Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne is expected to draw at least one major Kentucky Derby contender, Southwest Stakes winner Denis of Cork, when entries are taken Monday. And there is an outside possibility the race could land another graded-stakes-winning 3-year-old in Visionaire, who is also being considered for the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland the following week.

Mountaineer Racetrack's 2008 stakes schedule closely resembles the same package of stakes that the Chester, W.Va., facility offered in 2007.

The same 28 stakes, topped by the Grade 3, $750,000 West Virginia Derby, will be run again this year, in exactly the same order as they were in 2007.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - On this weekend a year ago, Kelly's Landing and his connections were in the winner's circle at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai following his thrilling victory in the $2 million Golden Shaheen.

Euroears, who won three stakes this winter at Fair Grounds, sustained a non-displaced condylar fracture in his right hind leg during a routine gallop on Monday and will be out of training for the next six months, according to his trainer, Bret Calhoun.

"He has a very good prognosis," said Calhoun.

Euroears on Tuesday underwent surgery to have two screws placed in the ankle, a procedure that was able to be done with the horse standing. He is scheduled to spend recovery time at the farm of his Texas-based owners, Jim and Marilyn Helzer. The injury occurred at Fair Grounds.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The comeback of Brother Derek has been postponed.

Trainer Dan Hendricks said on Thursday that Brother Derek was to be scratched from an allowance race at Santa Anita on Friday after the 5-year-old developed a quarter crack in a front hoof. Brother Derek had not been officially withdrawn when early scratches were announced on Thursday morning.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - After 12 days of speculation and examination, War Pass gave his connections some tangible evidence that the Tampa Bay Derby may have been an aberration when he worked a solid four furlongs in 47.40 seconds Thursday at the Palm Meadows training center in south Florida.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Wild Hoots and Wow Me Free are already solid contenders for Saturday's $100,000 Next Move Handicap at Aqueduct. But the two Kiaran McLaughlin-trained fillies may have an added advantage when they attempt to win the Grade 3 race for fillies and mares.

The $50,000 Royal North Stakes for Ohio-registered 3-year-old fillies, scheduled for Saturday at Beulah Park, has been rescheduled for April 12. The $50,000 H.B Noonan for 3-year-old Ohio-registered colts and geldings, originally scheduled for April 16, has been rescheduled for April 26.

The track's extended closing because of tumultuous weather in the Columbus area led to the schedule changes. Horseman pointing their horses for the races complained that they did not have enough time to prepare.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Saturday's outstanding Florida Derby program got even better with a little help from Mother Nature.

Heavy rains forced the cancellation of the second half of last Saturday's program, including the $200,000 Shirley Jones Handicap. As a result, racing secretary Bill Couch rescheduled the Grade 2 Shirley Jones for Florida Derby Day, when it will join the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes and Grade 2 Bonnie Miss Stakes as supporting features on the card.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Tres Borrachos, who in his dirt debut was third in the El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows on March 8, is being pointed for the Gradeo2, $1 million Arkansas Derby, said his trainer, Beau Greely.

"It's the plan to run, as long as I hear we're going to get in," said Greely.