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."

DEL MAR, Calif. - The Breeders' Cup is two months away, but how much participation trainer Bruce Headley has in the event largely will be determined on Sunday, when he sends out Arson Squad, Magnificience, and Surf Cat in three stakes at Del Mar that all are part of the Breeders' Cup's Win and You're In program.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - On a dreary Tuesday morning in which raindrops eventually gave way to fall-like temperatures, a bleary-eyed Robby Albarado dragged himself out of bed and made his way to trainer Neil Howard's Saratoga barn.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Throughout the spring, Colonel John was considered the leader of Southern California's 3-year-old division. But Tres Borrachos may have taken over that role by beating Colonel John in last month's Grade 2 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Both 3-year-olds were expected to arrive in Saratoga on Wednesday for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes. On Tuesday, Tres Borrachos worked four furlongs in 48.80 seconds over the synthetic surface at Hollywood Park under exercise rider Patrick Dalton.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Louisiana produced a handful of potential starters for the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby last week, and not all of them are coming out of the $100,000 Prelude Breeders' Cup at Louisiana Downs that was won in a three-way photo by Star Production.

Ide Like a Double set a track record Saturday night at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La., when he won the $200,000 Evangeline Mile over older horses in a time of 1:36.28. For the effort, he earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 102.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The trip Winchester got scoring a 7 1/4-length win in the Secretariat Stakes here at Arlington on Aug. 9 was much cleaner than the one he had going home to Ireland. But after a two-day journey, Winchester arrived back at Rosewell House, trainer Dermot Weld's training yard in County Kildare, without incident, and Weld confirmed Tuesday that a return trip to the United States for the Breeders' Cup Turf is being planned for Winchester this fall.

Parker Buckley III, a former jockey who had worked as an exercise rider for trainer Steve Asmussen, died Tuesday morning at Albany Medical Center due to complications from a riding accident he was involved in Monday at Saratoga. He was 40.

Buckley, a jockey from 1988 to 2007, rode 947 winners from 7,308 starters and his horses earned $9,215,235. Asmussen said that Buckley began working for him around Kentucky Derby time in 2007.

PHOENIX – Turf Paradise unveiled its $2.1 million stakes schedule for the upcoming 2008-2009 meet, including two stakes renamed in honor of two members of its family who died recently.

Among the 41 stakes are races renamed in honor of track announcer Luke Kruytbosch and longtime track photographer Jack Coady Sr.

The $50,000 Luke Kruytbosch (formerly the Saguaro), will be run opening day, Oct. 3. It is for 3-year-olds at six furlongs. Kruytbosch, 47, was Turf Paradise’s announcer since 1993. He died July 14.