Take Control, the first foal to race out of 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri, has been sidelined by sore shins, trainer Bob Baffert said on Thursday.

Take Control is expected to have two months off and will return to training for a summer campaign.

"He had sore shins at 2 and he's aggravated them," Baffert said. "It's nothing that 60 days off can't help."

Owned by Kaleem Shah, Take Control, a $1.9 million purchase at the Keeneland 2-year-olds in-training sale last April, won his debut in a one-mile maiden race on Dec. 30.

NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES

Monzante needed a confidence builder after getting drilled in three straight Grade 1's. He dropped into an allowance Jan. 16, and with a quarter-mile to go in the mile turf race, he trailed hopelessly as the even-money favorite. Garrett Gomez swung him to the outside, and the 6-year-old uncorked a wicked burst of late speed, running his final quarter in a shade over 22 seconds, and won by a nose. It was the "Performance of the Week" and makes the Mike Mitchell trainee a worthy candidate for the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 6.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The job description can be considered either a magnificent challenge or a fantastic folly.

To fulfill the role of chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, a person must direct a seven-person board that oversees matters such as supervising race meetings, rewriting and enforcing rules, designating racing days, and looking out for the betting public.

Calder Racecourse will open the doors for the first time to its new, state-of-the-art casino at 9 a.m. on Friday. The casino, located adjacent to the west side of the grandstand, passed the necessary reviews by officials from the state of Florida on Thursday afternoon.

The 104,000 square-foot facility at Calder will contain 1,200 Class 3 slot machines and three restaurants. Simulcast wagering on thoroughbred races will also be available seven days a week. The casino will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily and 24 hours on weekends.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Newly crowned Eclipse Award winner She Be Wild went out and celebrated her championship on Thursday morning by working a crisp five furlongs in 58.91 seconds at Gulfstream Park under another Eclipse Award winner, jockey Julien Leparoux. Going in company, She Be Wild ripped off splits of 22.63, 34.06, and 46.35 seconds before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.11.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Anyone who doubts that the Barbaro legacy lives on or that his supporters are as passionate as ever need only have been around the winner's circle following Lentenor's .

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Brake Lights, who figured to be among the chief rivals for the speedy Eightyfiveinafifty in the $100,000 Whirlaway Stakes here on Feb. 6, is sidelined indefinitely due to a chip in his left front ankle.

Brake Lights, a son of Saint Liam owned by William Warren and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, had the chip surgically removed about two weeks ago and is recuperating on a Lexington, Ky., farm.

McLaughlin said Brake Lights likely came out of a Jan. 2 maiden victory over the inner track with the chip.

WHO'S HOT

The Bugs

Angel Serpa has had a solid winter meet, with an overall return on investment of $2.79, but he picked up the tempo by riding nine winners for nine trainers in six consecutive racing days, Jan. 13-18. Six of the nine were 9-2 or better, including Sawtooth Mountain ($45.80) and Autumnlady ($31.60).

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It happens every winter. A bevy of apprentice riders target the Aqueduct inner-track meet, hoping to launch their careers. Some never come. Some come but can't handle the cold, the competition, New York, or all of the above, and they soon vanish.

PHOENIX - For most high school seniors, Saturday means thinking about what you're going to do with your buddies and maybe even the prospect of a date.

Those more traditional concerns were not on the mind of 18-year-old D.J. Fuller last Saturday. Fuller, who recently passed his trainer's license exam in Arizona, was putting on the tack for his first starter, Canyoutopthis, in the second race at Rillito Park near Tucson.