Dream Rush kept her record at Tampa Bay Downs perfect when she opened a comfortable lead a furlong out, then had enough left to turn back a furious late charge by Rising Fever to post a neck win in the $65,000 Minaret Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A huge crowd that exceeded expectations was treated to a huge performance by a 3-year-old who ran exactly the way his trainer predicted as Gulfstream Park's 2009 meeting got off to a rousing start Saturday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Haynesfield may not have been as visually impressive as he was when he romped to victory in last month's Damon Runyon Stakes, but there were still some things to like about the 3-year-old colt's 3 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $68,460 Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - After 11 days of racing at Tampa Bay Downs, through Friday, trainer Jamie Ness had four wins, which put him just one from the lead in the trainer standings. But the common comment heard among horseplayers thus far this season has been, "What's wrong with the Jamie Ness outfit?"

NEW ORLEANS - The first big 3-year-old stakes of the Fair Grounds meet are set for this coming Saturday, and trainers are evaluating if their horses fit the competition.

The Grade 3 Lecomte, the traditional prep for the Feb. 7 Risen Star, tops the six stakes on the card and is shaping up as a seven- or eight-horse event, with many of the best 3-year-olds on the grounds expected.

The likely favorite for the one-mile Lecomte is the Josie Carroll-trained Patena, who enters off two straight wins, including the Display Stakes at Woodbine on Dec. 6.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Victorina failed to overcome trouble in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields in November, settling for second in a one-mile turf race.

The opposite occurred in Friday's $80,900 Paseana Handicap at Santa Anita. Jockey Rafael Bejarano took a patient approach while guiding Victorina through traffic on the turn, waiting for running room before guiding the 6-year-old mare to a clear path. Victorina ($5) pulled clear in the final furlong to win the Paseana by 2 1/4 lengths for her 13th victory in 24 starts. She ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.92.

In Thursday's ninth race, the 8-year-old Lord of the Game made his comeback and played the role of rabbit for 10-year-old King of Speed, who won the one-mile allowance by 3 3/4 lengths.

It was his first race in more than three years for Lord of the Game, who set the pace before fading and finishing seven lengths back in sixth place.

Most importantly, however, he seems to have emerged from the race with no issues relating to the tendon problems that had sent him to the sidelines.

Daily averages at the 2008 holiday meet that ended Wednesday at Turfway Park were up slightly over corresponding numbers from the previous year, although gross figures were down substantially because of fewer racing dates.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Aqueduct is still waiting for its first pick-six winner of 2009.

The wager went unhit for the second straight card Thursday, resulting in a two-day pick-six carryover of $118,035 entering Saturday's card, which is headlined by the $65,000 Count Fleet Stakes for 3-year-olds. The Count Fleet is the fifth leg of the sequence.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Garrett Gomez had another milestone season in 2008, leading the nation's jockeys in earnings with $23,344,351. Had he won just one more race with a purse of $20,000 or more, Gomez would have toppled Jerry Bailey's 2003 single-season North American earnings record of $23,354,960. He finished the year just $10,609 short of the record.