Bootless may have come up a little short when she made her Northlands Park debut in a $20,000 claiming race July 28. If that is the case, she could be hard to run down when she returns for the same price in Friday’s feature, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies that drew eight horses and goes as race 5.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sugar Bay has been knocking on the door in allowance/optional-claiming company at Woodbine, and she should be favored Friday in a seven-furlong sprint that is scheduled for the turf.

Sugar Bay won four consecutive stakes during her breakout 3-year-old campaign in 2008, but she missed all of 2009. Following a 1 1/2-year layoff, she wound up fourth May 16 in the allowance prep for the Nassau Stakes.

AUBURN, Wash. – Ernie Owl has failed to find the winner’s circle as the favorite in his past three starts. He’ll get another chance to make amends Friday in the feature race at Emerald Downs, a $15,000 claimer for older horses at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Coyote Legend will lead a large contingent of horses trainer Bret Calhoun has pointing for the Prelude Day card of six stakes at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 28. The races are worth a cumulative $350,000, and are designed as preps for the stakes on next month’s Super Derby Day program Sept. 25.

Calhoun said Coyote Legend is headed to the $100,000 Prelude after breezing five furlongs in a bullet 59.60 seconds at his Remington Park base Aug. 5. Bobby Walker Jr. was aboard for the move, and will have the mount in the Prelude.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Telling won the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational here last year, he was coming into the race having lost his 10 previous starts. That explains why he was sent off as the 33-1 longest shot on the board in the field of 10.

When Telling runs in Saturday’s 36th renewal of the $500,000 Sword Dancer, he brings a five-race losing streak into the 1 1/2-mile turf event, which probably means he will be a big price yet again.

“We’re kind of repeating the pattern, aren’t we?” trainer Steve Hobby said Tuesday from Delaware Park.

MIAMI – William Terrill was half-owner of Gourmet Dinner when the 2-year-old entered the ring at the OBS April Sales in Ocala. By the time the colt left the ring, Terrill owned 100 per cent of the youngster, a son of Trippi, who in four short months has more than won out his purchase price of $40,000 after capturing his first two career starts, including Saturday’s $75,000 Dr. Fager Stakes at Calder.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The reviews are in on Summer Movie. After his drill on the turf last week, trainer Art Sherman gave him two thumbs up, way up, and pronounced him ready to compete Saturday in the Grade 2, $150,000 La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf for 3-year-olds at Del Mar.

“He sure worked good on the grass the other day,” Sherman said Tuesday morning, referring to a five-furlong drill in 59.60 seconds last Thursday. “I thought it was super.”

The Louisiana Derby will become the first $1 million race in the history of the Fair Grounds for its 2011 running, the track announced when releasing its stakes schedule on Tuesday.

The Louisiana Derby, at 1 1/8 miles, was worth $750,000 this year, when it was won by Mission Impazible. The field also included A Little Warm, Drosselmeyer, and Discreetly Mine, all of whom went on to be among the leaders of the division. The race’s enrichment puts it on a par with the Arkansas Derby, which this year was the only Kentucky Derby prep race worth $1 million.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Bart Evans walked into Wasted Tears’s stall late Sunday morning at Del Mar and began rubbing the mare’s ears.

“She likes this,” he said.

Evans then walked to her side and began scratching her stomach strongly with his index finger. That didn’t go as well. The mare turned her head toward Evans quickly, as if her next move was a bite.

“She’s saying, there’s no reason to do that,” Evans said.

DEL MAR, Calif. – It took Hog’s Hollow 15 starts before he finally broke through with a maiden win. His trainer, Paddy Gallagher, is hoping winning now becomes contagious.

Hog’s Hollow, who improved sharply with the addition of blinkers when he defeated maidens going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Hollywood Park on July 10, steps up to a first-level allowance and stretches out to 1 3/8 miles on turf for Thursday’s featured seventh race at Del Mar, which carries a purse of $57,000.