GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - Ruby's Big Band earned her fourth career stakes win in determined fashion, wearing down Lou Lou Larue through the final sixteenth-mile to earn a hard-fought half-length win in the $16,050 Pepsi Stakes on Saturday at Fonner Park.

Fifteen Love has spent the bulk of his career on turf, but he is looking more and more like a serious dirt horse after winning his second straight race over Sam Houston Race Park's main track in the on Saturday night. Fifteen Love came into the 1 1/8-mile handicap off a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 101 earned in an allowance. He turned in another powerful race in the Maxxam, when he was content to let the pace go and then closed fast for a 1 1/2-length win over highweight Going Ballistic.

NEW ORLEANS - Perhaps Peter Graves, who died recently, might have had one last thing to oversee before the tape destructed. The colt Mission Impazible, named for the television show in which Graves endeared himself to Baby Boomers, ran his way right into the Kentucky Derby on Saturday with a tenacious victory in here at Fair Grounds.

FLORENCE, Ky. - In 11 career starts, Dean's Kitten has raced once on dirt, losing by 34 lengths.

But that little hiccup will not matter toward the 136th Kentucky Derby, into which Dean's Kitten ran himself Saturday at Turfway Park. With Cornelio Velasquez aboard for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Mike Maker, Dean's Kitten pulled a mild upset over Polytrack in .

Ken Ramsey was in Dubai while most of his family, including Sarah, rejoiced in the Turfway winner's circle.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The Santa Anita marathon division picked up a new shooter Saturday when Tap It Light scored a $21.60 upset in the , a mile and one-half race on the main track.

The win by Tap It Light came two weeks after a runner-up finish in a second-level allowance; trainer Mike Mitchell said afterward the 6-year-old gelding could make one more graded-stakes start at the meet.

"If he comes out of this race good, we could run in the San Juan," Mitchell said, referring to the Grade 2, 1 -mile turf race on closing day, April 18.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Palanka City rallied into a hotly contested pace to defend her title in the $60,000 Carousel at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. She won by a length over One Smokin' Lady, and it was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to Double Espresso.

Palanka City ($3.80) stalked the pace set by Southern Yankee and One Smokin' Lady, who were prominent through an opening quarter in 21.51 seconds. Palanka City moved to the leaders past the quarter pole, following a half-mile in 44.92, then was diligent through the stretch to cover six furlongs in 1:09.84.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Frederick Lenclud may still be an apprentice jockey, but he looked like a polished veteran guiding Bearpath to a three-quarter-length upset victory over 8-5 favorite Never On Sunday in Saturday's at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Ian Wilkes reunited Lenclud with Bearpath in the Pan American. Lenclud, who still rides with a five-pound allowance at Oaklawn Park, had been aboard Bearpath for each of his three previous victories, including one in a second-level allowance at 1 1/2 miles at Churchill Downs in his 3-year-old finale.

NEW ORLEANS - The wait has been worth it for Battle Plan, who, though 5 years old, finally made his stakes debut Saturday and showed why patience can pay off. In a dominating performance, Battle Plan led virtually every step of the 1 1/8 miles in , stamping himself as a new force in the older horse division.

With Javier Castellano aboard, Battle Plan grabbed the lead while going around the first turn, pulled his way to a clear lead down the backstretch, turned back bids from Star Guitar and then General Quarters heading into the stretch, then drew away to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Tidal Dance came from off the pace for a comprehensive victory over three rivals in Saturday's at Aqueduct.

Freshened by design after winning the Affectionately Stakes in mid-winter for Mike Hushion, Tidal Dance ($3) was allowed to settle into stride through the early stages as longshot Quiet Mover sped to a clear lead through fractions of 24.93 and 50.71 seconds while prompted by 5-2 second-choice Love's Blush.

FLORENCE, Ky. - Orchestrator hinted of a bright future as a synthetic performer when she easily won a maiden race at Keeneland last October.

After making her next three starts on turf, Orchestrator reaffirmed her synthetic skills Saturday at Turfway, edging Age of Humor in for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on Polytrack.

Well handled by jockey Alex Solis, Orchestrator was right where she needed to be from the start, stalking the pace in the middle of the track in second as Helen Belen established a big lead with splits of 24.42 and 47.68 seconds.