Up until last year, Alberta started its racing season at Stampede Park a couple of weeks earlier than Hastings. When the license for the spring dates were given to a proposed track in Balzac, Stampede pulled the plug on its racing operation. The operators of the Balzac track are still trying to get financing to complete the stalled project.

Northlands Park, which is in Edmonton, took over some of the dates from Stampede, but doesn't open until the middle of May. Hastings benefits with Alberta-based trainers and jockeys getting warmed up in Vancouver before they head home.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The connections of Concert Music were pretty excited and optimistic about her future when she came out and romped in her first two starts last year.

She just toyed with her competition when she debuted in a $15,000 maiden claiming race last May 2. Proving her facile win was no fluke, Concert Music came right back and scored an easy six-length win over Quillo's Intention in a first-level optional $50,000 claimer two weeks later.

Blind Luck, the leading 3-year-old filly in California, worked six furlongs in 1:14.80 at Hollywood Park on Friday, her final workout before traveling to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks, to be run next Friday.

The winner of the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes in February and Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes in April, Blind Luck worked alone, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.

"She went slow the first part and finished up the last three-eighths in 35," Hollendorfer said. "We're very confident that we have her ready to run."

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Princess Haya, who won the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine last September, has joined trainer Carl O'Callaghan's stable at Hollywood Park and will make her California debut in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap next Saturday.

Owned by breeder Eileen Hartis, Princess Haya has not started since finishing third in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine last fall when trained by Michael Matz.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Chip Woolley, who won the Kentucky Derby last year with Mine That Bird, was a visitor at Churchill Downs on Friday morning amid speculation that Mine That Bird could soon be transferred to another trainer, perhaps D. Wayne Lukas.

"I've heard the rumors, too, but nobody has said anything to me," Woolley said.

Co-owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach, contacted separately this week, both said, "Right now, there's been no change," but did not deny the rumors.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Garrett Gomez, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey two of the last three years, will ride regularly at Monmouth Park beginning next month, his agent, Ron Anderson, said Friday morning at Churchill Downs.

Monmouth will have a boutique meeting, featuring $1 million in purses while racing Friday through Sunday for the first two months of its meet.

"The opportunity to be involved in a historic, high-profile meet like that is exciting," Anderson said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - To work or not to work? That was the question facing trainers with both Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses after rain began falling early Friday morning, ultimately changing the racetrack from fast to sloppy by the time the special training session began at Churchill Downs after the renovation break at 8:30 a.m.

Apprentice jockey Kris Fox was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center for treatment following a one-horse spill Thursday night at Lone Star Park. He was thrown to the ground in the fifth race when his mount, Old Silverhead, broke down and fell while racing on the lead. The incident happened midway on the turn of a claiming sprint. Fox appeared to have avoided serious injuries.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With Ramon Dominguez away, Edgar Prado will play.

With Dominguez beginning a three-day suspension Thursday, Prado took over the role of dominant jockey, riding five winners from seven mounts on Aqueduct's nine-race card.

Prado won the third aboard Rule by Night ($6.40), the fifth on Vinnies Wild Tale ($6.50), the seventh on Eighttofasttocatch ($29.60) - a horse he picked up on race day - the eighth on Four Shore ($7.10) and the ninth on Budget ($14).

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Churchill Downs has 135 years' worth of archives to prove that life does indeed exist after the Kentucky Derby. Of course, when Churchill opens every year with the Derby Trial on the last Saturday in April, few people have the time or inclination to look beyond the first Saturday in May.

Kevin Flanery, the 13th president of Churchill Downs racetrack, is one of those rare individuals willing to see past the frantic first week of the 42-day spring meet that ends July 4.