BOSSIER CITY, La. The first real test for this year s crop of Louisiana 2-year-olds was held last Saturday at Evangeline Downs in the two divisions of the D.S. Shine Young Futurity, and the results are encouraging. The next stop for many of those same youngsters will be at Louisiana Downs for Louisiana Cup Day on Aug. 1.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ginger Brew is back in town and will make her local seasonal bow in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Dance Smartly, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

"She looks great," said Brian Lynch, who was here to greet Ginger Brew when she stepped off the van from Belmont early Wednesday morning. "She always looks good."

Ginger Brew has been with Bobby Frankel's New York stable and will run in his name Saturday before rejoining Lynch's division here.

MIAMI - There is no question trainer Michelle Lovell's 3-year-old fillies Going to the Sun and Time Well Spent belong in the starting gate for Saturday's Grade 3 Azalea Stakes. It's getting them there that has been the problem.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Marsh Side may reside in Southern California, but when it's time to get down to business, he's a New Yorker at heart.

Marsh Side arrived here Wednesday afternoon for the second of three scheduled visits to the Empire State when he runs in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park. Marsh Side is one of six Grade 1 winners among the nine horses entered to run 1 3/8 miles over Belmont's inner turf.

When Ellis Park opens Saturday for its 86th meet, it will lack its customary race dates - trimmed from last year's 48 days of racing to 23 - but at least for opening day it won't be lacking entries.

A total of 112 horses were entered Wednesday for Saturday's nine-race card - although 11 of those entrants are on also-eligible lists. Six races drew full fields of 12, and the shortest race on the card, the second, drew eight runners.

Woodbine Entertainment Group announced Wednesday that for the time being it will stop seeding its Sunday pick-six pool.

Woodbine had been putting $150,000 into the pick six each of the last three Sundays. The wager was paid out each of those days, returning $203,499 on June 21, $153,844 on June 28, and $46,983 on July 5.

For the time being, the pick six will be offered Sundays without any pool guarantee.

Sean Pinsonneault, Woodbine's vice president of wagering services, said Woodbine might bring the promotion back later this year.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - One is an undefeated champion. One is a Grade 1 winner preparing to take on males. Another is a multiple stakes winner with further promise.

Taken individually, Zenyatta, Life Is Sweet, or Zardana would be the star of just about any stable in the nation. Together, they give trainer John Shirreffs a formidable team for the second half of 2009.

"I'm very fortunate," he said.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - A second consecutive win in the United Nations Stakes last weekend gave Presious Passion another pass into the Breeders' Cup.

This time, it looks like he will accept the invitation.

The U.N. was a Win and You're In stakes, ensuring Presious Passion a spot in the BC Turf at Santa Anita.

Presious Passion's camp decided to pass on the California trip last year, feeling the trip would be too taxing at the end of a demanding campaign.

Shane Sellers's career has come full circle. The controversial and often outspoken Louisiana native won his first sanctioned race at age 16 at the old Evangeline Downs back in 1983, and last week marked a successful return after a 4 1/2-year hiatus at the new Evangeline with a win in his first mount back.

While that makes for a tidy story, Sellers cites an incident 2 1/2 ago as more profound and basic to his roots and the mystique of racing in Cajun country.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Owner-trainer Juan Olmos will be well-represented in the two stakes races for 2-year-olds at Hastings this weekend. On Saturday, Olmos will enter Escuinapa and La Noria in the $50,000 Boulevard Casino for 2-year-old fillies. Sunday, Olmos has three horses for the $50,000 River Rock Resort for colts and geldings.

Both stakes are named after casinos owned by Great Canadian Gaming Corp., the parent company of Hastings.