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.

Queen of Song registered a dominant victory in the $48,500 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, pulling away to win by five widening lengths on a muddy, sealed track.

Step Out Smartly launched a torrid rally down the center of the Polytrack and went on to post a 1 1/4-length victory over Lady's Laughter in the $50,000 Gowell Stakes at Turfway Park.

The comfort of facing California-bred females helped Bai and Bai end a three-race losing streak in Saturday's $77,225 Cat's Cradle Handicap at Hollywood Park.

The win may have come in Bai and Bai's second-to-last career start. Trainer Craig Dollase said earlier in the week that Bai and Bai would be bred in early 2009 and may have one more start in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff at Santa Anita on Jan. 24.

NEW ORLEANS - Steve Asmussen has been sending his horses to rating school, and two of his star pupils showed the results of their lessons in stakes racing Saturday at the Fair Grounds, with Jimmy Simms taking the Woodchoper and Storm Treasure winning the Bonapaw.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Jamie Sanders snuck up on the big guys when she burst on the national scene at Saratoga in 2006 with a promising colt named Teuflesberg. Teuflesberg went on to capture five races during his career, including the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, and ran in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

This winter, the folks at the Sanders barn are hoping they have another top prospect on their hands in a rapidly maturing Medaglia d'Oro colt named Medaglia d'Onore.

Proud Tower Too indicated his readiness to return from a nearly two-year layoff on Friday morning with a major six-furlong work at his Sunland Park base. Trainer Sal Gonzalez said he would love to see Proud Tower Too, the 2006 winner of the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, make another appearance in the Golden Shaheen this coming March. The first step could come in the next three weeks, in an overnight race at Sunland.

NEW ORLEANS - Thursday's sixth race, a first-level allowance for 2-year-olds going a mile, had the potential to produce runners for the upcoming 3-year-old stakes at Fair Grounds. It resulted in a beaten favorite, a last-minute scratch, and, surprise, Steve Asmussen standing in the winner's circle.

Asmussen's trainee, Uno Mas, rated in third until the turn, then took over from favorite Friesan Fire. Uno Mas finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of Friesan Fire, who finished 11 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Escalon.

Gulfstream Park has asked Florida's supreme court to enforce an earlier ruling that the Seminole tribe cannot offer table games at its seven casinos in the state.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Gayego, winner of the Arkansas Derby in April who set a track record for 6 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on Nov. 30, has been privately bought by trainer A.C. Avila, according to Avila and the colt's former trainer, Paulo Lobo.

Avila declined to reveal the purchase price. The deal was finalized earlier this month.