SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Shortly before sunrise Monday morning, Curlin gave this sleepy town a wake-up call with a strong seven-furlong workout in what was his first-ever breeze over Saratoga's main track.

Curlin, the defending Horse of the Year, worked seven furlongs in 1:24.84 under regular exercise rider Carlos Rosas as he prepares for the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes here Aug. 30. Curlin worked in company with stablemate Hawaii Calls, breaking off about a half-length in front of that horse while on the inside.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - You Will Love Me was one of the Cinderella stories of the 2007 Woodbine meeting, winning three stakes races and banking $337,880 for her owner and breeder, Bill Jones.

Trained by Earl Barnett and ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva, You Will Love Me competed in Ontario-sired and Ontario-foaled company and compiled a record of 4-2-2 from 8 starts in that 3-year-old campaign.

This year, it appeared that the clock may have struck midnight after You Will Love Me finished no better than fifth in her first three appearances.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Tuning up for a trip to California, Arlington-based Lewis Michael turned in his second straight bullet breeze, zipping five furlongs in 59.40 seconds Monday morning, the fastest of 40 works at the distance.

"He started out the first quarter in 24 and went the last quarter in 23," said trainer Wayne Catalano. "He's awesome right now."

Thoroughbreds return to the California State Fair in Sacramento for the first time since 2004 on Wednesday. The meet runs through Sept. 1.

For the past three years, Cal Expo has run harness horses at the State Fair meeting in hopes of creating a larger fan base for the harness meet that runs 11 months a year there. Harness racing will return again on Sept. 12, but director of racing Dave Elliott said Cal Expo officials wanted to make the State Fair a part of the Northern California fair circuit again.

"We're excited," Elliott said.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic is the highlight of Sunday's stakes-filled card at Del Mar, but the the horse who had the track buzzing on Monday morning was 2007 sprint champion Midnight Lute, who could make his long-awaited return on the undercard in the Grade 2, $300,000 Pat O'Brien Handicap.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - When it comes to Saratoga, frustration has replaced exhilaration for Bill Mott.

A year after he set a personal-best with 27 victories to capture his eighth Saratoga trainer's title, Mott has won with just 2 of his 45 starters through the first four weeks of the meet.

Mott, 55, said he has felt frustrated "particularly because I have a few horses that ran some winning races and got beat. You got to ride it out. I've been through it before; I haven't been through it here very often. Usually things kind of come together up here."

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Hystericalady will return for an encore on the Jersey Shore. She headlines the Grade 2, $300,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes on Sunday at Monmouth Park, a race she won last year by a convincing 6 1/4 lengths.

That was one of two sparkling efforts here last season by the 5-year-old mare. Hystericalady returned in the fall for the Breeders' Cup, finishing second by a neck to Ginger Punch in the Distaff, one of the epic battles of that championship weekend.

AUBURN, Wash. - Local hero Wasserman won a thrilling renewal of the Grade 3, $300,000 Longacres Mile on Sunday, edging Canadian invader True Metropolitan by a neck with favored California shipper Tropic Storm another neck back in third.

When he won a $50,000 claiming race on Polytrack on July 31 at Arlington Park, General Charley sped to the lead and ran away from his pursuers, but his connections had other ideas Saturday when General Charley took a class hike into the $53,4000 The Tin Man Stakes on turf. Jockey Eddie Perez took a hold of General Charley ($9.60), let Yankee Injunuity set the pace, and then rallied in the stretch for a 1 1/2-length victory.

By JAY PRIVMAN

DEL MAR, Calif. - Barry Abrams, fast becoming the king of the Cal-breds, gave them the old one-two punch at Del Mar on Sunday in the $109,700 Solana Beach Handicap when his trainees, America’s Friend and Lightmyfirebaby, took the first two spots in the one-mile grass race for older California-bred fillies and mares.

America’s Friend ($6.20) took advantage of a scorching early pace and rallied from sixth in the eight-horse field to beat her stablemate by 1 1/2 lengths. Bachelorette One was another length back in third.