DEL MAR, Calif. - The choice for trainer Neil Drysdale was to take Artiste Royal to the Arlington Million on Aug. 8 or stay here at Del Mar for the Grade 1, $350,000 Eddie Read Handicap on Saturday. The Million is worth a lot more money. It's also shaping up as a far deeper race. So after Artiste Royal worked a sharp six furlongs on the Del Mar turf on Monday morning, Drysdale pretty much got the answer he needed.

"The chances are pretty good we'll stay here," Drysdale said. "The race in Chicago looks like it's coming up pretty tough. I thought his breeze was very good."

DEL MAR, Calif. - From 1996-2002, if you weren't named Bob Baffert, you did not train the winner of the Del Mar Futurity. Baffert had a hammerlock on the race, winning it a record seven straight times with the likes of Silver Charm and Forest Camp. After a mild drought, he won it again last year with Midshipman, who went on to become the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old colt of 2008. Based on the quality of 2-year-olds Baffert has this summer at Del Mar, eight Del Mar Futurities might not be enough.

Baffert is loaded.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Fatal Bullet, Canada's Horse of the Year and top sprinter in 2008, returned with a vengeance here in Sunday's $151,350 Bold Venture.

Making his first start since finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Oct. 25, Fatal Bullet was off a touch slowly but quickly established command and led throughout the 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park finished its spring-summer meeting on Sunday with declines in ontrack and all-sources handle and a slight gain in ontrack attendance, the track reported.

Results of each race from the 2008 Del Mar meet.

Trainers, jockeys, post positions, and much more. Click the link below to download the 2009 Del Mar Players' Guide comprehensive stats.

Rachel Alexandra, who was relocated to Saratoga after winning the Mother Goose in stakes-record time June 27, worked for the third consecutive Monday over the Oklahoma training track, going six furlongs in 1:13.88 under regular exercise rider Dominic Terry at 6 a.m.

It was the fastest of six workouts at the distance by 0.45 second, and termed "breezing."

The bay 3-year-old filly went in fractions of 13.20 seconds, 25.40, 37.40, and 49.60, and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27.40.

OMAHA, Neb. - Orientate Express put an exclamation point on the final day of Horsemen's Park Festival of Racing with a strong 3 3/4-length in the $51,000 Omaha Stakes on Sunday afternoon.

Making just his second start of the year, Orientate Express followed a hard duel between The Big Wave and Social Climber, moved to challenge into the far turn, and drew off for the win in 1:37.80 for the one mile over a fast track.

Zoomin With Ease drove to a half-length win in the Grade 1, $625,000 Rainbow Futurity for Quarter Horses, a 400-yard race that was delayed when fastest qualifier Love Samba reared and sat down in the starting gate. The Rainbow is one of three major Quarter Horse stakes run during the Ruidoso Downs meet in New Mexico.

Runnning Brook Girl finished second in the race run Sunday, 1 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Favorite Cartel. It was a head back in fourth to Love Samba.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Owner-breeder Camelia Casby was rooting for a dead heat but settled for the straight exacta when Minnesota Mafia edged rival Seasahm in the $50,000 Princess Elaine Stakes at Canterbury Park on Saturday.