LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The formidable Todd Pletcher duo of Master Command and Magna Graduate both were scheduled for final prerace workouts this weekend at Belmont Park as they point to the next major event on the national racing calendar, the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap on June 16 at Churchill Downs.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Mike Newell altered his off-season pattern this winter, and the change has paid dividends.

The veteran trainer shipped as usual to Thistledown after last year's Fort Erie meet. But instead of sending his runners to the farm when that meet ended in December, Newell decided to try Mountaineer Park.

"We had a bunch of horses that looked like they could go on," said Newell. "We had a good winter, but a lot of the days were cancelled. We made a living with a few wins and came back with fit horses."

ELMONT, N.Y. - After capturing the Dubai World Cup in March, Invasor got a very brief break, then went right along in his training in preparation for a defense of his Horse of the Year title. His trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, has circled the Grade 1, $400,000 Suburban Handicap on June 30 at Belmont Park as the start of his second season, and on Friday morning at Belmont, Invasor inched closer to the Suburban with a half-mile workout.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - At this time last season, trainer Craig MacPherson had started

17 horses and hadn't won a race.

It got worse before it got better. He went a few more weeks before he saddled his first winner of the year, and heading into July he had just a single winner from his first 36 starters at the Hastings meet.

Compare that with his impressive statistics for the current meet. MacPherson has won 8 races from 29 starts, and along with Troy Taylor is the second leading trainer behind Toni Cloutier, who has 11 wins.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A Woodbine Oaks would not seem complete without the participation of Sam-Son Farm. Its colorbearer this year, Quiet Jungle, is a dark horse in the field of 11 for Sunday's $500,000 feature for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Sam-Son Farm has been represented by 27 starters in 20 runnings of the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks, dating back to 1977. Seven of those fillies were winners, including three in Sam-Son's modern era with trainer Mark Frostad.

ELMONT, N.Y. – As Thoroughbred racing gets set to crown a new Belmont Stakes winner on Saturday, last year’s Belmont victor, Jazil, is still seeking a return to form.

Jazil has raced only three times since winning last year’s Belmont. A bruised a hind cannon bone forced him to the shelf until January, when he finished second, beaten 2 1/4 lengths in a second-level allowance by Take the Bluff over Aqueduct’s inner track.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Reade Baker has felt the glare of the Woodbine Oaks spotlight, sending out half of the 10-horse field in 2005 and three of the five entrants in 2004.

Gold Strike wound up dominating the 2005 Oaks for Baker as the choice, a year after Touchnow finished second for Baker behind favored Eye of the Sphynx.

But Baker will be coming into Sunday's race with a decidedly low profile, as his hopes rest with Love You Crazy, who is 20-1 on the track morning line.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Street Sounds, a winner of two stakes on turf and one on Polytrack for trainer Michael Matz, checked in from Maryland on Thursday morning and has been made the 5-2 favorite for Sunday's $500,000 Woodbine Oaks.

The Woodbine Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, attracted a field of 11.

Street Sounds drew post 3 and will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez, who was aboard for her last win in Pimlico's Hilltop over one mile of turf on May 12.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Darwin Banach will be active on two important fronts this weekend.

On Saturday, he will be at Belmont Park to saddle Sky Conqueror, a 5-year-old who was voted Canada's champion turf horse last year, in the $400,000 Manhattan Handicap, in search of his second straight Grade 1 victory.

Banach, the private trainer for owner and breeder Bill Sorokolit, then will head home and arrive in plenty of time to saddle Palace Pier in Sunday's $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Last year was not particularly good for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds, except, of course, for Costa Rising. The Royal Strand colt dominated the division, winning eight times and ringing up over $400,000 in earnings.