ELMONT, N.Y. - With Big Brown having completed yet another routine gallop Friday morning in preparation for his run at the Triple Crown in the June 7 Belmont Stakes, trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. opted to turn his attention to a couple of the other stars in his stable.

Dutrow made the 8 1/2-mile drive from Belmont Park to Aqueduct, where he put reigning Breeders' Cup Mile winner Kip Deville through a leisurely five-furlong workout in 1:05.86 over the Big A main track. It was Kip Deville's first breeze since he won the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland on April 11.

AUBURN, Wash. - Westsideclyde logged his final prep for Monday's $50,000 FSN Handicap late in the morning on Thursday, going an easy half-mile under rider Gary Baze. Westsideclyde, who will be making his 6-year-old debut in the 6 1/2-furlong FSN, started slowly and gradually gained momentum, finishing out strong without being asked for the least bit of speed.

Nevertheless, Westsideclyde was clocked in 48.80, the fastest of 15 half-mile works on Thursday's tab. When informed of that clocking, trainer Craig Roberts displayed a droll sense of humor.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The possibility of a dream race between Curlin and Big Brown already has them talking - and not just on the rumor mill.

Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Curlin, said he has read a quote attributed to Rick Dutrow, the trainer of Big Brown, regarding a possible matchup. Dutrow, in the Friday editions of Daily Racing Form, said a race between the two "would be good for racing, it would be good for us, it wouldn't be so good for them."

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - David Flores or Mike Smith. Mike Smith or David Flores.

Those were the names that occupied trainer Jim Cassidy's mind earlier this week as he finalized a rider for Diamond Diva in Monday's $250,000 Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Flores rode Diamond Diva in her last start, the Grade 3 Wilshire Handicap here on April 23. Smith rode Diamond Diva when she won the American Beauty Handicap at Santa Anita on March 30 in her U.S. debut.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The all-sources live handle at Hastings topped the $1 million figure for the first time this year last Monday.

The $1,001,417 wagered on the Victoria Day holiday represented a 35 percent increase over the all-sources handle on the same date last year.

"We had a huge weekend," said Raj Mutti, general manager at Hastings. "That put our all-sources live handle up slightly for the year. What we are really pleased about is that our per-race average is up."

ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita's synthetic main track failed to completely drain after a surprise storm dropped nearly two inches of rain on Thursday evening and early Friday. The rain left small pools of water in some places on the track and prompted some trainers to curtail training Friday morning.

MIAMI - After taking on multiple Grade 3 winner Mauralakana in each of her last three starts, at distances ranging from nine to 12 furlongs, Eclisse should find both the competition and mere one mile distance of Sunday's Sara's Success Stakes at Calder just the tonic for getting back on the winning track for the first time since the fall of 2006 in her native France.

Eclisse set the pace into the stretch in each of her last four starts, including the Grade 3 Orchid and The Very One handicaps at Gulfstream Park, and the Mairzy Doates Handicap at Calder on April 26.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Forest Melody will be trainer Paula Capestro's first starter at Lone Star Park when she runs in the Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board here Monday. Capestro almost ran a horse in the Ouija Board two years ago - River's Prayer - but changed her mind. River's Prayer went on to become a Grade 1-winning sprinter.

"Now we get our shot at the race again," Capestro said.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - A number of Thoroughbred trainers over the years have achieved success with claiming horses before moving on to allowance and stakes runners.

The late Dick Dutrow was a prime example of success in the claiming game, and his son, Richard Dutrow Jr., also began his career in the claiming ranks before arriving at the pinnacle of racing.

Don MacRae, 31, has already proven himself and is building a solid reputation with his stable of claimers.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Something seemed to be missing from last weekend's opening day at Louisiana Downs. That something was the veteran rider E. J. Perrodin.

"I can't remember ever missing an opening at Lad," Perrodin said from his in-laws' home in Diamondhead, Miss., where he was visiting with his young son and wife Lisa. "Maybe a little time here and there, but never an opening."