of Unusual Suspect’s eight career wins, five have been at a mile or 1 1/16 miles.

Coyote Legend, the runner-up in the $100,000 Prelude last weekend at Louisiana Downs, will probably make his next start in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park on Oct. 10, trainer Bret Calhoun said.

Coyote Legend, who is based at Remington, has six main-track stakes wins since December and was the 4-5 favorite in the Prelude. He led the field through six furlongs in 1:13 under regular rider Bobby Walker Jr. but was overtaken in the late stages by Apart. Coyote Legend finished 1 1/2 lengths back in second in the 1 1/16-mile race and earned a Beyer Figure of 90.

Rachel Alexandra returned to the track Thursday morning for the first time since her one-length defeat to Persistently in Sunday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said Rachel Alexandra galloped one mile over the Oklahoma training track.

“I’m very pleased with how she went back,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen reiterated that he will likely wait until Sept. 13 to work Rachel Alexandra again. Typically, she breezes nine days after a race, which would have had her returning to the work tab next Tuesday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − Linda Rice won’t win her second straight Saratoga trainer’s title, but her 2010 season at Saratoga has been a success.

Rice entered the final five days of racing here with 18 winners from 72 starters. That was good enough for second, two wins ahead of Chad Brown, who was 16 for 46. All trainers were left in the dust by Todd Pletcher, who on the strength of his deep 2-year-old division had a meet-best 30 winners from 108 starters.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The trainer Greg Geier has sent out a grand total of one winner from 20 starters during the 2010 Arlington Park race meet, with Country Flavor scoring an upset victory in the Grade 3 Hanshin Cup on May 29. Country Flavor has a decent chance to account for Geier’s second Arlington win of the summer when he starts Saturday in a hodgepodge edition of the Washington Park Handicap.

Plaer’s Trump makes a quick return when she faces five other older fillies and mares in the $10,000 Bill Callihan Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Columbus on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With limited stakes options on dirt for juvenile fillies, trainer Todd Pletcher entered four of his 2-year-olds in Sunday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga. A total of eight was entered for the seven-furlong race.

Pletcher went in with R Heat Lightning, Sky Hosoya, Stopspendingmaria, and Valiant Passion. Pletcher was considering entering a fifth starter but elected to wait for an overnight stakes at Belmont Park with Summer Laugh, a 6 3/4-length winner of her debut here Aug. 8.