The landscape of racing in Nebraska is facing a major change in the coming years, as the land at State Fair Park in Lincoln moved closer to being turned over to the University of Nebraska for development as an innovation and technology park.

Buoyed by the $100,000 sale-topping colt by three-time top Louisiana sire Leestown, the John Franks Memorial 2-year-olds in training sale on Sunday at Evangeline Downs posted healthy increases across the board. The average price on the 192 juveniles who passed through the ring increased 16 percent, to $10,619, from last year, while total proceeds increased nearly 4 percent to $1,826,000, up from $1,757,000 in 2007.

Last weekend was a big one for the connections of 7-year-old Catlaunch, who won as Handicap Horse of the Year at the Ohio Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders banquet at Darby Dan Farm in Galloway, Ohio, on Friday night.

In the sixth race on Saturday, a six-furlong optional claiming race, Catlaunch had a successful return to the races after a layoff. Catlaunch last ran Nov. 17 of last year, in the Kirchberg at Beulah, winning by three lengths in the 1 1/8-mile event. Trained by Ivan Vazquez, Catlaunch is headed to the Babst/Palacios at Beulah on closing day, May 3.

Student Council, the winner of last year's Grade 1 Pacific Classic, will make a rare appearance on turf Saturday night when he starts as the 120-pound highweight in the Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park.

The Connally is one of three turf stakes that will close out the meet. The $50,000, five-furlong Turf Sprint drew Golden Hare, a winner of his last seven starts, and the multiple stakes-winning mare Smitty's Sunshine. The $50,000 Jersey Lily is for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf, and the field of 12 is led by New Edition.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Sierra Sunset, who came out of his victory in the March 15 Rebel at Oaklawn with a small ankle fracture, will undergo treatment in a hyperbaric chamber to aid healing, said his trainer, Jeff Bonde. Sierra Sunset flew back to California from Arkansas on Tuesday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Maybe the need for a prep race is overrated.

Earlier this year, trainer Jim Cassidy was looking for an allowance race for his European import Diamond Diva. When he failed to find a suitable race, Cassidy started Diamond Diva in the American Beauty Handicap last Sunday. She won convincingly and will make her next start in a graded stakes.

STICKNEY, Ill. - The oft-covered pop song "I Fought the Law" first came out in 1959, its chorus famously stating, "I fought the law, and the law won." Well, such was not the case with trainer Marty Wolfson.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - John Salzman long ago made his peace with Kentucky. A quarter-century after being soured by a bizarre series of events that went against him, the Maryland horseman is looking to notch another graded stakes victory at Keeneland.

The Grade 1 futurity season in New Mexico starts on Friday afternoon at Sunland Park when 11 trials are held for the Grade 1, $300,000 West Texas Futurity, headed by an interesting matchup in the second trial.

Meeting in the second trial are LS Separatist and Jesstifiable, each coming off a maiden win. The Carl Draper-trained LS Separatist won his maiden at first asking by a length, while the Blane Wood-trained Jesstifiable prevailed by a neck in his career debut.

"LS Separatist is a nice colt who could qualify," said Draper.

CALGARY, Alberta – On a program liberally dotted with races for maidens, Sassy Sarah’s eight wins stand out here at Stampede Park on Friday. A 5-year-old Lake Austin mare, Sassy Sarah heads a field of 10 in the featured seventh race, an optional $40,000 claimer which is by far the most appealing sprint on the eight-race card.

Sassy Sarah will appreciate the stretch-out to six furlongs following a solid second-place effort at four furlongs here on opening weekend. She drew post 3.