Monmouth Park, one of the few tracks in the country to manage an increase in handle in 2008, responded by bumping up the purses for a half-dozen of its major stakes for this season.

"We bucked the national trend in seeing an increase in overall handle last year at Monmouth, and the stakes schedule we're putting forth this year will hopefully allow us to continue that momentum," said Bob Kulina, the track's vice president and general manager, in a statement announcing the 2009 stakes schedule released Monday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The prospective starting lineup for the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28 - a formidable group to begin with - got even stronger after trainer Jimmy Jerkens confirmed he is pointing Quality Road for the one-mile event.

Song of Navarone picked up his third stakes win in a row in Sunday's $50,000 Curribot Handicap at Sunland Park, lowering the track record for 1 1/16 miles in the process. Early pacesetter One Lucky Buck held on stubbornly for the place spot and it was Quiet Again reporting home third.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Tommy Albertrani completed a sweep of the weekend turf stakes at Gulfstream Park, sending out Gozzip Girl to a 2 1/4-length victory over Oilgonewile in Sunday's $125,000 Coconut Grove for 3-year-old fillies. Albertrani won the open division of the same race, the $125,000 Hallandale Beach, the previous afternoon with Duke of Homberg.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Rachel Alexandra enhanced her reputation as one of the nation's top 3-year-old fillies on Sunday, when she waltzed home by eight lengths in the $50,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park. It was her first start since a powerful win in the Grade 2 Golden Rod last November at Churchill Downs, and she covered the one mile in a meet-best time of 1:36.40.

ARCADIA, Calif. - As Life Is Sweet ran down the stretch of Sunday's $200,000 La Canada Stakes, her chances seemed dim to jockey Garrett Gomez. Then, she displayed her brilliance.

Life Is Sweet rallied from last into a slow pace to win the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Magical Fantasy.

The rally stunned, and delighted, Gomez.

"I knew she could lengthen her stride and quicken, but I didn't know if she could lengthen her stride and catch them," he said. "It takes a tremendous filly to do that with the fractions they set."

Valid Stripes continued his strong meet at Retama Park when he tracked the pace en route to a 2 1/2-length win in Saturday night's $125,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile. It was his second stakes win during the current winter season, his first coming in the $50,000 Groovy in December.

Not for Silver stepped up in class and stepped up his game with a very professional-looking 1 1/4-length victory in Sunday's $69,850 Fred "Cappy" Capossela Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.

The victory was Not for Silver's third from as many starts and showed that he might be more than just capable of beating up on Maryland-based horses.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Any Limit avenged her recent setback at the hands of Game Face in the First Lady Handicap when she outgamed that rival through the stretch en route to a 1 1/4-length tally in Sunday's $125,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The victory was the second in the Hurricane Bertie for Any Limit, who also won the Grade 3 event in 2007.

Stalking the early pace under confident handling by Luis Contreras, Stealth Cat kicked clear in the late going to capture Saturday's $50,000 Santa Teresa Handicap at Sunland Park. R Charlie's Angel finished 2 1/2 lengths back in second, followed by Petition the Lady. Highweight Goodbye Norma Jean got caught up in a spirited pace duel early and tired to report home seventh in the 6 1/2-furlong headliner for fillies and mares.