When Chase the Line cleared Sonvida Red and Disco T into the first turn of the $75,000 Docent Handicap at Philadelphia Park, the race was as good as over. Chase the Line and jockey Maria Charles had few anxious moments in the 1 1/16-mile race for Pennsylvania-bred older horses, opening up in midstretch and winning by 6 1/4 lengths over Sonvida Red. Disco T finished third.

Valentine Fever was up in the final jump Saturday to nail the race-long front-runner Love Buzz in the $50,000 Valdale Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Sent away a clear-cut favorite, Valentine Fever ($5) appeared beaten in midstretch after racing closest for much of the one-mile trip to Love Buzz, a 14-1 shot who pulled several lengths clear under Dean Sarvis. But Valentine Fever, with Tommy Pompell up, persevered to the wire, and she was up by a nose to notch her second straight victory over the Turfway Polytrack.

Cryptoquip didn’t look like a winner down the backstretch of the $66,200 Maryland Racing Media Handicap at Laurel. She didn’t look like the winner on the turn, nor in the stretch. In fact the only time she looked like the winner was a few minutes after the race, when the stewards disqualified All Smiles from the top spot and promoted Cryptoquip from second.

Late last month, the Marie Krantz Memorial Handicap was rained off turf and onto dirt, Candy Ball set a slow pace, and Autobahn Girl made a late run to catch her at the wire. Saturday at Fair Grounds, the Bayou Handicap was rained off turf and onto dirt, Candy Ball set a slow pace, and nobody got close to her.

With Autobahn Girl running in place this time and winding up a distant fourth of six, Candy Ball raced alone through the stretch under jockey Miguel Mena, winning the $150,000 Bayou by 3 1/2 lengths for trainer Andy Leggio and owner Rancha Fresa Inc.

Cosmonaut, the heavy favorite, made his 2008 debut a winning one in the $150,000 Tampa Bay Downs Breeders’ Cup Stakes, taking the 1 1/16-mile turf race by three-quarters of a length.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The versatile Kiss the Kid is the big horse in trainer Amy Tarrant’s stable. But maybe not for long.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Last winter, Runway Rosie was running against champion filly Rags to Riches in Grade 1 races at Santa Anita. A year later, a gutsy triumph in Saturday's 36th running of the Rare Treat Handicap confirmed her status as one of the most consistent fillies at New York's inner-track meet.

Runway Rosie was well placed by Rajiv Maragh through the early stages of the Rare Treat, racing along the rail just inside 19-10 favorite Stage Luck as both stalked a pace duel between Aliysa and Wild Hoots.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – As Tampa Bay Downs began the second half of its 94-day meet last week, general manager Pete Berube had a mixed bag of facts and figures to review.

The ontrack and in-state handle figures are down 8.8 and 10.8 percent, respectively, from this time last season, while the attendance figures are close to even. Out-of-state wagering is up 1.5 percent. All-sources handle is down 6.4 percent.

Berube believes the declines are because of a weakened economy in Florida.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Baquero Ruler heads a field of seven older runners, each eligible to be claimed for $8,000, in Monday’s one-mile Portland Meadows feature.

PHOENIX – The connections of El Mirage were probably quite happy when they did not see rival White Spar entered in Monday’s $50,000 Palo Verde Stakes at Turf Paradise. El Mirage has won 3 of his first 4 races, and White Spar is the reason that record isn’t perfect.

Any glee was likely short-lived, however, as Southern California shipper Leonides is among El Mirage’s seven opponents in the 6 1/2-furlong event for 3-year-olds.