VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Garry Saitz is off to a strong start at the Hastings meet, with two wins from five starts, and he is looking for a big performance from Maximiano in the fourth race Sunday. A 4-year-old gelding by Storm Victory, Maximiano won twice and placed twice from four starts last year, and he is a neck and a head away from being undefeated.

"I think he's the real deal, and he runs hard every time," Saitz said. "He's doing very well right now, and if we're lucky he'll beat a pretty solid group of horses Sunday."

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Gail Cox has got off to an excellent start at the Woodbine meeting, winning with two of the first five horses she sent to the post.

On Sunday, Cox will be looking to keep the ball rolling with stable star Simply Splendid, who is slated to make her seasonal bow in the one-mile turf prep for the Nassau Stakes.

"I've been taking my time with her," said Cox, who also owns Simply Splendid in partnership with John Menary. "There are so many good races later in the year.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - The operator of Fort Erie, the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium, has named Rick Cowan as its chief operations officer.

Cowan has extensive experience in Thoroughbred racing management. He began his career with the Ontario Jockey Club - now the Woodbine Entertainment Group - in 1976, rising to the position of executive vice president before moving on in the mid-1990s.

The signal from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore will be unavailable to customers of New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation after Saturday's Preakness Stakes card because of concerns about OTB's finances raised by the New York regulators, racing officials said Friday.

BALTIMORE - Rarely, if ever, have so many losing jockeys returned with such big smiles. But when seven of them returned safely and enthralled after riding in the Lady Legends for the Cure race Friday at Pimlico, none could hide her glee.

Mary Wiley Wagner, who led to the top of the stretch in the six-furlong race aboard Mass Destruction before fading to fourth in the field of eight, said after dismounting, "Whew, that was fun! I want to do it again. And again. And again."

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Canterbury Park will begin a 62-day meet Friday evening with the hope of attracting more fans, more often.

On June 26, Canterbury will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its opening day in 1985. To mark the occasion, the track has decided to offer free general admission all season.

"With the change, we hope our loyal fans will get to enjoy our race cards more often," said marketing manager John Groen. "For those who haven't been to Canterbury Park in recent years, we hope free admission will encourage them to come out."

A racing-industry group that awards accreditation to racetracks for compliance with a voluntary safety program has given Sunland Park in New Mexico "provisional accreditation" after finding that the track did not comply with all of the requirements of the program.

The Safety and Integrity Alliance, which administers the accreditation program, said that Sunland could receive full accreditation in the future if the track and the New Mexico Racing Commission addressed a number of issues that left the track short of the program's requirements.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - With division leader Bourbon Bay, a three-time stakes winner at Santa Anita earlier this year, getting a deserved springtime break, Saturday's $150,000 Jim Murray Handicap at Hollywood Park is a wide-open race.

For bettors, that is where things get a little messy. The Grade 2 Murray, run over 1 1/2 miles on turf, has drawn a field of 11.

Rockin Rockstar needed every inch of the Presque Isle stretch to get up and win the $100,000 Tom Ridge.

Rockin Rockstar was last by many going down the backstretch. Willie Martinez let the Congaree gelding roll on the turn and he circled the field, vieing for the lead late before getting up to win the six furlong event by a neck. Flamin Hot led under Dale Beckner in late stretch before finishing second, two lengths in front of Black Belt in third.

Trained by Mike Lauer, Rockin Rockstar returned $42.20 to win and ran the six furlongs in 1.08.42 over the Tapeta surface.

Chief of Affairs led at every call in the $75,000 James Whitcomb Riley to win by a length and a half Wednesday evening at Indiana Downs.