LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2008 spring meet at Churchill Downs already was a great one for Kent Desormeaux. After all, he won the Kentucky Derby for the third time when guiding Big Brown to a smashing victory in the 134th running on May 3.

Desormeaux was out of here afterward, returning to New York to ride regularly at Belmont Park. But he returned on two subsequent occasions, most recently on Friday, when he gave Thorn Song a crafty ride to upset heavily favored Einstein in the Grade 2 Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Unfurl the Flag, the winner of the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap in 2005, was retired recently because of a suspensory injury, according to co-owner Tom Harris.

Unfurl the Flag, 8, had not started since October 2006. During his five-year career from 2002 to 2006, Unfurl the Flag won 7 of 26 starts and $647,935. A gelding, he has been sent to the California Equine Retirement Foundation in Winchester, Calif., Harris said.

On May 29, 2006, Silverfoot won the Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs. His next trip to the winner's circle came Friday at Arlington Park, where Silverfoot captured the Stars and Stripes Handicap by two lengths for his first victory in more than two years.

An 8-year-old gray gelding, Silverfoot came alive under leading rider Rene Douglas - and this was no surprise. Douglas now has won the Stars and Stripes on five occasions, and after saving ground for most of the 1 1/2-mile grass race, Douglas came to the three-eighths pole with a live old horse underneath him.

The switch from turf to dirt played right into the hands of Zoobstick, who made the most of his opportunity by registering a 2 1/4-length decision over 6-5 favorite Otis Ridge in the $36,000 Mecke Handicap at Calder on Friday.

Rises the Phoenix ($18.60) won a head bob at the wire with Brocco Valley to win the first stakes of his career in the $50,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap at Finger Lakes.

A 7-year-old gelding trained by Daniel Conway and ridden by Nazario Alvarado, Rises the Phoenix prevailed by a nose following a stretch-long duel with pacesetter Brocco Valley. The final time for 1 1/8 miles over a track labeled good was 1:50.86.

Tommasi finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind the front pair, in a field of seven older horses.

Cash's Girl ($10.60) improved her record at Delaware Park to 3 for 3 when she outfought pacesetter Your Flame in Me by a head in the $100,300 Sweet and Sassy Stakes for fillies and mares.

A 4-year-old daughter of Northern Afleet ridden by Pablo Morales for trainer Tim Ritchey, Cash's Girl was cutting back to six furlongs after finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Allaire duPont Distaff at Pimlico on the Preakness Stakes undercard. She completed the distance in 1:10.58 for her sixth win in 14 lifetime starts.

Jockey Garrett Gomez likens J Be K to a high school star growing and maturing into a college athlete.

J Be K took another step in that process with a dominant victory Friday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Jersey Shore Stakes for 3-year-olds at Monmouth Park.

"In his last three races, he's really started to blossom," Gomez said. "He's grown a lot and he's gotten bigger. He's always been a big, strong horse. He's grown about a hand in the last two and half months."

FORT ERIE, Ontario - A field of seven or eight Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, headed by Queen's Plate winner Not Bourbon, are expected when post positions are drawn Wednesday for next Sunday's $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie.

Patrick Kane of the Chicago Black Hawks, the National Hockey League's rookie of the year, will be on hand for the draw.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - While potential champion Not Bourbon has been trainer Roger Attfield's horse in the spotlight thus far this season, former champion Palladio has been quietly preparing for a comeback.

Palladio, who won the Sovereign Award as Canada's outstanding 3-year-old in 2005 and was the runner-up in the older male balloting last year, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 here at Woodbine on Friday morning

"He's getting close," said Attfield. "He's about three works away from running."

MIAMI - A rematch between Benny the Bull, undisputed leader of the nation's sprint division, and 2006 sprint champion Thor's Echo will not take place, as originally expected, in next Saturday's Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap at Calder.