SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - This could potentially be a big weekend for trainer Ian Wilkes and the dam La Cucina.

Wilkes trains siblings Miss Isella and Guam Typhoon, both of whom will be running in stakes races 35 minutes apart at Saratoga on Sunday. Miss Isella, a 4-year-old filly who has won her last two starts, is entered in the Grade 1 Go for Wand, while Guam Typhoon, a 3-year-old colt, is entered in the $70,000 Curlin Stakes. Both horses are out of the Irish-bred dam La Cucina, and are owned by Elaine Jones.

CHESTER, W.Va. - David Fawkes doesn't want to make it more complicated than it has to be. As the trainer of Big Drama, he will simply give Eibar Coa a leg up, then sit back and watch what happens Saturday in the West Virginia Derby.

"I'm going to leave Coa alone and let him ride his race," said Fawkes. "They've had a lot of luck together. If things fall as they do, we should be fine."

Racing returns to Maryland after a 10-week break on Saturday when Laurel Park opens for an 11-day meet.

After opening weekend, racing will be held on a Friday through Sunday schedule for three consecutive weeks, with closing day on Aug. 23. First post on each of the Friday cards will be 3:35 p.m. Eastern, with first post at 1:10 for the Saturday and Sunday cards.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Barbara Heads will be a busy person on B.C. Cup Day this Monday at Hastings. Heads is planning on running eight horses, including Trick of the North in the feature race, the $100,000 Classic.

The B.C. Cup program consists of seven stakes and the B.C. Cup Starter.

The idea of B.C. Cup is to promote B.C.-breds. Heads, who celebrated her 51st birthday on Monday, has literally grown up at Hastings. Not surprisingly, she is a strong supporter of anything that will help grow the local industry.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Backtalk assumed the early lead in the 2-year-old colt division with a hard-fought neck victory over Enumerate in Thursday's Grade 2, $150,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.

The top five finishers were separated by 1 1/4 lengths.

The victory was the third in as many starts for Backtalk, a son of Smarty Jones owned by Goldmark Farm and trained by Tom Amoss. The Sanford win came 27 days after Backtalk won the Grade 3 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Perfect Bull should prove a slight favorite when he faces eight Minnesota-bred 3-year-olds in the $60,000 Minnesota Derby on Saturday. The card also includes the $60,000 Minnesota Oaks for statebred 3-year-old fillies.

Perfect Bull didn't produce his best form last year until tried around two turns, winning his maiden at Remington Park in his first attempt at a route distance. Shipped to Tampa with trainer Bernell Rhone, Perfect Bull was ambitiously placed when tried in the Tampa Bay Derby, finishing last after making the early pace.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - There wasn't much tension surrounding the draw for Sunday's Grade 1, $1.25 million Haskell Invitational for 3-year-olds at Monmouth Park.

With one sensational filly, Rachel Alexandra, and six colts entered for the 1 1/8-mile race, nobody would be compromised by their post.

DEL MAR, Calif. - More than four months have passed since Kelly Leak won the Sunland Park Derby, beating eventual Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. It is time for a new milestone. Trading on that accomplishment is growing old.

On Sunday, Kelly Leak finally returns to racing in the $250,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, his first start against older horses. In the Grade 2 San Diego, Kelly Leak will face a field that includes Well Armed, the winner of the $6 million Dubai World Cup in late March. Beating the Dubai World Cup winner would be a true feat.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It is hard not to love a horse like Nineleventurbo, who will be one of the favorites in the fourth race at Hastings on Saturday. The six entrants will be running for a top claiming price of $17,500 in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

An 11-year-old gelding, Nineleventurbo has been a gem of consistency throughout his career. In 68 starts he has compiled an enviable record of 15-11-15 for earnings of $253,492.

Monsoon Rain, who is rolling through Manitoba's older horse division for the second straight year, will be seeking his fourth straight win when he starts in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile R.J. Speers at Assiniboia Downs.

Monsoon Rain, a Kentucky-bred 7-year-old gelding owned by Larry Carter, won the $30,000 Speers last August when trained by Martin Drexler.