Big City Man, who parlayed a pair of 2007 stakes victories at Calder with a win at Nad Al Sheba two weeks ago, captured the Group 3, $200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint on Thursday, establishing himself as the local favorite for the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 28.

Ridden by Jose Verenzuela, Big City Man sat just behind the leaders before taking command at the five-sixteeenths pole and was not hard used in holding off last year's Golden Shaheen third-place finisher Star Crowned by three-quarters of a length. It was another 6 1/4 lengths farther back to Diana's Choice.

PHOENIX - Most of the best sprinters on the grounds will knock heads in Saturday's $50,000 G Malleah Handicap at Turf Paradise. The six-furlong event lured a field of 11, and serves as the traditional prep for the meet's marquee event, the $100,000 Phoenix Gold Cup Feb. 14.

Ducky Drake is the morning-line favorite at a tepid 3-1, but the horse to beat may be the White Spar. Generally recognized as the top 3-year-old sprinter on the circuit last year, White Spar looks ready to establish himself the best local sprinter of any age.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Square Eddie, second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in October and the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita last Saturday, will make his first start on a conventional dirt track in the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 16.

In seven starts in England and the United States, Square Eddie has started on turf and synthetic tracks. Owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O'Neill said last fall that they intended to start Square Eddie at least once on a conventional dirt track in the buildup to this year's Kentucky Derby.

Lecomte Stakes second-place finisher Patena worked five furlongs Wednesday at Fair Grounds and remains on course for the Risen Star Stakes there on Feb. 7. Third-place Lecomte finisher Au Moon hasn't worked back yet, but is galloping along nicely and remains on track for the Risen Star. But the Risen Star is probably not in the cards for another Fair Grounds-based 3-year-old with talent, Flying Pegasus, who might wind up making his 2009 debut at Oaklawn Park in the Feb. 16 Southwest Stakes, which is coming together with a surprisingly deep early-season field.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The next time Taqarub runs, jockey Alan Garcia won't have to catch a plane to ride him.

Coming off a dominant 8 1/4-length win in Monday's Jimmy Winkfield Stakes over Aqueduct's inner track, Taqarub earned a trip to south Florida where he will make his next start in the $250,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 28. This year, the Fountain of Youth has been shortened from 1 1/8 miles to a one-turn mile.

"I think it hits us right between the eyes,'' trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said by phone from south Florida.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Silver City was one of a trio of 3-year-olds who put themselves in the picture for next month's Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest with impressive opening-weekend wins at Oaklawn. Others emerging as candidates for the one-mile race here Feb. 16 were Flat Out, who dominated the $50,000 Smarty Jones on Monday, and Poltergeist, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95 for a first-level allowance romp Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The temperature struggled to crawl above 40 and the wind chill made it feel half that during training hours on Wednesday. It was easily the coldest morning of this winter and one of the coldest in recent memory.

But the brisk conditions did not deter hearty New Yorkers like John Kimmel and Barclay Tagg from sending out their top 3-year-old prospects, Break Water Edison and Hello Broadway, for their final serious workouts in preparation for the Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes here a week from Friday.

Jockey Jake Barton had his 2,000th Thoroughbred winner when he rode the favored Song of Pirates ($3.40) to victory in the third race at Turf Paradise Tuesday.

Barton, 42, began his career at age 16, riding the bush tracks in New Mexico. From there he moved to Turf Paradise. He has also ridden in Northern California, at Assiniboia Downs, Hastings Park, Northlands Park and Stampede Park though the bulk of his work in recent years has been split between Turf Paradise and recently Woodbine, where he moved full-time in 2001.

The Fort Erie, Ontario, Economic Development and Tourism Corporation has made a $35 million offer to purchase Fort Erie Race Track in Ontario from the track's owner, the Nordic Gaming Corporation, and its parent corporation, the Israeli-based El-Ad Group.

Preliminary discussions on the sale between the two parties have already taken place.

Steve Sexton, the president of Churchill Downs and an executive vice president of the track's parent company, will head up a new subsidiary at Churchill Downs Inc. that will focus on new racing events, concerts, and "other concepts" for its four racetracks, the company said on Monday.

Sexton's appointment leaves the presidency of Churchill Downs open. In a release, Churchill said it has begun an executive search to fill the position.