SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Whether it is the star-studded backstretch, the increased purses, or the blockbuster opening weekend, there appears to be more enthusiasm than usual surrounding Saratoga, which kicks off its 139th season Wednesday with a stellar 10-race card.

A starting gate malfunction resulted in the ninth and final race at Louisiana Downs on Sunday being declared a no contest. Only three of the 11 stall doors for the nonwinners of two $5,000 claiming race opened.

All single race wagers on the event were refunded. Daily double, pick three, pick four and pick six wagers scheduled to conclude with the ninth race paid off on all Runners.

Canterbury Park's Extreme Day promotion on Sunday drew 16,269 fans to watch several unusual contests.

In the Battle of the Surfaces - which had fields of seven running simultaneously in 1 1/16-mile races on the main track and the turf - the first four finishers all raced on the grass, with Prospect Green rallying from last to prevail. Castor Troy won the main-track contest while finishing fifth overall. Derek Bell rode the winner for trainer Mac Robertson.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches was supposed to have gotten on a van Tuesday morning at Belmont Park headed toward Saratoga. Now the van will be headed south instead of north.

Rags to Riches, who was pulled up during a workout at Belmont Park Sunday morning, was scheduled to van to the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania on Tuesday to undergo a complete physical, trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday afternoon.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Beauty can be in the eye of the beholder, and trainer Adam Kitchingman couldn't believe that bidders didn't see what he saw when Carbella walked into the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale as a yearling Oct. 24, 2006.

"I was expecting to pay more than $5,500 for her," he said. "She was gorgeous but a little offset in the knees."

The partnership that owns Carbella can be thankful that the beauty they saw was overlooked by others again this year when Carbella was entered in the Barretts sale but did not sell.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The hot barn is a potent but unexplained phenomenon in the world of horse racing.

And fortunately for Sky Conqueror, who is trained by Darwin Banach and owned by Bill Sorokolit, his stable rediscovered its groove just in time for Sunday's $698,200 Northern Dancer Stakes here at Woodbine.

Heading into last Friday's card, the Banach barn had been on a 29-race losing streak, with its last win coming here May 18.

The Real Me finally broke the ice on Friday, and Anna's Ballerina followed suit on Saturday.

Shuffling Maddnes, the longest shot on the board, swept past 1-5 favorite Accountforthegold inside the sixteenth pole and drew off to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $107,400 Evan Shipman Stakes at Belmont Park.

Accountforthegold, who at 126 pounds conceded 10 pounds to the winner, held second by one length over Organizer.

Shampoo made it four stakes wins in a row, running down Firetrail and drew away to score by 1 1/2 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Washington's Lottery Handicap at Emerald Downs.

Under regular rider Ricky Frazier, Shampoo ($3.20) covered the distance over a sloppy track in a stakes-record 1:41 for trainer Doris Harwood. Firetrail held second by a length over Just Get'er Done.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer Barry Abrams has always prided himself on working with nervous horses and running horses back quickly. He may have his poster child in Spenditallbaby, who won the Fleet Treat Stakes on Sunday after acting up in the Del Mar paddock, and who will be wheeled back this Saturday in the Grade 2, $150,000 San Clemente Handicap.

Cold Trial sat behind the dueling leaders before being angled out and drawing away to win by two lengths in the $50,000 Hoover Stakes for 2-year-old Ohio-breds at River Downs.

Ridden by Luis Martinez, Cold Trial ($4) ran the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:06.00. O'Rian and Gold Rush Casey, the early duelers, finished second and third, with O'Rian a neck in front of Gold Rush Casey.