Local betting support for Hawthorne Race Course continued to erode, but all-sources average daily handle on Hawthorne races actually increased during the spring meet that ended Monday.

Attempting to avert further strife between jockeys and horsemen in Chicago, the Illinois Racing Board has put forward a stewards' directive to help clarify how much riders will be paid for losing mounts in races at Arlington Park.

Negotiations between Churchill Downs and its horsemen over the availability of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby undercard races on account-wagering sites remained in a stalemate early Thursday afternoon, according to officials for both sides.

The stalemate will likely result in a blackout of the cards on Friday and Saturday, with the exception of the Oaks, the Derby, and the race preceding the Derby, the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - El Roblar has won stakes over turf and dirt. The only problem for owner Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables and trainer Richard Mandella is considerable time seems to go by between such milestones.

When El Roblar starts in Saturday's $100,000 Inglewood Handicap at Hollywood Park, he will be seeking his third career stakes win and first since the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap last June.

In an injury-plagued career, the 6-year-old El Roblar has had only one start since the Ack Ack, a third in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Handicap at Santa Anita on April 5.

AUBURN, Wash. - Wasserman and Nationhood will be co-highweighted at 120 pounds for the $50,000 Seattle Handicap at six furlongs Sunday. The race is expected to draw at least eight starters.

The Howard Belvoir-trained Wasserman won last season's Governor's Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs and ran third in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile. He prepped for Sunday's stakes with a sharp half-length victory over Bound to Be M V P in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance test here on opening night, April 18.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Golden Spikes, who ran second to Recapturetheglory in last month's Illinois Derby, is being strongly considered for a start in the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Derby on May 10, said his trainer, Marty Wolfson. He said the other option for the horse is the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan the same day at Belmont Park in New York.

"We're leaning toward Texas right now," Wolfson said Thursday.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Divine Park turned in a dazzling performance to win the Grade 3, $109,100 Westchester Handicap by five lengths over 3-5 favorite Grasshopper on Wednesday's opening-day card at Belmont Park.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Two fillies might be better than one, but not when one draws the 12 hole and has the Kentucky Derby as an alternative. Without Eight Belles, the 134th Kentucky Oaks still will get a Larry Jones filly, Proud Spell, as a major contender, and the 100,000-plus racing fans who will descend Friday on Churchill Downs are sure to judge the filly classic as even more competitive than before.

AUBURN, Wash. - Shampoo has become something of a drought-breaker, in at least two senses of that phrase.

First, it seems to rain every time Shampoo is scheduled to race.

"There are umbrellas in just about all of her win pictures," said trainer Doris Harwood. "No matter how sunny it is in the morning, I always bring my rain gear over to the front side when she runs."

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Brownie Points, who is possibly the best mare based at Lone Star Park, will make her first appearance at the meet later this month in the Grade 3, $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff. She will be moving back to turf for that one-mile race, part of the Lone Star Million Day program of six stakes here May 26.