The threat of inclement weather from Hurricane Ike led Sam Houston Race Parkin Houston to cancel the final two days of its Quarter Horse meet this Friday and Saturday. They will not be rescheduled.

Officials of Churchill Downs Inc. and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association have agreed on a contract to give breeders .75 percent of slot revenue during the 10-year term of the contract when Calder Race Course begins slots operations at a yet-to-be-determined date.

Churchill Downs Inc., which owns Calder, signed a similar slots contract with the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association earlier this summer.

Suffolk Downs officials are in the classic big horse-big race conundrum as they try to attract horses for next Saturday's $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap.

"I keep telling everyone there's good news and bad news," said Sam Elliott, Suffolk's vice president of racing. "The good news is we've got Commentator. The bad news is we've got Commentator."

Elliott is sure the good will outweigh the bad when the field lines up for Boston's signature horse race.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Big Brown won't be running at Belmont Park Saturday, but Big Stick will be.

Big Stick is one of seven 3-year-olds entered in Saturday's $100,000 Allied Forces Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. The race was written by the New York Racing Association in hopes of luring Big Brown, who opted to run instead in Saturday's $500,000 Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park. The purse of the Allied Forces would have doubled had Big Brown or any other Grade 1 winner run.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The pick six at Belmont Park went unhit for a third consecutive card on Thursday, creating a carryover of $608,857 entering Friday’s card.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ginger Brew, who was given a break after finishing a close second to Not Bourbon in the June 22 Queen's Plate, is back at Woodbine preparing for a fall campaign.

Ginger Brew, a Stronach Stable homebred, had romped by six lengths in the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks just two weeks prior to her taxing effort in the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate.

"She's about a week away from having a breeze," said trainer Brian Lynch on Thursday morning. "I imagine she's going to come around pretty quickly, because I've had her in training at the farm."

Penn National Race Course will close for live racing and training for at least one month beginning Sept. 20 so that the main track can be resurfaced after complaints from horsemen that the track was dangerous.

Rob Marella, Penn National's director of racing, said Thursday that the track has decided to reopen for live racing on Oct. 31, though horsemen will be invited back to the track for training when the resurfacing project is complete.

Peppers Pride is on the grounds at Zia Park, and her bid for history should come during the course of a 53-date mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses at the Hobbs, N.M., track, which opens on Saturday. She is seeking to set a North American mark for consecutive wins, 17, and the opportunity to do so could come within the next month.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Cabron should appreciate the move back to a sprint when he runs in the feature race at Hastings on Saturday. The 6 1/2-furlong first-level allowance race for 3-year-olds drew nine horses and goes as race 8.

Cabron won a first-level allowance race earlier in the year but Saturday’s race carries a $50,000 claiming option and he has been entered for the price.

EDMONTON, Alberta – Trainer Cody Anderson and owner Ab Brewster kept their options open on Wednesday by nominating Cool Ventura, third in the Canadian Derby here on Aug. 23, to the $250,000 B.C Derby at Hastings on Sept. 21. Anderson worked Cool Ventura five furlongs at Northlands Park Wednesday in a bullet 1:00.40.

Trainer Ron Grieves nominated Papa Time, fourth in the Canadian Derby, to the B.C Derby, and trainer Dale Greenwood nominated the Bear Stable duo of Bears Home Run and Bears Tiger to the 1 1/8-mile race.