Hawthorne Race Course's bid to acquire an open Illinois casino license has been rejected by the Illinois Gaming Board, which named three other bidders as finalists for the license after a special meeting last Friday.

STICKNEY, Ill. – Sure, there were heavy lake-effect snows around the eastern side of Lake Michigan this week, and the mercury is supposed to be stuck in 40-and-under mode, well, indefinitely here in Chicago. But don’t tell that to Hawthorne, which gamely continues carding races on its grass course. In fact, the featured fourth race on Wednesday, a second-level turf-sprint allowance, came up a decent race.

Jerry McClenin, a 51-year-old printing press operator from Staten Island, N.Y., won Aqueduct’s Fall Handicapping Challenge, defeating a field of more than 200 rival horseplayers during the Saturday and Sunday event and taking down the top prize of $35,000.

McClenin finished with a mythical bankroll of $1,091, and edged out Thomas Mooney, who earned $10,000 for finishing second as well as a $1,000 bonus for being the leader after the first day of the two-day contest.

Ken Seeman finished in third.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Krazy Koffee was named British Columbia horse of the year at the annual industry awards dinner held Saturday evening.

Krazy Koffee dominated the 3-year-old division at Hastings in 2008. Trained by Cindy Krasner, Krazy Koffee won four straight stakes, including the Grade 3 B.C. Derby.

Krazy Koffee, who was bred by his owner, Butch Goertzen, also earned awards as the B.C.-bred horse of the year, B.C.-bred 3-year-old and open division.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - One week prior to last Sunday's $250,000 Coronation Futurity, trainer Mark Casse was not planning to enter either Active Duty or Gallant in the 1 1/8-mile race for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds.

Both were maidens but had made their most recent appearances in the Cup and Saucer, which was run at 1o1/16 miles of yielding turf, with Active Duty finishing sixth and Gallant fourth in a race that Utterly Cool won by 10 1/4 lengths for trainer Sid Attard.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer John Sadler describes Cost of Freedom as a "very unique horse, a different horse." State veterinarians have described Cost of Freedom as unsound and placed the Grade 1 winner on the state's official list of horses unable to race.

ALBANY, Calif. - Stakes racing returns to Golden Gate Fields on Saturday with the $75,000 Sausalito, the first stakes at the track in a month. But it won't be the best race of the week here.

Friday's card includes two stakes-caliber allowances. One is an open 1 1/16-mile race on turf and the other a one-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

The open race has attracted Artiste Royal, who has not run since winning the Grade 1 Charlie Whittingham at Hollywood Park on June 7. The 7-year-old Artiste Royal also won the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch in 2007.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - No one can reasonably argue that Michael Wrona is not an immensely talented race-caller. Wrona is the entire package - uncannily accurate while laugh-out-loud entertaining at once.

During his six-day race-calling stint that ended Sunday at Churchill Downs, Wrona reaffirmed his reputation as one of the best callers in North America. With his clipped and distinct Australian accent, Wrona, 42, had the good fortune of calling a major milestone on his first day, Nov. 11, when Julien Leparoux rode a Churchill record-tying seven winners.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When Einstein ran second in the Stephen Foster Handicap and Firecracker Handicap last spring at Churchill Downs, the horse competed under the names of Patricia Cunningham and Melissa Green, who were listed as lessors from the owners, the Midnight Cry Stable.

Trainer Helen Pitts has told Churchill racing officials she is considering a run for Einstein in the annual fall-meet highlight, the Grade 2 Clark Handicap on Nov. 28, but if Einstein is to make the race, his connections will have to do some legal maneuvering.

Lee’s Spirit could make his next start in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf next month at Fair Grounds, and if he does, he will go into the race on a roll. He picked up his third consecutive stakes win Saturday night at Retama Park, when he closed well for a 2 1/2-length score over Acting Zippy in the $50,000 No Le Hace.