LOUISVILLE, Ky. - This reporter happened to be in the cramped press box of the old Bowie Race Course in Maryland on a June weekday in 1985 when 18-year-old Larry Collmus stepped into the announcer's booth to call a race for the first time.

"My binoculars were shaking," Collmus recalled last week at Churchill Downs, where he was the fourth of five men to audition for the open race-calling position. Tiara's Flame, with Alberto Delgado riding for King Leatherbury, was the winner of that Bowie race.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Smart Surprise ($15.20) caught Saskawea at the sixteenth pole and edged away to take the $169,000 Bessarabian Stakes on Sunday at Woodbine.

Saskawea tracked front-runner Marina Ballerina through splits of 22.82 and 45.07 before taking control early in the stretch of the seven-furlong sprint. Smart Surprise commenced an inside rally from midpack on the turn, and closed strongly in the stretch to prevail by a half-length in 1:22.14.

INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Hollywood Park cut overnight purses 5 percent, effective Wednesday, citing poor business caused by poor economic conditions.

In a two-paragraph statement, track officials said that if a month-long dispute over account wagering revenue had not been resolved last Friday that the cuts would have been more severe.

The latest cut is essentially the third time this fall that the track has reduced purses. Before the meeting began on Oct. 29, overnight purses were reduced by approximately 7 percent in anticipation of slow handle.

Curlin, the highest earner in North American racing history and the reigning Horse of the Year, will be paraded before the racing public for the final time Saturday when Churchill Downs closes its 26-day meet.

Curlin will be walked onto the main track between the fifth and sixth races at about 1:35 p.m. Eastern. A brief tribute in the winner's circle will follow.

Siren Lure snapped a 12-race losing streak by winning the $75,000 Sausalito Stakes on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields. Siren Lure rallied under Frank Alvarado to catch 2-5 favorite Indyanne, a filly facing males, and draw off by 1 1/4 lengths.

Siren Lure ($12.60) covered the six furlongs on Tapeta in 1:09.40.

The victory was the first in a stakes for Steve Sherman, who went out on his own this year aftern having served as assistant to his father, Art.

Siren Lure, a Grade 1 winner, had not won since taking the Pat O'Brien Handicap at Del Mar in August 2006.

INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Jack o' Lantern, making his first start in a non-claiming race, pulled a 19-1 upset in Sunday's $103,700 Hollywood Prevue Stakes for 2-year-olds at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Isaias Enriquez, Jack o' Lantern ($41.80) had a perfect trip. He stalked the pacesetters while racing on the rail on the backstretch and turn before sneaking through along the rail in the stretch to take the lead near the eighth pole. Jack o' Lantern held off a late run from Azul Leon to win by a half-length. Jack o' Lantern ran seven furlongs in 1:21.89.

INGLEWOOD, Calif.-The holiday racing week at Hollywood Park will begin on Wednesday with a pick six carryover of $128,073.

An upset win by Jack o’ Lantern at 19-1 in Sunday’s Hollywood Prevue Stakes clinched the carryover.

The pick six on Wednesday covers the third through eighth races on an eight-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. The pick six races include four sprints, one of which is on turf, and two routes.

Part of the deal was that Foreign Production won the $60,000 Old Hickory Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds, but Foreign Production's sharp score also probably produced a strong favorite for the Dec. 13 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile. We might well take things even one step farther: Since his tough-trip fifth first time out, no horse has gotten near Foreign Production in three races, and the colt looks like a pretty nice 2-year-old.

Making good use of his inside post position, Wishful Tomcat grabbed the early lead and turned back a late bid from That'srightofficer in Saturday's $110,100 Discovery Handicap, as New York-breds finished one-two in the Grade 3 event for 3-year-olds.

MIAMI – How's Your Halo, who had not won a race since July of 2007, showed a new dimension by running on the lead throughout to register a 3 1/4-length victory over the 6-5 Golden Spikes in Saturday's $55,000 Radar Love Stakes at Calder.

How's Your Halo, owned and trained by Brian Prichard, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.42 over a fast track and paid $14.