Euroears has undergone two leg surgeries and twice had layoffs of more than eight months. So when his name failed to appear in the entries for Saturday's Bonapaw Stakes at Fair Grounds, a race to which Euroears tentatively had been pointed, and since Euroears hasn't posted a published work since winning the Nov. 26 Thanksgiving Handicap, one might have assumed the worst.

The next stop for Sourdough Sam is the Derby Trail.

The talented 2-year-old colt passed his most recent test, winning the one-mile $64,100 Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

His trainer, Dean Pederson, said the Jan. 16 California Derby seemed the logical next start for Sourdough Sam, a son of Decarchy who has three wins and a troubled second in his brief career.

Undefeated Smoken Sham ($3) rallied strongly to win his third straight race in the $21,050 Bill Wineberg Stakes, capping a big day for trainer Ben Root, who saddled three winners Monday during Oregon Championship Day at Portland Meadows.

In addition to Smoken Sham, Root saddled winners with Shame on Rosie ($6.60) in the $25,350 Janet Wineberg Stakes and Nikki S. ($3) in the $10,800 Hers. All three were favored.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - When trainer Derek Ryan looks down his shed row and sees the last two winners of the Tampa Bay Derby - Musket Man and Big Truck - nickering for their feed, he has to feel pretty good.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Mast Track, winner of Saturday's at Hollywood Park, was transferred to trainer John Shirreffs on Sunday and will race in 2010, according to Mike Rogers, racing manager for Frank Stronach.

Stronach acquired Mast Track in a private deal late last week from the Robert J. Frankel Trust. Frankel, the Hall of Fame trainer who died after a lengthy illness on Nov. 16, discussed the sale of Mast Track earlier this fall, according to a person familiar with the estate. Frankel bred Mast Track.

Unbeaten after two starts, She's Funomenal is ready for a graded stakes after winning her stakes debut in Sunday's Ifyoucouldseemenow Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Dan Ward, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, said the 2-year-old filly will be pointed to the $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 16. She races for Hollendorfer, STD Racing Stable, and Summit Racing. The Grade 2 Santa Ynez is run over seven furlongs for 3-year-old fillies, conditions that should ideally suit She's Funomenal.

Ahmed Ajtebi, who rode Vale of York to an upset win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last month at Santa Anita, is riding in Southern California through Jan. 20, he said on Sunday.

Ajtebi, 27, rode Chilecito to a last-place finish in a field of five 2-year-old maiden fillies at Hollywood Park on Sunday, his first mount in California since Breeders' Cup Day.

He has one mount on Friday, Deluxe Cat in the sixth race.

Santa Anita's main track, which was closed Sunday after failing to drain properly, was open for galloping Monday and was expected to allow workouts Tuesday, Ron Charles, the track's president, said Monday morning.

"Out of precaution, we asked people not to breeze today," Charles said. "The outside lanes are still a little wet. The running lanes are fine - if we had racing today, we could race - but we thought we'd be better off being safe than sorry. The track should be wide open on Tuesday."

Santa Anita's opening day is Dec. 26.

Jockey Russell Baze, the only rider ever to record more than three 400-win seasons, reached the 400 mark for the 13th time in his career Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.

Baze won the second race aboard Weekend Escape ($4) and the third with Advance Ticket ($7.40) to reach the 400 mark.

The Hall of Famer hit the 400 mark 11 times in 12 years from 1992-2003, missing only in 1999 because of injury. He reached 400 again last year when he rode 403 winners.

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Hulapai finished his 3-year-old season with a career-best performance in Sunday's $158,850 Southern California Derby at Los Alamitos, providing another highlight to trainer Adan Farias's remarkable weekend.

Saturday, the Farias-trained Freaky clinched the World Champion title with a victory in the Champion of Champions.