When Drop a Line came up the rail to win the $100,000 Windward Stakes last Saturday at Presque Isle Downs, it was a punctuation mark to a great beginning here for jockey Jesus Castanon. The 35-year-old Mexico City native has been on fire since arriving five weeks ago, winning with 29 of his 85 mounts through Tuesday, a 34 percent win rate.

Castanon began his riding career in 1989 at Caliente Race Course in Tijuana, Mexico. The second-youngest of 10 children, Castanon began working with horses at a young age.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The 9-2 odds Colonel John went off at in the Kentucky Derby represented the longest price of his career. Those who have not given up on him should get better odds than that in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Southern Exchange, undefeated and virtually untested in three starts here, should make his next appearance in the Del Mar Futurity.

Offering Grade 1 status and a purse of $250,000, the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity will be run on Sept. 3.

"We'd tossed around a number of races, including the Hopeful, the Arlington-Washington Futurity, and the Del Mar Futurity," said Greg DeGannes, who trains Southern Exchange for Bill and Vicki Poston.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The complexion of Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes changed significantly Wednesday when Tizbig entered the race, adding some speed into a field that was light on that commodity.

Before Tizbig's inclusion in the field, it looked as though Da' Tara - who went gate to wire to win the Belmont Stakes - would be the main speed. But Tizbig has been on the lead in each of his last two starts, including a runner-up finish in a nonwinners-of-two-lifetime allowance race here last Sunday.

DEL MAR, Calif. - John Sadler, the leading trainer at Del Mar's summer meeting, had his barn raided by investigators of the California Horse Racing Board on Monday, a Del Mar official confirmed, and comments Tuesday by the chairman of the state racing board led to speculation that authorities might have been searching for signs of anabolic steroids.

Owner-trainer Samuel J. Brown has been suspended for one year and fined $1,000 by the Thistledown stewards for having in his possession two bottles of injectables, needles and syringes, a jugging tube, and other paraphernalia on Monday.

Brown, 19, came to Ohio from Mountaineer Park with 11 horses a month ago and has won two races. His case has been referred to the Ohio State Racing Commission for possible further action. He is denied access to any track under the racing commission's jurisdiction.

It's getting crowded at Remington Park.

An improved purse structure over the past couple of years has led to increased demand from horsemen and prompted Remington to build two new 76-stall barns for its 20th season of racing that begins Thursday night in Oklahoma City.

The expanded stable area is overflowing due to the success of Remington's casino that opened in November 2005. The gaming has helped Remington raise purses to a record $208,000 a day this meet, up from $185,500 a card in 2007.

Delta Downs has made changes to the purses of its two biggest stakes as part of a 38-race, $4 million schedule released Tuesday. The Vinton, La., track has trimmed the purse of its richest race, the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot, from $1 million to $750,000, and boosted the value of the Grade 3 Delta Princess from $300,000 to $500,000. Both races are for 2-year-olds, and will be held Dec. 5.

AUBURN, Wash. - Breeder, trainer, and owner Howard Belvoir was elated after Wasserman won Sunday's Grade 3 Longacres Mile, as well he should have been. It was the realization of a dream of more than 40 years' duration. It was also worth $137,500, plus Washington-bred breeder's and owner's bonuses. And, because the Mile carried Win and You're In status for the first time this year, Wasserman's desperate neck victory over True Metropolitan guaranteed him a spot in the gate for this year's $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Royal Oath, who had been expected to use Saturday's Play the King as a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, will not see action again this season.

"Something's bugging him," said Mark Casse, who trains Royal Oath for Will Farish and Bill Farish Jr. "It's nothing major; he's always had some little issues, from Day 1. We just can't figure him out and, after talking with the Farishes, we just decided to go ahead and give him the rest of the year off, and have him ready for next year."