SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Monday’s $70,000 Evan Shipman Stakes is far from the most prestigious race to be decided this summer at Saratoga. But by meet’s end it may be remembered as one of the most exciting after the odds-on favorite, Giant Moon overcame a wide trip to outfinish an unlucky Icabad Crane and outgame Groomedforvictory in the 1 1/8-mile race for New York-breds.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Grade 1 Diana will not be run until Saturday afternoon, but anybody looking to get a little preview of the race need only have come over to the Oklahoma training track Monday morning, where four of the six expected starters got in their final tune-ups for the event.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fifteen 3-year-old fillies – including eight stakes winners – were entered for a contentious renewal of Wednesday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Lake George Stakes as Saratoga begins its first full week of racing.

There are horses coming from New York, Kentucky, New Jersey and Germany coming for this 1 1/16-mile race – which is limited to 12 starters – but a trio of fillies who arrived here on Monday from Canada look intriguing.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Brian Lynch may not be a magician by trade, but he definitely had an ace up his sleeve when he sent out Golden Moka for Sunday’s $500,000 Prince of Wales at Fort Erie.

Purchased privately out of Panama on the advice of former jockey Rene Douglas, who was paralyzed in a racing accident at Arlington last spring, Golden Moka was making his first start in six months, his first beyond six furlongs, and his first in North America in the Prince of Wales.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Before Riviera Cocktail first arrived in this country, he had been an abject disappointment, having run three times, without a win, at major and provincial tracks in France. Things began to turn around for Riviera Cocktail as soon as he got to Del Mar, where he defeated maidens in his North American debut.

That was last summer. Fast forward to this summer, and Riviera Cocktail is vastly improved, so much so that he looms as one of the leading contenders on Wednesday in the $75,000 Wickerr Stakes, which kicks off week 2 at Del Mar.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Bob Tiller will take two shots at Wednesday’s $125,000 Deputy Minister Stakes, when he runs the uncoupled duo of Race for Gold and Arepeatee in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.

The ultra-consistent Race for Gold should be favored under Chantal Sutherland. He was unbeaten in two starts last year, both in six-furlong Ontario-sired events.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – While ontrack attendance on a day of pleasant weather held steady, and the brand of racing was solid, the all-sources handle was down considerably Saturday at the 12th annual Claiming Crown at Canterbury Park, where the dominant performers were the familiar owner-trainer-jockey team of Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Mike Maker, and Julien Leparoux.

Hastings invader Arkhill looks like the one to beat in Wednesday’s featured seventh race at Northlands. The 1 1/16-mile race, open to horses who have not won a race other than maiden or claiming at a mile or farther this year, and $40,000 claimers, drew six horses.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Mark Frostad and Ian Black each fielded a pair of entrants in both the Toronto Cup and Nijinsky here at Woodbine last Saturday.

And while each trainer came away with a victory, Frostad had the upper hand by virtue of his one-two finish with Windward Islands and Grand Adventure in the Grade 2, $312,400 Nijinsky.

Windward Islands, a 6-year-old gelding, was making his first start in more than 13 months and just his 17th career appearance in the 1 3/8-mile Nijinsky over yielding turf.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer Jim Cassidy completed a sweep of the opening weekend's graded stakes races at Del Mar when favored Evening Jewel captured the Grade 2, $150,000 San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies on turf on Sunday.

One day earlier, Cassidy sent out The Usual Q.T. to a victory in the Grade 1 Eddie Read.

"This is a little like hitting two grand slam home runs in the bottom of the ninth of the World Series," said Cassidy, a passionate New York Yankees fan.

Evening Jewel ($5.40), like The Usual Q.T., was ridden by Victor Espinoza.