Whistle Pig grabbed his fourth stakes victory of 2008 on Saturday after he flew up the rail in the $75,000 Yankee Affair at Philadelphia Park, catching pacesetter Night Stand in the final strides to win by a neck.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - In three weeks, Criticism made up for a lost 10 months.

Making the step forward her connections were hoping for from her runner-up performance in last month's Athenia Handicap, Criticism took over in upper stretch from pacesetting Sunshine for Life and cruised to a one-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct.

J'ray, well back early, rallied for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Astrologie, part of the 3-2 favored European entry trained by Andre Fabre.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A little later than hoped, Pamona Ball has emerged as a promising 2-year-old filly.

After losing her first two starts at Del Mar, Pamona Ball won her second straight in Saturday's $107,700 Sharp Cat Stakes at Hollywood Park. Pamona Ball was making her stakes debut in the Sharp Cat.

"I was hoping she could be ready for the Breeders' Cup," trainer Eoin Harty said. "She was unlucky at Del Mar when I ran her there twice, and we're playing catch-up now."

Lee Spurlock, a longtime trainer at River Downs, Turfway Park, and Beulah Park, died Wednesday at age 75 while undergoing heart surgery at Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati. A viewing will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday at Tufts-Schildemeyer Funeral Home in Milford, Ohio, with a funeral scheduled for 11 a.m Tuesday.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The past year at Hastings has to be viewed as a year of transition where the local industry took a big step forward to get back on stable ground.

Following years of decline, it appears that the bottom was reached in 2007 and horsemen can look forward to better things in the next few years.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Marsh Side, the upset winner of the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine last month, will make his next start in the Group 1 Japan Cup at Tokyo Race Course on Nov. 30, trainer Neil Drysdale said on Friday.

Marsh Side's victory in the $2 million Canadian International on Oct. 4 was part of the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In program for the BC Turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 25, but Drysdale said the additional time to the Japan Cup made it more attractive than the Breeders' Cup.

Orphan Brigade has two key factors in his favor Sunday when he starts in the $55,000 Lea County Stakes at Zia Park. One, he draws a more tactical post than he did in his previous start. He also drops in class after finishing fifth from the rail in the $150,000 Premier Breeders' Cup here. For the Lea County, Orphan Brigade gets gate No. 6.

"I think he did draw a favorable post," said Bret Calhoun, who trains Orphan Brigade for Carl Moore. "I like the field we're in with, and I like the post position draw."

STICKNEY, Ill. - The wins are piling up for the Wayne Catalano barn this week. He was 4 for 4 at Hawthorne on Wednesday and Thursday, with another victory at Churchill Downs, giving him five in a row.

But we're talking claiming wins here, and the overall quality of the Catalano stable has dropped considerably in recent weeks. Dreaming of Anna was retired after the First Lady Stakes at Keeneland, and her older brother Lewis Michael went off to stud following a disappointing performance in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.

MIAMI - Smooth Air, who concluded his successful 3-year-old campaign with a seventh-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, boarded a van from Calder bound for Ocala, Fla., on Friday morning and a month of rest and relaxation on the farm.

Trainer Benny Stutts Jr. confirmed that Smooth Air will race again as a 4-year-old, with his return likely to come in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park in late January.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Kevin Attard had a Sovereign Award winner in each of his first two years as private trainer for Knob Hill Stable. Leonnatus Anteas was the champion 2-year-old male in 2006, and Alezzandro picked up the torch last year by edging his stablemate for the 3-year-old male title.

And, while the championship bubble burst this season, Attard still had a pair of stakes winners in Nicki Knew and Bucephalus.

"Heading in, I thought we had some strong possibilities," said Attard, who will turn 33 next month. "But, it was just kind of one of those years."