NEW ORLEANS - Number two packs a hell of a punch, too.

There has been the perception that Friesan Fire is the understudy to Old Fashioned in trainer Larry Jones's barn, but, in truth, the only reason they haven't faced one another is that there's no need to until the Kentucky Derby. While Old Fashioned was the more precocious of the two, Friesan Fire has developed in an assured, steady fashion this winter, and on Saturday at Fair Grounds, he ran the best race of his career, turning what appeared to be a wide-open Louisiana Derby into a tour de force.

NEW ORLEANS - Rachel Alexandra strengthened her status as the top filly in the Midwest as she turned in a dominating wire-to-wire effort to win the Grade 3, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks. Rachel Alexandra was three lengths clear in the stretch when jockey Calvin Borel began to wrap up on her at the sixteenth pole, and he began to celebrate with 40 yards to go.

STICKNEY, Ill. Nothing new here trainer Roger Brueggemann s horses at Hawthorne Race Course have come off the winter break ready to roll.

Brueggemann was live in the Hula Chief Stakes on Saturday at Hawthorne with Lissa s Star, and has one-third of a six-horse field entered in Monday s featured third race at Hawthorne.

Monday s third is one of two allowance races, one for open competition, the other for Illinois-breds, that highlight Monday s nine-race program, which like Sunday drew an unfortunate number of short fields.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - The sheer strength in numbers of the powerful Jamie Ness stable is beginning to take over in the Tampa Bay Downs training race, as Ness has opened an 11-win lead over his nearest rival, Kirk Ziadie.

Ness had sent out 46 winners through March 13. While both he and Ziadie are winning at a 32-percent clip, Ness has started 144 runners at the meet to 108 for Ziadie.

Gerry Bennett and Greg Griffith are tied for third in the standings with 21 wins each.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Saturday's 10-race program at Santa Anita features a two-day pick six carryover of $370,573.

The bet proved too difficult on Friday when a string of short-priced favorites were beaten, including 4-5 Modern Look in the Moscow Burning Stakes. She could only finish second to Dawn After Dawn ($12.40).

Saturday's pick six covers the fifth through 10th races on a program that begins at 12:30 p.m. the first race of the pick six begins at approximately 2:38 p.m.

NEW ORLEANS - Entering the final three weekends of racing at Fair Grounds, Robby Albarado has opened a narrow lead in the jockey standings, leaving himself well-positioned to win his seventh riding title.

After riding three winners on Thursday, as second-place rider Jamie Theriot failed to win any, Albarado had 74 wins from 314 mounts, four more than Theriot, who won the title last year.

"It would be a big accomplishment to win," said Albarado. "But my focus is on riding the big and fast horses."

ARCADIA, Calif. - Time may be running out for Garrett Gomez to break the single-season record for stakes wins at a Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.

Through Thursday, Gomez had 15 stakes wins since the meeting started on Dec. 26. The record of 19 is shared by Laffit Pincay Jr. (1982-83) and Corey Nakatani (1996-1997).

Even though Gomez needs only four more to tie that mark before the meeting ends on April 19, his schedule will result in conflicts. Over the next two weekends, Gomez has stakes engagements out of town.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Proud Spell was a victim of a slow pace Thursday at Oaklawn Park. The champion 3-year-old filly of 2008, Proud Spell finished second to wire-to-wire winner Superior Storm in what was her first start of the year, but has emerged from the race in good order and remains on course for the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap here April 4, her trainer, Larry Jones, said on Friday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Beattie is pointing standout sprinter Fabulous Strike toward the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, the top event on the Wood Memorial undercard at Aqueduct.

The seven-furlong Carter on April 4 will likely include several runners from the Big A's Grade 3 Toboggan Handicap on March 7. The winner, Ah Day, runner-up Eternal Star, and fourth-place finisher Lucky Island are among the horses possible for the $300,000 Carter.

The presence of Fabulous Strike, winner of the Grade 1 Vosburgh in 2007, adds depth and quality to the Carter lineup.

STICKNEY, Ill. - Wayne Catalano is back in town - or, at least a few horses that he trains are. Catalano-trained horses were entered in two Hawthorne races Sunday, his first two starters of the new racing season in Chicago.

Catalano, himself, remains at Gulfstream Park, still assembling a stable after parting ways with major owner Frank Calabrese this winter. The Catalano-Calabrese partnership has come and gone several times through the years, but Catalano once again has no Calabrese horses and has spent the last several weeks putting his operation together from square one.