VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The fun and games of the annual fair that takes place on the same site as Hastings is just about over, and that means it is time to get serious about horse racing. Next weekend features four stakes races, all of which are shaping up to be excellent races.

Saturday features a stakes doubleheader with the Honk Kong Jockey Club for 3-year-old fillies and the PNE Presidents Speed for 3-year-olds and up. The Richmond Derby Trial goes Sunday, and on Monday Spaghetti Mouse heads the 1 1/8-mile Randall Plate for 3-year-olds and up.

AUBURN, Wash. – Sea Speaker heads a field of seven promising 3-year-olds in Sunday’s Emerald Downs feature, which will be contested at a mile under $40,000 optional claiming conditions.

AUBURN, Wash. – Howard Belvoir, the breeder, trainer and owner of Grade 3 Longacres Mile winner Wasserman, has opened the door just a crack to the possibility of running his 6-year-old in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.

EDMONTON, Alberta – Racing secretary Fred Hilts assembled the strongest Canadian Derby Day card in many years on Saturday and quite understandably found business much less brisk at entry time for the Sunday card.

The featured Thoroughbred offering for Sunday afternoon consists of six older runners contesting a $13,000 claimer. Mad Win and Ka Blui, a pair of hard-knocking geldings, face the dropper Colombiano in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – When the sensational 2-year-old gelding El Sinaloense won the 6 1/2-furlong B.C. Cup Nursery Stakes by six lengths in 1:16.51, his final time was just a few ticks slower than the 1:15.91 that And All That Jazz posted for his win in the B.C. Cup Sprint for older horses. Anything close to a similar performance makes El Sinaloense an easy winner of the $50,000 New Westminster Stakes at Hastings Sunday.

The 6 1/2-furlong feature attracted six horses and goes as the fourth race.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Very quietly, trainer George Weaver has been on a nice little run the last seven weeks.

After winning with 4 of his last 5 starters at the Belmont meet, Weaver has won with 5 of 20 runners at Saratoga, a combined win percentage of 36 (9 for 25) on this circuit. At Saratoga, he has also 5 seconds and 3 thirds.

DEL MAR, Calif. - This will be a memorable Del Mar meeting for Gary Barber, regardless of whether Zappa pulls an upset in Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic.

Through Tuesday, Barber led all owners with 13 wins, including Zappa's victory in the Cougar II Handicap on July 30. But the success has not come without controversy.

DEL MAR, Calif. - A half-length here or a nose there has kept Awesome Gem from winning three stakes in the last year. He lost the 2007 Pacific Classic by a half-length, the 2007 Goodwood Stakes by a nose, and the Wickerr Handicap by a nose on July 25.

Eventually, the tough luck will end. At least that's what trainer Craig Dollase is hoping when Awesome Gem starts from the rail in Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

"I hope he gets a clean run," Dollase said.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Horses treated with anabolic steroids will be banned from racing for 30 days in California from the date of administration, effective Friday, according to a directive issued by California Horse Racing Board executive director Kirk Reed, the regulatory agency announced Thursday.

The board also is increasing pre-race and out-of-competition testing for the anabolic steroids boldenone, nandrolone, stanozolol, and testosterone, according to a statement released Thursday. Those steroids are the only ones allowed to appear in post-race tests.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Steve Asmussen barn, which has won a pair of 2-year-old filly stakes at Woodbine with Juliet's Spirit, will be looking to get its 2-year-old colts on the stakes scoreboard here in Saturday's Silver Deputy.

The Silver Deputy, a 6 1/2-furlong overnight stakes, attracted a field of six, including the uncoupled entry of Dryden and War Lap from Asmussen's local string.