There were few surprises in the trials for the two divisions of the $100,000-added D.S. "Shine" Futurity held here last week. The finals for the meeting's two marquee races for 2-year-olds will be held July 3 on Louisiana Showcase Night when the state's best will be featured in 10 stakes races worth close to $1 million

The colt and gelding trials last Saturday were especially formful as odds-on favorites accounted for all three qualifiers. There was also little substitute for experience as seven of the eight runners who had previously started moved on to the finals.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Concert Music remained undefeated in five career starts with a convincing win over Kaweah Princess in last Saturday's $50,000 Senate Appointee at Hastings.

Similar to all of her races, she raced close to the pace and then kicked it into another gear at the quarter pole. The difference this time was that they were walking up front and Fernando Perez had a big hold of her while she was tracking the leaders through a 47.15-second half-mile. Her trainer, John Snow, was a little concerned about how the race was unfolding.

In response to positive fan reaction last year, Penn National will present two cards this season that contain steeplechase events.

Friday night's first two races on a nine-race card that begins at 6:30 p.m. Eastern will be contested at 2 1/16 miles over hurdles. Bill Gallo, racing secretary for the National Steeplechase Association, also has scheduled steeplechase races at Penn National for

July 2.

AUBURN, Wash. - Apparently, Winning Machine is easy to overlook. He paid $14 upon exiting the maiden ranks as a 2-year-old in 2008, $34.20 when he won an allowance in his first start at 3, and $19.60 when he took the British Columbia Derby at Hastings in his final outing last summer.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Jonesboro is being freshened at his Lone Star Park base and will not be defending his title in the Grade 2 Cornhusker later this month at Prairie Meadows. Trainer Randy Morse said Wednesday that owner Mike Langford is starting to make some decisions about the horse's future and retirement is a possibility. Another option is a fall-winter campaign for Jonesboro, who has had some problems handling the heat in his last two starts at Lone Star.

"The horse is fine physically, other than the heat," Morse said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Freddie Lenclud will try to use the considerable momentum he has built this spring at Churchill Downs to make an impact on an even bigger stage: the Saratoga summer meet that starts July 23.

Lenclud is easily the top apprentice at the Churchill spring meet, having won with 20 of 178 mounts through the first 30 cards here. The 23-year-old Frenchman has impressed horsemen with his saddle skills.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - After canceling Thursday's races because of insufficient entries, Hollywood Park officials were guardedly optimistic Wednesday that they will get through the final month of the spring-summer meeting without losing another day of live racing.

Thursday's cancellation was the second day of scheduled racing lost in the last month because of a circuit-wide horse shortage. The Wednesday, May 24 program also was canceled.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Protocol had delayed the Woodbine Entertainment Group from announcing Queen Elizabeth II's intention to attend the July 4 Queen's Plate. But now that it has been announced, it could have an impact on the size of the field for the Queen's Plate's 151st running.

The last time Queen Elizabeth II was here for the Queen's Plate was 1997, when Awesome Again prevailed over 13 rivals. That was the queen's first visit here since 1973, when Royal Chocolate was best in a 17-horse field.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Al Stall Jr. said going into the Stephen Foster Handicap that he had Blame ready to run "in the 90th percentile." So in light of how Blame raced to an electrifying victory last Saturday in the Grade 1 Foster at Churchill Downs, it's not hard to understand Stall's enthusiasm as he plots out the rest of the year.

MIAMI - Trainer Joe Calascibetta lost one potential star when unbeaten 2-year-old Cheyann Belief was sold privately shortly after winning his career debut for Calascibetta by 10 lengths here earlier this spring. But it didn't take long for the veteran horseman to find himself another potential star, the 3-year-old filly Pica Slew, who stole the show on Saturday's Summit of Speed Preview card.