Pinnacle Race Course has requested 71 dates for the 2009 season. A formal hearing to discuss dates for all of Michigan's tracks was scheduled for Thursday in the racing commissioner's office in Lansing. Pinnacle is the first Thoroughbred track in the Detroit metropolitan area since Detroit Race Course closed following the 1998 season.

The favored Rikman ($4.80) engaged pacesetter Shipwatch and 8-5 second choice Unbridled Wisdom in a three-way stretch battle before drawing clear to post a four-length victory in Tuesday night's $75,000 Fall Stakes at Mountaineer Racetrack.

A 6-year-old ridden by Deshawn Parker, the New York-based Rikman has now won 4 of 6 starts since he was claimed for $25,000 in March by trainer Bruce Brown on behalf of Ralph Durante, James Buckley, and Pennston Farm. He ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.58.

Sam Houston Race Park in Houston is scheduled to open its Thoroughbred meet Nov. 28, but with damage from Hurricane Ike worse than first thought, the season could be in jeopardy. Officials said high winds have left significant damage to the grandstand roof, as well as structural damage to some barns.

"We're going to do everything possible that we can do to run, but we have not made a decision," said Andrea Young, chief operating officer of Sam Houston.

The meet is scheduled to end April 4.

Despite flawless weather and a sensational three days of racing, Keeneland Race Course reported substantial business declines for the opening weekend of its 17-day fall meet.

Combined ontrack handle at the Lexington, Ky., track was $5,225,476, down more than 11 percent from corresponding figures for the 2007 meet, while all-sources handle of $25.9 million was down 18 percent. Ontrack attendance of 47,179 was down more than 10 percent.

When the Big Fresno Fair made adjustments in its stakes schedule for this year, there were some concerns over what would happen. The adjustment for Friday’s $50,000 Harvest Futurity seems to have worked out fine.

The six-furlong race was formerly an open race for 2-year-olds. This year’s version is for 2-year-old California-bred fillies, and the race attracted eight entrants, five of them based in Southern California.

MIAMI – Big Drama will be the center of attention here a week from Saturday when he attempts to complete a sweep of the open division of the Florida Stallion Stakes, the main event on what figures to be an outstanding 17th edition of Calder’s Festival of the Sun.

MIAMI - The final decision has been made and travel arrangements are set for Smooth Air, who will compete in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 25 if he qualifies for a starting berth in the 14-horse field.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Trainer Tom Proctor and jockey Jamie Theriot teamed to win the richest race of the 2007 Keeneland fall meet with Purim, who captured the Grade 1, $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile as a 20-1 outsider.

Proctor and Theriot will be looking for something similar when they get together Saturday at Keeneland with Closeout, a stretch-running filly who figures as one of the middle wagering choices in another Grade 1 turf event, the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - They were only morning workouts, but trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. was so pleased with what he saw from several of his Breeders' Cup hopefuls Tuesday at Aqueduct, he felt like doing a little celebrating.

For trainer Steven Duke, a gut feeling has turned $2,500 into $500,000.

The $2,500 is what he paid for Dreamsandvisions, who improved his career earnings to $501,371 Saturday night when he shipped from his Louisiana Downs base and scored an upset in the $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame at Retama Park.

Duke purchased Dreamsandvisions as a 2-year-old. The horse is now 6.