LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The March routine for Murray Johnson had been to bring Perfect Drift to the Trackside training center after a few months on the farm and get him ready for another year of making plenty of money.

But this year, Johnson is nowhere near Trackside. Instead, he is in Florida, selling a horse massage therapy system. He recently retired from training, probably for good.

"I had an amazing journey with Perfect Drift," said Johnson, 48. "For what I saw, ever coming close to that again was going to be impossible."

ARCADIA, Calif. - It is premature to put Ventura in the same category as Nashoba's Key or Zenyatta, but an impressive United States debut by Ventura in a third-level allowance turf sprint Thursday at Santa Anita stamped the Bobby Frankel-trained European import as a potential stakes filly in the months ahead.

Ventura ($3.80) won the 6 1/2-furlong race by two lengths, and earned a 92 Beyer Figure while geared down by Garrett Gomez. Frankel said the filly's overseas form and sharp works on Cushion Track at Hollywood Park suggested she could be something special.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Frank Brothers has spent plenty of time in the limelight over the years at Gulfstream Park with horses such as Pulpit, First Samurai, and Madcap Escapade. And whether stakes-caliber or claiming types, his horses always made a great appearance when they trained over the track in the morning.

But Brothers has been conspicuously absent here this winter, exiled instead to Palm Meadows where he's taken up residence with a stable of 16 that includes the multiple stakes winner Tessa Blue, who makes her 2008 debut in Sunday's Grade 2 Rampart Handicap.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - When he arrived in town Wednesday, few people had heard of him and his name was even misspelled in the program.

It didn't take long for Sebastian - not Sabastian - Morales to catch people's attention, however. After riding two winners from his first eight mounts, Morales has created a bit of buzz on the backstretch as this inexperienced yet seemingly talented 22-year-old rider tries to launch his career.

"I think he has a gift,'' said jockey Carlos Montalvo, who rode with Morales at Tampa Bay Downs in January and February.

STICKNEY, Ill. - Facemask blocking the cold Chicago wind, hand-warmers under gloves, and several layers covering his torso, 78-year-old Richard Hazelton rode into his barn late in training hours Friday morning at Hawthorne - just as he has year after year, decade after decade.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bay Meadows racing secretary Tom Doutrich was pleased when he counted up the nominations for next Saturday's Grade 3 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Sprint.

While many look forward to seeing locally based star sprinters Tribesman and Vicarino clash, their presence doesn't appear to have scared off the competition. Ten other runners were nominated to the six-furlong sprint.

"This is great," said Doutrich, who will join with assistants Greg Brent and Linda Anderson on Sunday to assign weights. Entries will be drawn Monday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The 3-year-old filly division at Oaklawn that includes the undefeated Grade 2 winner Pure Clan and 13 1/2-length Martha Washington Stakes winner Eight Belles keeps getting stronger.

Alina, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100 last weekend when she won the $75,000 Green Oaks at Delta Downs, is being pointed to the Grade 2, $250,000 Fantasy here on April 6.

The 2008 stakes schedule released Friday for Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack is nearly identical to its list from a year ago.

The same 17 stakes, all but four restricted to New York-breds, will be offered, with only one switch in the order.

The Genesee Valley Breeders' Handicap, for statebreds 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles, has been moved from mid-September to the third week in August, flip-flopping with the Jack Betta Be Rite Handicap, a 1 1/16-mile race for statebred fillies and mares.

The New York Racing Association on Friday received a fourth short-term extension to continue racing at Aqueduct while the details of its 25-year franchise extension with the state are being finalized.

The New York State Non-Profit Racing Association Oversight Board voted 4-0 during a video conference call Friday morning to grant NYRA the extension through April 27, closing day of the Aqueduct spring meet. A previous extension was set to expire at the end of racing Friday.

Officials of Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Thistledown, have set a March 17 deadline for the Ohio division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and the track to reach an agreement on 2008 racing dates. Representatives of Thistledown and the horsemen's group met on Wednesday but were unable to agree on how many dates the Cleveland-area track would run this year. Negotiations continued on Thursday.