OPELOUSAS, La. - The Louisiana State Racing Commission badge that trainers must wear has a second purpose these days at Evangeline Downs. In addition to providing proof that a trainer is licensed, it also serves as a nametag in what has become almost a horsemen's convention atmosphere.

River Downs director of publicity John Englehardt is an accomplished equine photographer, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he is putting a collection of his photographs on exhibit at a Cincinnati restaurant. The one-man show, titled "Seen and Unseen" began May 3 and will run for six weeks in the banquet area of A.J.'s Roadhouse, right down Kellogg Avenue from the track.

"Very few photos in the show feature actual race action, rather moments leading up to preparing a horse for the races and the beauty and serenity the early morning brings to a racetrack," Engelhardt said.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Alec Fehr headed down to Florida's Palm Meadows last December with a specific program in mind.

"With my potential good runners, I wanted to give them a chance to develop, and possibly have a Queen's Plate horse," said Fehr.

And while Fehr has been having his ups and downs lately, he still has Niagara Thunder on track for the June 22 Queen's Plate, with Sebastian's Song and Tacito scheduled to get another chance at proving they belong.

Although it's too early to establish any wagering trends in a season that is only 12 days old, Prairie Meadows had its fourth highest all-time wagering day Monday when more than $1.5 million was bet on the track's nine-race card. That number represents the highest Prairie handle in more than seven years.

Wagering on this year's Kentucky Derby also broke a record, as fans in central Iowa wagered $231,892 on the Derby.

Oaklawn Park's qualifying tournament for the Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Racing Association National Handicapping Championship will be held two months earlier this year, on the weekend of June 14-15. The first three finishers will earn a fees-paid berth into the national final, which will be held in Las Vegas in January 2009.

Oaklawn's qualifier will have a purse of $25,000, with $10,000 going to the winner. The purse is based on 150 entries, Oaklawn spokesman Jason Milligan said.

Some new faces greeted a record crowd of 18,230 on Canterbury Park's opening day Saturday when the jockey colony was introduced to the fans.

Two who made a quick impression were Jason Lumpkins and Jose Betancourt, who each enjoyed multiple race wins on opening weekend.

Lumpkins captured three wins during the nine-race card Saturday, winning a statebred maiden contest aboard Sahan, then returning to win a claiming contest on Ski Dubai, and capping the day with an allowance win on Bailey Road. He returned Sunday to capture another maiden contest on Jayana.

Jockey Edgar Paucar won the riding title at Beulah Park for the sixth time since coming to the track in 2004. The 33-year-old Peruvian rider had 123 victories in the winter/spring meet and also recorded his 1,000th win recently. Paucar attended the famed Peru Jockey School that boasts Edgar Prado, Rafael Bejarano, and Miguel Mena as graduates.

Charlie Lawson won his second winter/spring meet training title in the last three years. Lawson, who trains his own horses, won 39 races, 14 more than Reid Gross.

State Fair Park in Lincoln, Neb., opens its 37-day meet Friday under the most uncertain of conditions. The track is located on the state fairgrounds, and the long-term future of racing in Nebraska's capital city is in limbo following the approval of legislation earlier this year that will move the state fairgrounds beginning in 2010 to Grand Island, where Fonner Park is located.

AUBURN, Wash. - Local fans got a taste on Sunday of what was a steady diet for patrons of Turf Paradise last winter when trainer Mike Chambers sent out his first two starters at the meeting. Chambers saddled the uncoupled entry of Nationhood and Chhaya Dance for the $50,000 Seattle Handicap at six furlongs, then watched them finish one-two. Nationhood held off the late charge of his stablemate to prevail by a neck under rider Ricky Frazier in 1:08.40.

Turf Paradise concluded its 2007-2008 meeting Sunday with a 4.8 percent overall increase in average daily handle on its live races, according to figures released by the track.

Turf Paradise averaged $1,462,999 daily in all-sources wagers on its races during its 153-day meet, compared with $1,395,468 during its 152-day 2006-07 stand.