AUBURN, Wash. -- The $250,000 Longacres Mile, Emerald Downs' richest race, is just seven weeks away, long enough to further separate the contenders from the pretenders, but probably not long enough for a locally based mystery horse to emerge. If an Emerald-based runner is to win this year's Mile, he'll likely come from a small group that includes Noosa Beach, Assessment, Winning Machine, Gallon, Posse Power, and Rooster City.

It was a good night to be the fastest qualifier in a major Quarter Horse stakes at Sam Houston Race Park.

The track put on both the Grade 1, $376,700 Sam Houston Futurity and Grade 2, $113,250 Sam Houston Derby on Friday night, and the fastest qualifier for each of the races returned to win the finale. Sixes Liaison withstood a claim of foul to remain perfect in three starts in the futurity, while Acorn cruised in a powerful derby win. The futurity is the annual centerpiece of the meet at Sam Houston.

PLEASANTON, Calif. The Alameda County Fair canceled next Wednesday s scheduled day of live racing.

Racing secretary Tom Doutrich said late Friday afternoon that the California Horse Racing Board had given approval to cancel Wednesday racing. There is no racing scheduled that day at Hollywood Park.

The track ran six straight days over the July Fourth weekend, stretching the horse population.

MIAMI - For all the big-name trainers with horses shipping in for this year's $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap, the only Grade 1 winner in the lineup belongs to the modest stable of the Kentucky-based Joan Scott, who is bringing the speedy and versatile Dr. Zic to Calder for the main event on Saturday's Summit of Speed program.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Any time you win a Kentucky Derby, it's been a phenomenal spring meet at Churchill. For the uncanny Calvin Borel, the 2010 spring meet not only was highlighted by the unprecedented feat of winning the Derby for the third time in four years, but at least one other noteworthy accomplishment as well.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sunday marks not only the end of the 42-day spring meet at Churchill Downs, but an era of a far longer duration.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. − Gayego, a multiple stakes winner who holds the track record for 6 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park, will make his 2010 North American debut in the $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap here July 10.

Rick Mettee, the New York-based assistant to Saeed bin Suroor of Godolphin Racing, said Gayego is ready for his first start since running in March in the Middle East.

"He's done really well," Mettee said. "He's done a couple of really good pieces of work. It looks like a good spot out there [in California]."

More than 100 horsemen attended a meeting at Lone Star Park on Thursday to listen to the management of the state's three major tracks outline a proposal to consolidate Thoroughbred dates in Texas for 2011 in the face of declining handle.

Jockey Tad Leggett suffered a cervical, or upper, spine injury and fractured a vertebra Wednesday night in a spill at Fair Meadows in Tulsa and was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday afternoon in Oklahoma, said his agent, Cynthia Smith.

Leggett, 45, was injured in the third race, when he was thrown from his mount after the wire and the horse subsequently fell on him. Smith said one of Leggett's vertebra popped out during the accident, then went back into place. His surgery was to address the resulting ruptured tissue.

Sunday marks the 60th anniversary of Allen Jerkens's first victory as a trainer. It came with the horse Populace in a claiming race at Aqueduct.

"He was a big bay horse.," Jerkens recalled Friday morning at Belmont. "I claimed him from Main Chance Farm, Elizabeth Arden had that outfit. I don't know if he won any more races or not."

Jerkens said he believed he claimed the horse for $5,000 and he won for a tag of $6,500 or $7,000.

"In those days, the highest price was $12,000,'' Jerkens said.