DEL MAR, Calif. - The events of late summer and early fall 2007 continue to weigh heavily on trainer Mike Machowsky's mind.

Last year, Machowsky trained the 2-year-old Drill Down, who ran a game second to Georgie Boy in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in September. But while training for a start in the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita later that month, Drill Down was severely injured in a workout and was euthanized.

"It was one of those freak things that happen," Machowsky said. "I'll never get over that."

Diggy Fresh's last two wins have come in the $100,000 Shiskabob at Louisiana Downs - one last weekend and the other in August 2006. The Shiskabob, at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, is the annual feature on Louisiana Downs Champions Day.

Diggy Fresh closed well for a head win in this year's edition, and earned his second-best Beyer Speed Figure, an 89. The race was his first for owner Robert Asaro and trainer Keith Bourgeois after being claimed for $16,000 at Louisiana Downs on July 6.

Santa Anita's new synthetic main track will consist primarily of Pro-Ride when an ongoing renovation is completed later this month, according to track president Ron Charles. The Santa Anita track will be the first Pro-Ride brand surface used for racing in North America.

Santa Anita on Wednesday began mixing its new surface, which consists of 14,500 tons of sand, polymer, and fibers, in a temporary plant in the track parking lot.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The buzz at Arlington Park has focused on the pair of overseas Group 1 winners, Archipenko and Mount Nelson, that have shipped in for the Arlington Million, but it was a third European horse, Spirit One, who turned some heads here Thursday morning.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The last time Gail Cox visited the stakes winner's circle here at Woodbine, she was Gail Casselman.

The then-unattached Casselman won the Colin with Rights Reserved in 2002 and subsequently married fellow trainer Greg Cox.

After a brief run as Gail Casselman-Cox, she adopted the shortened surname and will be looking to looking to upset Sunday's Vandal with Silver Rocket.

EDMONTON, Alberta – Broken Hearted won the 1 1/16-mile Northlands Oaks on July 19, and she seeks her second straight stakes score at that distance in Saturday’s Sonoma at Northlands Park. Broken Hearted drew the rail as the 119-pound highweight in the Sonoma, which attracted just six 3-year-old fillies.

Despite offering the first $100,000 purse of the meet, the Sonoma failed to lure West Coast nominees Dancing Allstar (who is running in Saturday’s Duchess at Woodbine), Daymaker, or Heaven on Hold, and offers the locals an excellent chance at a rich payday.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Wind Storm has been holding her own while running against multiple stakes winners Holy Nova and Lady Raj. She figures to be the favorite Saturday at Hastings in an allowance race restricted to nonwinners of a stakes in 2008. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint drew five fillies or mares.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Evita Argentina ($17.20) gave the stallion Candy Ride his first stakes winner in Wednesday’s $150,000 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar.

Evita Argentina ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.51, extending her unbeaten streak to two races. Trained by John Sadler for Halo Farms and Three Sisters Thoroughbreds, Evita Argentina won her debut in a maiden race at five furlongs at Hollywood Park on June 25.

Change Up, winner of the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes in 2006, has been retired with a minor injury apparently sustained in a workout Friday at Churchill Downs, according to Richard Klein, whose family owns the 4-year-old filly.

Change Up, by Distorted Humor, won five races and $375,420 and was trained by Steve Flint, then Steve Margolis, during her 16-race career.

Chances Are I Wil, fresh from a win in the Grade 1 Remington Park Championship, heads the Grade 2, $73,350 Bank of America Central Challenge Championship on Saturday night at Prairie Meadows.

The Friday and Saturday night programs at the Iowa track feature regional stakes races in the Bank of America Challenge program. The winners of the regional stakes qualify for their respective stakes during the Challenge Championships at Evangeline Downs on Nov. 8.