ELMONT, N.Y. - On Saturday, about an hour before Rachel Alexandra, the most heralded 3-year-old filly in the country, is scheduled to take on males in the Preakness, Seattle Smooth, arguably among the most underappreciated older females in training, will be running in the Grade 2 Shuvee at Belmont Park.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sunday's Grade 3 Hendrie here at Woodbine was a success on two counts for trainer Josie Carroll.

Smart Surprise, a Kentucky-bred 5-year-old trained by Carroll, already had proven herself in open company but became a graded stakes winner as the 2-1 favorite in the $158,600 Hendrie, a 6 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares.

The Carroll-trained Authenicat, an Ontario-sired 4-year-old who had experienced almost all of her success in restricted races, was a good third at 12-1.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - More than four months into the year, there is no clarity in the older horse division in California.

The results of Saturday's Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap added to the mess when Ball Four, an 8-year-old gelding, won the third stakes of his career, upsetting the heavily favored and previously unbeaten Rail Trip. Ball Four ($34) led throughout the 1 1/16 miles under Joe Talamo and won by 1 1/4 lengths over Rail Trip, who was making his graded stakes debut and his sixth career start.

ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Greg Gilchrist was a happy camper last week. He had entered his talented sprinter High Resolve in the $75,000 Raise Your Skirts Stakes for Saturday, and the timing was perfect as prep for the Grade 1, $350,000 Princess Rooney at the Summit of Speed at Calder on July 11.

Although High Resolve is based at Golden Gate, she had never run there. She still hasn't.

High Resolve was the only entrant in the Raise Your Skirts, and the race was canceled.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Solid favorites won both of the stakes races that were held at Hastings last weekend.

What R the Odds paid $5 for her win over Dandy Dora in the $51,066 Emerald Downs Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday. Breaking alertly with leading rider Fernado Perez aboard, What R the Odds stalked Dandy Dora for the first half-mile, and then took control of the race going around the second turn. Final time for the 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:17.81.

The Quarter Horse Snowbound Superstar ($3) won his 14th consecutive race Sunday when he edged Gone to the Mountain by a neck in the $37,620 Red Cell Distance Challenge at Remington Park. Both horses were perfect at the 870-yard distance of the race heading into the stakes. Also on the card, Illegal Memories ($4.40) dominated by a length in the Grade 1, $104,760 Oklahoma Challenge Championship at 440-yards. The winners of both stakes earned berths to the rich Challenge Championship program at Los Alamitos in October.

Distinguish ($4.40) fought for a half-length win over Marq French in the $50,000 Route 66 Stakes at Will Rogers Downs on Saturday. The six-furlong stakes was one of two rescheduled stakes on the card after heavy rains forced the cancellation of racing at the Claremore, Okla., track on May 2. In the $50,000 Wilma Mankiller for fillies and mares at st six furlongs, Miranda Diane ($4) drew out o a six-length win. Both horses were favorites on Saturday.

By Brad Free

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Witty is versatile, and Carlsbad was not. That was the difference Sunday at Hollywood Park, where Witty stayed unbeaten after three starts with a perfect-trip victory over previously undefeated Carlsbad in the Grade 3 Railbird Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

The seven-furlong race was the first graded stakes for Witty ($4.80), whose willingness to rate behind a suicidal pace led to the 1 1/2-length victory over Carlsbad. Will O Way finished a head back in third. The final time was a respectable 1:21.74.

LINCOLN, Neb. - Apple Crumble overcame traffic on the final turn and a stewards' inquiry to post an impressive 4 3/4-length win over five others in the $16,080 Princess Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Lincoln on Sunday afternoon.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Churchill Downs officials intend to ask the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday to allow the track to reduce the racing schedule at its current spring meet from five to four days per week as a result of chronic short fields resulting from an insufficient number of entries.

Churchill will ask the commission at its regularly scheduled meeting in Lexington for permission to drop Wednesdays from the schedule, leaving a Thursday-through-Sunday race week through the end of the meet, July 5. The change could become effective as early as May 20.