ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Nick Gonzalez stable is a study in contrasts, a fact made most apparent by Big Red Mike's victory in Sunday's Queen's Plate.

Participating in the Queen's Plate represented a pinnacle for Gonzalez, who has a large stable at Fort Erie while his wife, Martha, runs the show here at Woodbine.

But while the horses were heading out to the track for the Queen's Plate, Gonzalez asked his son and assistant, Nick Jr., to text a staff member at Fort Erie to find out how Talk to Da Manager had made out in the day's final race.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - While Big Red Mike will be heading down to Fort Erie for the July 25 Prince of Wales, the second jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown, the post-Queen's Plate roll call includes few others planning to take that route.

Sam-Son Farm's trio of Hotep, Giant's Tomb, and Dark Cloud Dancer all will be considered for the Prince of Wales, as will Mobthewarrior.

Hotep and Giant's Tomb, the Queen's Plate's second- and fourth-place finishers, both won on the dirt at the Fair Grounds this winter, and the Prince of Wales is run over 1 3/16 miles on that surface.

MIAMI - The homecoming of old friend D' Funnybone and full fields in the afternoon's two main events, the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap and Grade 2 Smile Handicap, should make Saturday's Summit of Speed program one of the most attractive in the 11-year history of Calder Race Course's marquee event.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Mike Smith is sensing a change in Zenyatta in recent months. She seems to be more willing to wait later in the stretch before unleashing the explosive kick that has led to 17 consecutive wins and two champion female titles.

Zenyatta, 6, won her 17th race in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap on June 13 by catching St Trinians in the final 50 yards. Monday, in her second work since that race, Zenyatta caught stablemate Theodora in the final 50 yards, finishing five furlongs in 1:01.20.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Rafael Bejarano lost his lead in the jockey standings at the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting last weekend when Joel Rosario won seven races on Saturday and Sunday to take a two-race lead.

The race between the two friendly rivals for the riding title will last until the final day of the meeting, July 18. Bejarano can almost bank on taking back one win when Rail Trip starts as a strong favorite in Saturday's $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A disappointing performance by a returning Kentucky Derby hero helped bring another eventful Churchill Downs spring meet to an end Sunday, as Mine That Bird now will join hundreds of Kentucky horses in moving soon to Saratoga for the balance of the summer.

Scott Stevens has been moved from the intensive care unit at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minn., to a private room to finish his recovery from injuries suffered in a spill at Canterbury Park on Friday, his agent, Chad Anderson, said on Monday. He is expected to remain at the hospital for one more week.

Stevens, 49, sustained six broken ribs, punctured both of his lungs, broke both sides of his collarbone, and has a lacerated spleen, according to Anderson.

AUBURN, Wash. - Clair Annette raced to a 5 1/2-length victory in the $50,000 King County Handicap for fillies and mares Sunday at Emerald Downs.

Leading from start to finish, the 7-year-old by Beau Genius ran one mile on a fast track in 1:35.80 and paid $7.80 as the second favorite in the field of eight. Longshot Crocodile Tuff rallied to finish second, and 6-5 favorite Gadget Queen was third, followed by Private Fortune, who was the only 3-yeaer-old in the race, Perfect Finish, Barbara's Love, Eyes On the Prize, and Yonnie Creek.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Eddie Martin Jr. won back-to-back stakes races in the $35,000 Dean Kutz and $35,000 Northbound Pride on the Fourth of July at Canterbury Park. He used similar tactics in both races, each at one mile on the turf, taking both his horses well back off the early pace and coming with a late run.

Martin won the Dean Kutz with Stachys. Stachys drew away from Shoot It's War in the final furlong of the Kutz, for 3-year-olds.

Stachys ($7.40), a 3-year-old gelding by Candy Ride, was making his first start on turf. The victory was his third in six career starts.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - With Queen Elizabeth II in attendance, Big Red Mike went right to the front and never looked back to capture the 151st running of the at Woodbine Sunday.

It was the second straight Plate score for jockey Eurico Da Silva, who guided Big Red Mike through slow fractions of 24.43, 49.39 and 1:14.31 on a Polytrack surface that was kind to inside speed. Hotep pressed Big Red Mike through the far turn, but Big Red Mike established a clear lead at the head of the stretch en route to a 1 1/2-length win in 2:04.89 for the 1 1/4 miles. He paid $12.