LEXINGTON, Ky. - In the late going of Friday's Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland, tire tracks from the starting gate posed more of a challenge to victorious Haka than her four opponents.

Such was the deceptive dominance of her victory. Though her winning margin was relatively small - a length over pacesetter Funny Moon - Haka proved much the best in the $98,000 Doubledogdare, a 1 1/16-mile race on the Polytrack, after hesitating approaching marks on the racetrack in the final 20 yards of the race.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Carolyn Costigan's training career had a memorable beginning when her first starter, Roan Inish, won the $251,200 Princess Elizabeth at Woodbine in October.

Costigan is hoping for even more this year from Roan Inish, who is pointing for the Woodbine Oaks and, if all goes well, the Queen's Plate.

"She wintered very well," Costigan said. "She's bigger, stronger - in better form physically and happier, mentally, than when she shipped in from Ireland last year."

Atlantic City Race Course in Hamilton Township, N.J., will hold the first of its six 2010 race cards on Sunday, kicking off a mini-meet that has become popular among horsemen in the region.

The six races on the opening-day card, all on turf, have drawn 70 horses, with five races offering 12-horse fields. Monday's six races have drawn the maximum of 72 horses, and Tuesday's six-race card has drawn 71.

ARCADIA, Calif. - With hopes for a berth in the Kentucky Derby on May 1 diminishing by the day, Caracortado is likely to start in the $200,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park next Saturday.

Trainer Mike Machowsky said Friday that Caracortado, winner of the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in February, was "60 to 70 percent" likely to run in the Snow Chief Stakes, which is run over 1 1/8 miles for California-bred 3-year-olds.

Hot Dixie Chick, an easy winner of her lone start at 3, is being pointed to the Grade 3, $100,000 Eight Belles Stakes on the May 1 Kentucky Derby undercard.

Hot Dixie Chick has been working on the same mornings as Rachel Alexandra for Asmussen. Hot Dixie Chick, a daughter of Dixie Union, won the Grade 3 Schuylerville and Grade 1 Spinaway last summer at Saratoga before a minor injury forced her on a 6 1/2-month layoff that ended with a 5 3/4-length score in the March 20 Prima Donna at Oaklawn Park.

Two options for General Quarters

ARCADIA, Calif. - Falcon Rock will give Simon Callaghan his best chance for a graded stakes win this year in Sunday's $150,000 San Juan Capistrano, and the trainer has virtually no chance of seeing the race live.

Last week, Callaghan traveled to his native England to attend a 2-year-olds in-training sale. He has been stuck there in recent days after a volcano in Iceland spewed ash in the sky and shut down air travel in that country.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - No, Josie Carroll isn't monitoring every move that Rachel Alexandra makes, but she does have more than a passing interest in where the superstar filly shows up next.

That's because Carroll intends to have Careless Jewel make her 4-year-old debut at Churchill Downs on the April 30 Kentucky Oaks undercard in the Grade 2, $400,000 La Troienne Stakes, a race often mentioned as a possible next start for Rachel Alexandra.

Belmont Park in New York should be a prime candidate for the 2011 Breeders' Cup and part of a permanent three- or four-track rotation for the event, Belmont officials said in a letter sent to Breeders' Cup board members Thursday.

Game on Dude, the newly acquired Bob Baffert colt, was supposed to run in the Lexington but had "some mucus and a little lung infection" earlier this week and was not entered, said Baffert.

"It's pretty minor, so we still might be able to get him to the Derby Trial" on April 24 at Churchill Downs, said Baffert.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - This is more than their Kentucky Derby. For the friends and family members still reeling from the untimely death of trainer Alan Seewald, a victory Saturday by Uptowncharlybrown in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland would be something beyond this world.

"I don't think I have ever wanted to win a race so hard in my life," said Linda White, the longtime assistant to Seewald, who died unexpectedly Monday at age 62 at his home in Middletown, N.J.