ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It is one of the early-week rituals of the Arlington Million: foreign horses getting acquainted with the Arlington Park turf course. Cima de Triomphe, an Irish-bred who will be one of the top contenders for the 27th Million on Saturday, cut a striking figure on a very quiet Tuesday morning, cantering around the spacious course while his assistant trainer looked on approvingly.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Historically, Christophe Clement has been more of a ladies' man.

He has won the last two editions of the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes, with Mauralakana last year and with Royal Highness in 2007, and Clement is the only three-time winner of the Beverly D. Most of the top horses to have passed through his barn during an 18-year training career have been fillies that race on grass, horses like his other Beverly D. winner, England's Legend, and Relaxed Gesture.

CHICAGO - The Arlington Million will be contested on Saturday in suburban Chicago at 1 1/4 miles - a distance roughly 22 miles shorter than that separating Arlington Park and the ESPN Zone in downtown Chicago, where the Million and its two supporting Grade 1 turf features, the Beverly D. and the Secretariat, were drawn Tuesday afternoon. The draw had Marines, Arlington-produced music videos, morning-line odds niftily posted on digital display boards next to a wall of television monitors.

A severe flash flood Tuesday morning in the Louisville, Ky., area forced Churchill Downs officials into emergency mode, with 30 to 35 horses shuttled out of the stable area to the Trackside training facility because of flooding in barns.

Invaders dominated Monday's $75,000 Manitoba Derby, with Smuggler's Hold and Tease the Tiger finishing one-two in the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds at Assiniboia Downs.

Smuggler's Hold, with Adolfo Morales in the irons, came from off the pace to take charge around the final turn and go on to score by three-quarters of a length.

Tease the Tiger also came from out of it and was up in the final strides to finish second ahead of another closer, the longshot Celtic Thane.

Trainer Cindy Krasner and jockey Dave Wilson had the same thoughts about their contender Krazy Koffee when heavily favored Spaghetti Mouse was a late scratch during the post parade in the $110,920 B.C. Cup Classic at Hastings on Monday.

"I wanted to go back to the paddock and talk to Cindy about changing our strategy," said Wilson.

"I wanted to talk to Davie and make sure he didn't get too far behind," said Krasner

No instructions were necessary as Krazy Koffee broke sharply and then outlasted Till the Storm to win by a half-length.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Longshot Palladio captured the Grade 3, $152,150 Seagram Cup Stakes off a six-month layoff on a holiday Monday at Woodbine.

Palladio, Canada's champion 3-year-old in 2005, raced three lengths off the lead in fourth until the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile event. He began to mount a five-wide rally at that point, and hit the front in midstretch before drawing clear for 1 1/4-length score in 1:43.84.

Favored Ready's Echo finished second and was followed by Vacation, Marlang, Ghost Hour, Approval Rating and Mike Fox.

Let the Rachel Watch begin anew.

After disposing of 3-year-old males - again - in Sunday's $1.25 million Haskell Invitational at sloppy Monmouth Park, Preakness winner Rachel Alexander ratcheted up her star power another notch. Now, the racing world will wait - again - with bated breath for owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen to decide when and where she will strut her stuff next.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Since it cost $5,000 to pre-enter for the race by midnight last Friday, the field for Saturday's Arlington Million has all but been assembled, a nine-horse group with Gio Ponti the likely favorite over Einstein. Final entries will be taken and post positions assigned for the Million as well as Saturday's other two Grade 1 turf races, the Beverly D. and the Secretariat, on Tuesday afternoon. And none of these details should have one bit of influence over how the Million will unfold: Presious Passion will be out there on the lead, winging it.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Rachel who?

Just when it appeared there wasn't a 3-year-old in the country who could touch Rachel Alexandra, along comes Quality Road, who returned from a four-month hiatus to register a record-setting 2 1/4-length victory over Capt. Candyman Can in Monday's $150,000 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga.