Armonk easily handled her first trip out of New York and her initial experience racing over a sloppy track as she cruised to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $52,800 Wide Country Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Laurel Park.

A daughter of Mizzen Mast trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for owner Jeff Singer, Armonk ($4.20) had been Grade 2-placed last fall and was coming off a near-miss in last month's Dearly Precious at Aqueduct.

Rather than dueling for the lead, as she did last time, jockey Julian Pimentel, allowed Armonk to sit off the pace set by 9-1 longshot Kosmo's Buddy.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. -

Visionaire, under Jose Lezcano, got up in the final stride to nip Texas Wildcatter by a nose. It was 7 3/4 lengths back to Larry's Revenge in a race that may have dashed the Kentucky Derby dreams of several 3-year-olds. Saratoga Russell, the 8-5 favorite, finished eighth of nine, while Giant Moon, the previously undefeated New York-bred colt, was last.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The work tabs were limited around south Florida on Saturday due to heavy, early morning rains. One of the few exceptions was Better Than Bonds, who went an easy five furlongs in 1:03 over a muddy strip at Palm Meadows in preparation for Saturday's Grade 3 Skip Away Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The distance of Saturday's $100,000 The Very One Handicap at Gulfstream Park has been changed from 1 3/8 miles to 1 1/8 miles due to heavy rains which struck the area earlier Saturday morning. According to track officials, the switch was made to prevent the race from starting on the backstretch and thus having the horses passing over the same spot on the yielding course twice during the running of the race.

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.