ARCADIA, Calif. - It rained twice last week at Santa Anita, fairly hard on one of the days, and the rain returned on Monday morning, with more forecast for the middle of this week. Yet with opening day Friday just around the corner, training proceeded uninterrupted.

The synthetic Pro-Ride surface installed over the summer seems to be doing what it is supposed to do, unlike the Cushion Track surface that turned into mush at Santa Anita a year ago.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park ended its 40-day autumn meeting on Sunday with the expected declines in attendance and handle.

According to figures released by the track, all-sources average handle on Hollywood races, including ontrack, satellite, and account-wagering sources, was $8,951,903, a drop of 18.3 percent from last year's meet. All categories showed double-digit declines. Ontrack average handle was $1,056,996, a drop of 21 percent; account wagering fell 22.8 percent, to $1,354,647; and out-of-state simulcasting fell 21 percent.

One of them won the Travers Stakes. Another won the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic in a dramatic upset. Yet another is by one of the most storied racehorses to campaign in the last 35 years.

Whether it's Ten Most Wanted, McCann's Mojave, Council Member, or one of the other 10 new stallions, California breeders have a wide range of choices among first-year stallions and those that have relocated from other states for the upcoming breeding season.

Here is a glance at those stallions.

First-year stallions

MIAMI - Nominations are out for the eight Sunshine Millions races to be held simultaneously at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita on Jan. 24. And while the big day is still a month away, some trainers are already looking ahead, including Bobby Dibona, whose Actin Good is one of the 43 horses nominated for the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream.

PHOENIX - Surely by the far turn owner Dennis Weir and trainer Kevin Lewis knew they'd be posing for pictures after the $50,000 Cactus Wren Handicap at Turf Paradise Saturday. It was just a matter of whether it would be with even-money favorite White Spar or 8-5 second choice El Mirage.

Merus Miami ($15.60) remained undefeated, rallying from last to capture the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Merus Miami settled into a nice stalking position early before dropping back to last down the backstretch in the one-mile race for 2-year-olds. When jockey Alex Bisono asked the son of Friends Lake to move up on the second turn, he was forced five wide. But he was clear and had momentum, rolling past favored Cut the Check and Adriatic Moon, who had taken the lead at the eighth pole.

INGLEWOOD, Calif.-Vacare gave trainer Christophe Clement the 1,000th winner of his career in Sunday's $150,000 Dahlia Handicap at Hollywood Park. This victory was one he was allowed to keep.

Clement thought he had scored his 1,000th win at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday with La Hernanda, but the horse was disqualified for causing interference.

Vacare made no such mistakes. Ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., Vacare ($3.60) rallied from fourth in the final quarter-mile to catch Gotta Have Her in the final sixteenth and win by a length.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It's a long way from the CashCall Futurity to the Kentucky Derby, but the road there looked a little shorter for Pioneerof the Nile following his hard-fought victory over I Want Revenge in the Grade 1, $750,000 Cash Call Futurity on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Pioneerof the Nile ($4.80), the favorite, prevailed by a nose over I Want Revenge in the 1 1/16-mile race, but it was the prospect of what he had done to date, and what the future holds, that had his connections so excited after the race.

Turfway Park canceled its nine-race card for Sunday, citing the probability of strong winds and single-digit wind-chill temperatures in the greater Cincinnati area.

The 12-race Saturday card was run in its entirety and without incident. With the Christmas holiday interrupting the regular schedule, racing will resume Friday, with first post set for 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Last-start 2-year-old maiden winner Leigh McLovin successfully made the jump into stakes competition as she was favored to do Saturday, winning the Letellier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday's five-stakes racing program in New Orleans. But things did not come as easily for last-start maiden winner It Happened Again, who was never a factor as the mild favorite in the $60,000 Sugar Bowl for 2-year-old males, a race in which Ask Joe gave trainer Steve Klesaris his first win of the Fair Grounds meeting.